The Coordinating Council of Private Education Associations (Cocopea) has spoken out against proposed bills in Congress that are aiming to ban the “no permit, no exam” policy. The bills, Senate Bill No. 1359 and House Bill No. 7584, would prevent education institutions from stopping students from taking exams while they still have unsettled financial obligations. Cocopea says such legislation could force private schools to close and thousands of teachers and staff to lose their jobs. The group argues that private schools depend on the timely payment of tuition and other school fees to support their operations, pay salaries and meet other expenses. If passed, the bills could remove the compulsion to pay, disrupting the private school’s cash flow. However, Cocopea spokesperson Kristine Carmina Manaog says the government needs to come up with a “balanced solution” which caters to both the needs of the students and those of private educational institutions.
Cocopea notes that private schools rely heavily on cash flow to sustain their operations and meet financial obligations. The bills could disrupt this flow, forcing many schools to close and causing disenfranchisement for thousands of students and extensive job losses. Cocopea says private schools are also extending compassion to students and parents through installment payments and flexible policies to accommodate students who cannot pay due to emergencies or other reasons. Cocopea has urged lawmakers to defer the bicameral committee deliberations and hear the private educational sector’s voice. The group also expressed willingness to hold a dialogue with lawmakers to develop solutions that ensure the financial stability of private schools and the accessibility of education for students. Cocopea suggests that solutions include expanding scholarship programs, establishing financial aid and student loan facilities, and fostering partnerships with the private sector to create employment opportunities for working students.
Congressman Camarines Sur Rep. Gabriel Bordado Jr. says there needs to be provisions to protect vulnerable private schools that may be adversely affected by the bills. On Feb. 22, Sen. Francis Escudero, chair of the committee on higher, technical and vocational education, pushed for the banning of the “no permit, no exam” policy, arguing that it was the “cruelest of fines.” Cocopea fears that if the bill were passed, it would need to scrap the installment payment option for school fees. It’s possible that parents might be forced to pay in full on the spot or upon enrolment. The group has also argued that DepEd Order No. 15, series of 2010, states that public and private schools should allow students with unpaid fees to sit their final exams and ensure that “civil liabilities of parents should not in any way jeopardize their children’s continued schooling.”
