A group of teachers and staff of colleges and universities in the Philippines has expressed support for the proposal to disallow private and public schools from barring students from taking examinations due to unpaid tuition.
In a statement on Monday, April 17, the Council of Teachers and Staff of Colleges and Universities in the Philippines (CoTeSCUP) decried what they described as the “inhumane and immoral” practice of the “no permit, no exam” policy for students.
“Education is a right that no one should be denied just because of their economic realities,” read the group’s statement, adding that the “sordid ‘no permit no exam’ policy has no place in a society that values educating its citizens as its primary driver of progress and nation-building.”
The statement signed by representatives of various organizations of teachers and staff of educational institutions from across the country said “learning should never be held hostage.”
“Letting students take their exams without permits will not cause private schools to go bankrupt, as proven in the past,” it said, adding that private schools “are not left without recourse” because they have already been withholding the transcript of records of students with arrears.
The group said the mental and emotional effects of students’ inability to take their exams without a permit “cannot be understated.”
“We firmly believe that students, especially children, should not be exposed to ridicule and public shame,” added the CoTeSCUP statement.
The group commended the Senate and the House of Representatives “for crafting the bill to make the ‘No Permit No Exam’ policy unlawful.”
CoTeSCUP also called on President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to sign the proposed law immediately.
