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CHED to HEIs: Allow students with delinquent accounts to take exams
By Hannibal C. Talete

MANILA, Jan. 25 (PNA) -- The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) issued a memorandum on Monday directing colleges and universities to allow students with “delinquent accounts” to take school examinations.

CHED Memorandum Order (CMO) 02, Series of 2010, directed higher education institutions (HEIs) to be flexible in the implementation of the “no permit, no exam” policy which was earlier criticized by various student groups.

Dr. Emmanuel Angeles, CHED chairman, said the memorandum is in accordance with Republic Act No. 7722, otherwise known as the Higher Education Act of 1994.

“This is also in accordance with the pertinent provision of the 1987 Constitution and R.A. 7722 and for the purpose of ensuring the accessibility and affordability of quality higher education, and also in view of the unabated economic crisis brought about by circumstances worldwide as well as the recent calamities that the country faced last year,” Angeles said in his order.

“In view of the ongoing premises, all concerned HEIs are hereby requested to extend all possible assistance to students with outstanding balances in tuition and other fees due to financial difficulties. They shall extend utmost flexibility in the implementation of the 'no permit, no exam' policy they are adopting, if any, and any such policies that prohibit students from taking their periodic or final exams due to unpaid school accounts,” Angeles added.

The order also directed HEIs to allow students to take their exams through the execution of a promissory note, guaranteed by their parents.

Kabataan Party-list Rep. Raymond Palatino lauded CHED for coming up with a “pro-poor and pro-student” memorandum, saying it is in response to the House Bill 6799 or the "Anti-No-Permit, No-Exam Policy" filed by the group last September 10, 2009.

CHED officials were invited in a committee hearing of the House Committee on Higher and Technical Education (CHTE) discussing the bill last week in which they subsequently agreed to release a memorandum immediately addressed to HEIs.

"We are very pleased that CHED decided to immediately act on this matter. This is a significant development for the best interest of our students, especially in light of high cost of tuition and other fees amidst an economic crisis," Palatino said.

He added that the issuance of the memorandum is very timely because schools are now in their mid-term examination period.

"We are urging all 1,781 HEIs to comply with the memo. This would especially benefit 88 percent of our students who are studying in private schools," Angeles said.

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