Bill seeks to stop schools from barring students with unpaid fees in joining graduation
MANILA – The House of Representatives has approved on 2nd reading a proposed measure prohibiting all higher education and technical-vocational institutions from denying students participation in graduation ceremonies on the basis of outstanding balance or arrears in tuition and other school fees, miscellaneous fees, or liabilities arising from the loss of or damage to school property.
Under House Bill 11579 or the proposed Kapakanan ng Magsisipagtapos Act, violators shall be subject to administrative sanctions that may be imposed by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) or the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).
“Maliit man bagay isipin, pero kasama po ng pag martsa ng isang estudyante ang mga hinaing, ang mga pangarap, at ang tagumpay ng kanilang mga mahal sa buhay,” House Committee on Higher and Technical Education Chairperson and TINGOG Party List Jude Acidre said.
The bill, however, allows higher education and technical-vocational institutions to withhold the release of the actual diploma or other documents of the graduating students until all fees are paid.
“It does not absolve them of the obligations. Hindi po quits sa eskwelahan ang mga kailangan bayaran, pero at the very least, sana hayaan silang makapag martsa sa entablado. Alam naman natin, ilang taon din ang ginugol nila para maabot ang tagumpay na ito. At alam naman natin ang sukatan lang naman talaga ng graduation dapat ang kaalaman at kasanayan na kanilang nakuha. Kung naabot naman nila at na-satisfy naman nila ang academic requirements, bagamat may kakulangan pa, sana hindi ang penalty ay hindi sila makapag martsa,” Acidre explained.
“Of course we want to protect also the rights of the school, and we want to make sure that this does not result in an unfair arrangement to them. So they are still empowered to hold the documents, the transcripts, the diploma, from being released to the students, pending the fulfillment of this financial and property obligations,” he added.
The House Committee on Higher and Technical Education, meantime, approved on Thursday House Bill 1483 seeking to strengthen critical pedagogy in teacher education and training programs.
“We want teachers who are able to help students filter the knowledge that they get from other sources and process it. So that they come up with more factual and more evidence-based learning,” Acidre said.
The House panel also approved House Bill 6472 designating the University of the Philippines— College of Education as the country’s National Center for Critical Thinking in Values Education, and House Bill 4920, which seeks to protect the rights of college students to transfer between higher education institutions by safeguarding academic records and units, and authorizing the Commission on Higher Education to implement standard nationwide unit transfer protocols.