SENATOR Francis “Chiz” Escudero on Wednesday asked his colleagues to pass the measure that bans the imposition of the “no permit, no exam” policy by some educational institutions.

In his sponsorship speech on Senate Bill 1359, per Committee Report No. 6, Escudero described the practice as the cruelest of fines.

“By any moral yardstick, forcing a student to forfeit an exam is the cruelest of fines. It triggers a chain of events that is sometimes life-altering for the student, for the worse, not only of denied diplomas but also of dead dreams,” he said.

The measure also prohibits the imposition of any policy that prevents students enrolled in public or private schools from taking examinations or any form of educational assessment for reasons of outstanding financial or property obligations such as unpaid tuition and other school fees.

“Curriculum is not the only thing ladderized in our schools—matriculation, too. Sadly, many students fall from the rungs, not because they do poorly in class, but because they are poor in life,” Escudero said.

“The involuntary dropping out happens when tuition and other school fees are not paid on time and often, the penalty for that failure is that the student is prohibited from taking the examination,” he added.

The bill also prohibits compelling any student or his or her parents or legal guardians to pay a portion of the outstanding financial or property obligations prior to the administration of any examination or assessment; or imposing fines, penalties or interests on outstanding financial or property obligations in excess of the prescribed maximum interest.

“Para maprotektahan naman ang mga paaralan, may probisyon dito na maaaring pumirma ng promissory note ang mag-aaral o kanyang magulang,” Escudero said.