The Filipino youth, through its representative in the Kabataan Partylist, succeeded on having a law enacted against the “no permit, no exam” policy in schools in the country. The “No Permit, No Exam Prohibition Act” or Republic Act 11984 became a full law on March 11. Kabataan Partylist first filed such a proposal in 2007.

“Students and parents have been calling for and end to this policy in schools for a long time,” said Kabataan Partylist Rep. Raoul Manuel. Many cheered the news of its enactment. However, he called Marcos Jr. a “killjoy” for diluting the version of the law he signed.

Rep. Manuel was disappointed because the signed version required students to obtain a certification from the Department of Social Welfare and Development proving they cannot afford to pay before the exam period. Marcos Jr. also lowered the punishment for schools that violate the law.

“It shows that the Marcos Jr. administration does not really want to stop the policy, but was forced to sign the law to make it appear it is doing something amid the education crisis,” snided the representative.

Government favoring private universities and schools is also exposed with its approval of annual increases in tuition and other fees. “Malacañang is still protecting the huge profits of the corporate giant owners of schools,” he said.

This is also the view of the League of Filipino Students (LFS). In the group’s statement, it emphasized that under a commercialized and anti-student education system, even after signing such a law, students and their families are still being forced to borrow, pay exorbitant fees and others are even forced to drop out of school altogether.

“The overflowing number of workers who have not completed their college course drags down the price of labor (wages), further intensifying poverty,” according to the group. This framework is part of the neoliberal education system, not only in the country, but worldwide, it said.

The LFS reiterated its advancement of a nationalist, scientific and mass-oriented education which is asserted would protect the democratic rights of students and ensure quality education for all.

Meanwhile, the Kabataan Partylist called on students to report to its office the incidents of forced collection of tuition and other fees as the examination period in schools approaches.