Magna Carta for Students Essay

EXPLANATORY NOTE One of the biggest foundations of a progressive nation is an educate population. Development in the different aras of knowledge such a light and technology, business, medicine, social science and others have brought about drastic advancement in our present society. In an increasingly demanding and dynamic global economy, competitiveness, more than an advantage, is a must. As expressed in the Philippine Constitution, education is one of the priorities of the reconcile. out from the basic needs such as food, shelter and clothing, it is one of the uncomplicated necessities that the State should provide for its constituents.While the private sector is an active histrion in the promotion of education at present, the governrnent should still lead in ensuring its quality and accessibility. It should be recognized that the full maturement of the instillchilds is non aquiline merely on books and lectures. Aside from providing them with an environment stockive to learning, it is the duty of the State to ensure the quality of education that goes beyond the corners of the classroom for indeed the trus twainrthy lessons in life argon gained in the real world.However, the present ceremonial educational system has, in one way or a nonher, deprived the civilisechilds of the chance to develop their full potential. This Magna Carta for Students intends to equalize the chance of the educatees to admission in civilise and to avail of competent and quality education. It seeks to provide measures to ensure that the scholars are able to exercise their rights to formulate, right to take part in policy-making, right to pedantic freedom, and right to free expression and information.For these reasons, the passage of this bill is earnestly sought. Senator fifteenth CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES First Regular Session ) ) ) HI SENATE Senate bankers bill No. JUl. -8 A9 (). i 911 INTRODUCED BY SEN. JINGGOY EJERCITO ESTRADA AN ACT PROVIDI NG FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE MAGNA CARTA OF STUDENTS Be it enacted by the Senate and Ho function of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled SECTION 1. Students. Title. This Act sh any be cognize as the Magna Carta of CHAPTER I GENERAL PRINCIPLES SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy.It is hereby declared to be the policy of the State to promote and protect the rights of educatees to enable them to participate actively and effectively in the democratic processes of effective progressive and developmental changes in society. SEC. 3. Guiding Principles. This Act declares the adjacent as basic guiding principles (a) The b any educational system being the principal institutional mechanism for transport knowledge and developing skills is given priority attention and support by the govemment. Education is a right and non a mere privilege.It is thereof the responsibility of the State to provide quality education accessible at all curriculum levels. Student presidencys en hance democratic processes on the campus. rank and active which promote and protect educatees rights and welfare andor contribute to national development shall be guaranteed by the State and direct authorities. Student organizations shall not be content to rules and regulations that unduly hamper their activities and are prejudicial to their objectives and interests, provided such objectives, activities and interests are with the prepares mission.Student councils organisations being the most representative of the scholarly personry and the highest expression of student power on campus shall be consulted in the formulation of cultivate policies directly affecting students. (b) (c) (d) (e) (f) . (g) Student publication shall serve as a principal, medium for free and responsible expression, dissemination of information, and interaction, among the different sectors of the academic confederacy . With their democratic rights guaranteed, students can serve as a potent and impressiv e force in the countrys social transformation.SEC. 4. Definition of Terms. As used in this Act, the following terms shall mean (a) Student any(prenominal) person enrolled in groom in wager secondary, tertiary, graduate and post graduate levels, including vocational and technical education. School any private, public or government-run and funded academic educational institution offering any or all courses in the above-mentioned levels. School campus the totality of all contiguous or proximate buildings, grounds and other facilities designed by the schooling as areas or facilities for the use of its students.Governing Board the highest policy making remains of the school such as Board of Directors, Trustees or Regents. Student Council/ politics the body representing the whole student population in one school or school campus whose officers are annually elected at macroscopic by the whole student population pursuant to its constitution and by-laws, if any. Council of leading the body composed of the heads of various stUdent organizations chaired by the President/ electric chair of the Student Council. Tuition Fee The fee representing direct costs of cultivations, cultivation and other related activities, and the use of school facilities.The term other school fees refers to fees which cover other necessary costs supportive of instruction, including but not control to medical and dental, athletic, library, laboratory, and Citizen Army prepare (CAT) or Citizen Military Training (CMT) fees. CHAPTER II RIGHT TO ADMISSION AND QUALITY EDUCATION SEC. 5. Admission. . (a) No student shall be denied admission to any school on account of his/her corporal handicap, socio-economic status, political or religious beliefs, or shall pregnant students and certified amend drug abusers be discriminated against.A student shall have the right to freely choose his/her force field of study subject to existent curricula and the instituti. ons admissions policies and t o continue his/her course up to graduation except in geek of academic deficiency, inability to meet program requirement, or misdemeanor of corrective regulations which do not infringe upon the exercise of students rights. (b) (c) (d) (e) (f) (g) (b) SEC. 6. Rights to Competent Instruction and relevant Quality Education.Every student shall have the right to competent instruction and quality education to relevant to his/her personal and cultural development andthat of the nation, and commensurate to the school fees paid, and for state institutions, public subsidies granted. Students shall have the right to make a written evaluation of the performance of their t all(prenominal)ers toward the end of the school term. SEC.7. Right to becoming Student Services and donnish Facilities. It shall be the responsibility of the school presidency to provide the students with adequate student services and academic facilities commensurate to the school fees paid, and for SCUs, public subsidies granted. CHAPTER III RIGHT TO ORGANIZE SEC. 8. Right to Organize among Themselves. single and collective effort being fundamental to the realization of common cultivation and the promotion and protection of common interest, the State recognizes the right of student to organize among themselves . . The rights of student to form, assist, or join any campus organization, alliance or federation, not opponent to the school mission, for their physical, intellectual, moral, cultural, spiritual and political interest shall not be abridged. SEC. 9. Student Council/Government. The State shall ensure the democratic and autonomous existence of student councils/governments.Pursuant thereto, there shall be one student council/government for each school campus, which shall be given experience by the school, colleges and universities dreaded. It shall have its admit. compensate of officers elected in annual popular elections. Every student council/government shall have the right to determine its policies and program on student activities subject to this duly ratified charter or constitution, school rules and regulation, and state policy. SEC. 10. perception of and Granting of privileges to Student Organizations.No erroneous requirements shall be imposed on student organizations seeking recognition. The guidelines concerning recognition shall be formulated by the Student personal business Office in consultation with the student council. The process for seeking recognition shall begin upon the submission to the Student personal business Office by the organization concerned on its (1) concept paper and constitution and (2) a testicle letter addressed to the Student Affairs stating that the organizations objective to be recognized. Recognition will be granted by the Students personal matters Office upon compliance with the guidelines.There shall be no discrimination in the assignment of school facilities and granting of other privileges to student organizations. Exc essive charges for the use of school facilities shall be forbidden. Whenever possible the school administration shall allow studnt organizations to use school facilities free of charge. SEC. 11. Coordination of Student Organizations Activities. All on and off campus activities of student organization shall be coordinated by the student council/government in consultation with the Student affairs office.The Committee on Elections (COMELEC) constituted to conduct the election of the officers of the student council/government shall be composed solely of bona fide student of the school. The conduct of the student council election shall be held in coordination with the Student Affairs Office. SEC. 12. Prohibition against the Use of Force and Exaction and Excessive. All campus organization shall be prohibited from using force in initiation and from exacting excessive fees from their members, as well as in their other students activities. CHAPTER IV RIGHT TO PARTICIPATE IN POLICY MAKINGSEC . 13. Representation in policy-making process. The student shall be stand for in policy-making bodies (other than the organisation board) which directly affect their welfare, especially in curriculum follow, student even out and academic standards. The representatives shall be designed by the student council. SEC. 14. Student maiden and Referendum. The student council/government through a majority vote of all the members of the student body shall have the right to initiate the formulation, modification or rejection of a school policy affecting the students.The proposition for the formulation, modification or rejection of a school policy affecting the students shall be submitted to and approved by a majority of votes casts by all bona fide students of the school in an areas shall be excluded from the power of students on initiative or referendum (a) admission (b) curriculum gc) susceptibility recruitment and tenure (d) rules on student conduct and discipline (e) tuition fees an d (f) scholastic rules (e. g.academic credits and retention and graduation of students).CHAPTER V RIGHT TO melt EXPRESSION AND INFORMATION AND RIGHT TO ACADEMIC FREEDOM , SEC. 15. Right to be Informed. The right of the student to be given information upon request on matters directly affecting their welfare shall be recognized. SEC. 16. Freedom of Expression. Subject to existing laws and school rules and regulations, students shall have the right to freely express their view and thinkings. SEC. 17. Academic Freedom.Students academic freedom shall subject to school rules and regulations and the exercise by the school and members of the faculty of their respective academic freedom, consist of, but is not limited to, the following rights (a) To conduct research in connection with academic work, and to freely discuss and publish their findings and recommendations (b) To conduct inquiry in curricular and cheating(a) activities within the campus and in appropriate circumstances (c) To c hoose a field of study for research and to pursue the quest for truth to express their opinion on any subject of public or general concern which directly or indirectly affects the students of the educational system(d) To invite off-campus speakers or resource persons to student sponsored assemblies, fora, symposia, and other activities of similar nature (e) To express contrary interpretation or dissenting opinions inside and outside the classroom (f) To participate in the drafting of a new curriculum and in the review or revision of the old and (g) To participate in the drafting and/or revising of the student handbook which shall include the school rules and regulations, a reduplicate of which shall be furnished the students upon admission to the school. , CHAPTER VI .RIGHT TO DUE do IN DISCIPLINARY PROCEEDINGS . SEC. 18. Right to Due Process. (a) (b) A student subject tot disciplinary accomplishments shall have the right to contradict himself/herself, to be heard and to present turn out on his/her behalf before an unreserved body. There shall be a Student Disciplinary Board to be composed of two (2) representatives form the school administration, one (1) faculty member, and two (2) students to conduct investigations into and decide on cases student violation of disciplinary standards.The blacklisting, expulsion, falling out and other such disciplinary sanctions that may be taken against a student shall not be valid unless the following rights have been observe (1) the right to be informed in writing of the nature and lawsuit of the accusations against his/her (2) the right to confront witnesses against him/her and to have full access to the evidence on the case (3) the right to defend himself/herself and to be defended by a represented or counsel of his/her choice, adequate time being given for the set of a defense (4) the right to a hearing before the student Disciplinary Board (5) the right against self incrimination and (6) the right to assembl age adverse finishs of the Student Disciplinary Board to the governing board and last to the appropriate education agencies. (c)The decision in any disciplinary proceeding must be provideed in the basis of relevant and sUbstantial evidence presented at the hearing, or at least contained in the record and let out to the student affected. The deciding body must act on its own independent consideration of the facts of the case. The body should, in all controversial questions, render its decision in such a manner that the issues involved, and the reasons for any decision made are clear to the student. (d)Disciplinary sanctions shall be corrective quite a publish on a periodic basis acts which are defend violate or school rules and regulations and the corresponding disciplinary sanctions do not violate the rights guaranteed herein and under the Constitution. CHAPTER VII OTHER RIGHTS SEC. 19. Right Against indefensible Searches and Seizures.Every student shall be free from any form of unreasonable search and transport. Except for the following instances no search or seizure of a student shall be deemed valid (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) Searches made at the elevation of ingress and egress by important personnel of the school. Searches and seizures of illegal denomination or articles falling in the plain view of duly authoritative personnel Searches and seizures of articles that are illegal, discovered inadvertently by duly authorized personnel Searches made when the student is about to commit, is committing or has just attached a crime or a serious infraction of the schools rules and regulations Searches made with a valid search warrant.Articles seized in violation of the here above mentioned provided rights shall not be used as evidence against the student in any disciplinary action that may be brought against him/her. SEC. 20. Access to School Records and Issuance of Official Certificates. Subject to the provision of the following discussion section, every stu dent shall have access to her/him own school record, the confidentiality of which the school shall maintain. He/she shall have the right to be issued official certificates, diplomas, transcript of records, grades, remove credentials and other similar documents within thirty (30) days from the file of request and accomplishment of all pertinent requirements. SEC. 21.Unpaid Tuition Fees and Examination. No student shall be prohibited from taking a periodic or final examination because of unpaid tuition and other fees under the realized terms of payment prescribed by the school concemed and approved by the appropriate education agency. Students with delinquent fees permitted to take an examination shall nevertheless be subject to the right of the school concerned to withhold the release or issuance of such students school records or of the documents mentioned in the preceding section or to deny such students admission at the next bring home the bacon term or year until the prior del inquencies are fully paid.