The Commission on Higher Education is aiming at the elimination of review centers that allegedly cost P12,000 to P18,000 nursing reviewees per review. To do this it announced that Ched will revise the nursing curriculum. The result: 5 year nursing course beginning school year 2010.
Ched chair Emmanuel Angeles: “The cost is almost the same when another year is added to a four-year curriculum. Yet, in the proposed curriculum, students need not attend courses in review centers which sometimes charged exorbitant fees to prepare for their licensure exams. A review course will be incorporated in the curriculum.”
Further, Angeles laments that “parents are already paying for a five-year nursing program including the review yet less than 50 percent (of nursing graduates) pass the licensure test.”
According to Angeles, a 10+2+3 scheme in the education system with the skills necessary for them to compete with both local and international job markets.
The scheme works this way: 6 years of primary, 4 years of secondary (10)+ 2 year technical school or pre -university program before finally pursuing a three-year specialization course.
Nursing review lasts only 4 months, but as Angeles noted, less than fifty percent make it. So, why not add another full year where review classes are integrated. Besides, as to the review classes, they are optional. Meaning, you may attend or you may not.
The government can do that–add another year to a course despite riots from parents and students, of course. But it has built hospitals, schools, roads, buildings, among others. Did these projects stop persons both natural and juridical from building private hospitals, private schools, private roads and buildings?
No.
The primary reason for the change of curriculum is to improve the quality of our nursing graduates. The elimination of the nursing review centers is secondary. Why Ched played on the secondary reson is to make the idea appealling to people who will be affected by the 1 year extension by insisting that the extension and the necessary expenses incurred offset the expenses for the review centers who fill the need left unsatisfied by the 4 year course.
So, will Ched be able to eliminate nursing review centers?
No. But “yes”, according to Ched Chair Emmanuel Angeles.
4 responses so far ↓
pochp // February 13, 2009 at 1:07 pm
Great idea.
Review Centers are causing a lot of grief and trouble for students and their families.
Sobra na ang dami ng mga buwitre sa Pilipinas.
Sonia // February 19, 2009 at 5:34 am
it’s an option whether to review or not to review… it’s not just about the spending. There are other ways to pass an exam, and making something mandatory is just not very democratic.
JP Anthony Cuñada // February 20, 2009 at 3:46 am
Sonia:
There must be a way to motivate our teachers who will in turn motivate the students. Something like a “stimulus package” as used by governments the world over to overturn the world financial crisis.
Lately, it seems to me the focus of every course is to earn money. But, we do not go to school to earn money.
We go to school to learn how to better teach people, we go to school to build a better house where families could live in peace and safety, or build bridges where communities can safely pass through; we go to school to help people from their suffering of physical, mental or emotional diseases.
We go to school to learn to help another human being.
Our schools should focus more on this fact rather than on the monetary reward. Work, anyway, is less about the salary but more about the meaning and purpose it gives to one’s life.
The shift of focus will surely not guarantee a 100% passing rate in board exams. But it will surely guarantee improvements not only in our board passers but also in our graduates, nursing included, no review centers or school year extension can accomplish.
Warrior In Scrubs // March 3, 2009 at 11:41 pm
More doesn’t always mean better.
Adding another year isn’t a guarantee that schools will produce better nursing graduates and better RNs.
Besides, the difference between coaches at review centers and teachers at nursing colleges is that the former are fresh and happy, while the latter are overworked and burned out.
Also, the government should do something to prevent the deluge of jobless RNs in the country.
PRC, even without the recommendation from the President, has the power to change its policy as regards the taking of licensure exams for nurses.
Instead of twice a year, licensure exams may only be given once a year.
That way, hindi babaha ang RNs na walang trabaho sa bansa, plus new graduates can spend the entire year on self review or whatever, in order to do well in the once-a-year boards licensure exams (lest they wait for another 12 months before retaking).
I would assume that the PRC is composed of intelligent, experienced policy makers, pero nakakapagtaka lang na nakakabobo ang policies nila.