CHED to replace resigned nursing committee members

The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) said yesterday it would immediately replace the members of its technical committee on nursing education (TCNE), who had resigned en masse due to a disagreement with CHED.

CHED chairman Dr. Carlito Puno assured their resignation would not affect the quality of nursing education in the country.

The TCNE members led by chairman Dr. Marilyn Lorenzo quit their post due to CHED’s failure to act on their recommendations to uphold the integrity of the nursing profession.

Puno said they plan to get the next members from the Cebu, Davao and Luzon branches of the Professional Regulatory Commission (PRC) and Philippine Nurses Association (PNA).  

He said they had received flak for appointing members from Metro Manila only.

"All seven members come from Metro Manila. Kaya binabanatan nga kami ng taga-Mindanao, Visayas and Northern Luzon dahil walang representative mula sa kanila (I think one reason why others criticize us is because we choose members who are residents of Metro Manila. There are no representatives from Mindanao, Visayas and Northern Luzon)," Puno told reporters in a press conference.

Puno said he and the resigned members had a disagreement because he raised the issue of representation "which they don’t like."

He called the resigned members "elitists."

Those who resigned were TCNE chairman Marilyn Lorenzo, Carmelita Divinagracia, president of the Association of Deans of Philippine Colleges of Nursing Inc; Glenda Vargas and Sylma Sanchez, both retired chairmen of the PRC’s BON; Amelia Rosales, Remedios Fernandez and Ma. Rita Tamse.

Puno gave assurances that the next members that would comprise the TCNE would include representatives from the smaller nursing schools.

"Smaller schools from provinces complain that they are not represented," he said. 

Puno said they would evaluate the qualification and competence of every nominee, including Dr. George Cordero, PNA’s current president, whose integrity is being questioned by Lorenzo and her group.

"We will start with a clean slate. We will have to defer Cordero’s appointment. We are still consulting with our regional directors. We will come up with a shortlist, call them up to ask if they are willing to accept the job. We will announce our choice next week," he said.

Puno disclosed that the real reason why Lorenzo and the others resigned is because of the impending appointment of Cordero.

Cordero, a member of the TCNE, reportedly owns the Philippine College of Health Sciences in Manila.

But Puno said there was nothing wrong with that and cited the need for the owners of schools to be represented in the TCNE since they are stakeholders.

He questioned the performance of Lorenzo and group while they were at TCNE, saying they failed to increase the passing rate of nursing examinees.

"The passing rate in the board exams still went down under their leadership. Why have they not improved its rate?" Puno said.

Meanwhile, Puno announced that CHED plans to revise the school curriculum in colleges and universities by next year to fit the demands of today’s modern occupation.

He said there is an underemployment in the country today.

"In the next four years, the country will need 40,000 education graduates for 40,000 available positions. But our colleges and universities will be producing 350,000 graduates. Where will we place the 300,000? That is the reason why a lot of them go to Hong Kong to work as domestic helpers and the Middle East," Puno said.

He said the CHED would have to redirect the course preferences of high school graduates.

"What is happening is that high school graduates select a course because this is what their friend chose. A student prefers a certain course because this is what his parents chose for him," Puno explained.

He said the CHED plans to conduct an aptitude test to be given to fourth year high school students next year. 

He said a certain batch would be given a limited number of choices of courses.

"It will be a very focused and coordinated program. This (mismatch of courses) is the very main reason for underemployment," Puno said.

The CHED will coordinate with the Department of Education (DepEd) for public high schools and different school organizations for the private high schools on the test’s implementation. — Sandy Araneta