THERE will be changes in the nursing curriculum next school year.

This was announced by Chairman Romulo Neri of the Commission on Higher Education (Ched) on Wednesday to ensure that instruction is on a par with international standards and ensure a better passing rate for Filipino nursing graduates in licensure examinations here and abroad.

However, Neri admitted that this early, the proposed changes in the curriculum are being opposed by school administrators.

He expressed confidence though that the differences will be resolved before the school year starts.

“There are still objections from the schools. The technical committee will meet with school owners,” Neri said.

Neri, however, did not reveal the changes that the commission wants in the nursing curriculum.

Sources said the commission proposed the changes following close monitoring of the results of recent licensure examinations.

The commission’s technical committee determined the subjects where many examinees failed or got low grades.

The committee found out that many students failed or got low grades because of poor English and communication skills.

“Many students cannot even understand the questions,” a CHED official said.

“They would want to work abroad, so mastery of the English language is a must,” the official said.

Filipinos remain the top source of labor for western countries owing to their ability to communicate in English, but may soon lose that advantage because other countries are focusing on English education to get a bigger share of the international labor market.

“English is one basic subject that instruction should be improved, not just the science subjects,” the source added.

He added while it may seem that a lot of new nurses pass the board examinations, this is not the result of better instruction but because of sheer numbers, saying the passing average on the licensure examinations for nurses is still below 50 percent.

Rallies peaceful, but obstruct traffic

THE simultaneous and successive rallies staged by workers in key cities around the country were orderly and peaceful except for traffic snarls that have been created, especially in some parts of Metro Manila.

TO the rice, oil and other shortages lately, add the shortage of seats in all airlines flying to the Middle East that results in days of delays for at least a thousand Filipinos going to work for the first time or returning to their jobs in that region.

THERE will be changes in the nursing curriculum next school year.

This was announced by Chairman Romulo Neri of the Commission on Higher Education (Ched) on Wednesday to ensure that instruction is on a par with international standards and ensure a better passing rate for Filipino nursing graduates in licensure examinations here and abroad.

THE leadership of the House of Representatives is ready to sit down with senators to discuss their proposal for a constitutional change to make way for a federal system of government, Speaker Prospero Nograles said on Thursday.

SORSOGON CITY—A ranking communist rebel commander operating in Sorsogon province who was arrested by government forces three weeks ago was relased on Thursday after posting a P700,000 bail.

ZAMBOANGA CITY—One of the most wanted Abu Sayyaf leaders and his son were wounded in the “surgical strike” launched by the military on Wednesday in the hinterlands of Sulu.

MALAYSIA assured the Philippines on Thursday it will continue brokering the peace negotiations between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) despite its coming pullout as member of the International Monitoring Team (IMT).