Make my day!

Hole of Justice

By Peter G. Jimenea

A Messy Nursing School Mess!

The University of Iloilo-Nursing School managed by PHINMA, is now under fire from complaints filed by its fourth year graduating nursing class numbering 699. They resented the incorporation of their grades in Nursing Licensure Examination (NLE) Review to that of grades from legal school curriculum.

Prior to this mess, some students have already learned of their grades from instructors and were happy to imagine they will soon be marching for graduation rites. Never in mind there is an impending man-made calamity to bring them down.

A parent, however, noticed an insertion “Review Fee” in the school curriculum with corresponding amount of P15,000. She wrote to CHED if this is legal and whether the grades from this program can be included to school curriculum to constitute 40% of the students’ total passing grade for graduation. The CHED replied by citing Memorandum Ord. No. 13, Series of 2006, which states;

RE: “PROHIBITING HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS (HEIs) FROM FORCING THEIR GRADUATES AND GRADUATING STUDENTS TO ENROLL IN THEIR OWN REVIEW CENTERS AND/OR REVIEW CENTERS OF THEIR PREFERENCE.”

Deliberate or not, the nursing school coordinators fixed the glitches by changing the NLE Review into – Comprehensive Enhancement Program, same dog with different collars and the P15,000 as charged - stands. They announced the passing grade at 75% and RGO Review Center will handle the services.

To avoid animosity with school officials, the students took the Comprehensive Enhancement Program examination. But during the posting of results, nursing school coordinators increased the passing grade from 75% to 77% and said this will constitute 40% of the total passing of students.  On why, only God knows.

But those who prepared for their graduation rites exploded upon learning they failed. They may have no idea yet about the illegal program but they believed to have passed even on poor score of 75 or 76 percent. Thus, the sudden increase in passing grade stirs the peace of the graduating class.

UI-PHINMA nursing school coordinators have made P10,485,000 from the 699 graduating students who paid P15,000 each to their dog sporting two collars, NLE and CEP collars.

Then another P1,000 for Emergency Nursing Seminar when without a certificate of completion it is nothing. Despite the residual illegality, their will was done. This injustice to the students is a crime that cries to God for vengeance!

This is not what we think school business is all about. The coordinators who mixed the grades of CHED’s unrecognized program to grades of students under legal school curriculum made an impression that they did it in exchange for…. you know what. 

This is problem for people who have tasted the simulated thrill of making easy money. It is addictive and for that, we fear this mess may someday earn for their quarter a new name, departamento de los ladrones- a department of thieves!

Look, the Iloilo City Emergency Responders (ICER) who conducted the Emergency Nursing Seminar for free said they cannot issue certificates of completion to trainees without authority from the Philippine National Red Cross. Then why did these nursing school coordinators skip the legal way? Now where did that P699,000 paid by the 699 students go?

On why the UI-PHINMA nursing coordinator hired the services of RGO Review Center instead of the PNRC which is accredited to perform the task,... your guess is as good as mine.

Worse, the students paid P1,000 each for that useless seminar when the PNRC which is authorized to issue certificates charged only P298 to P400 per student.

These nursing school coordinators are already in the pot but jump into the fire. Had they graded their graduating students on subjects under CHED’s sanctioned school curriculum only, they could easily get out of this mess they’re in.

They say when money talks everybody listens. But in every rule there is an exception. Only rumor mills are grinding overnight that bundles of money are finding ways from the school to CHED and beyond – to Courts they cannot command.

This is too extreme a conclusion though. But these papers at my desk are already vital documents by which I shall judge them. It is written; qui peccat ebrius luat sobrius – he who offends when drunk shall be punished when sober!