PRC chief: US nursing exam execs arriving

Executives from the US National Council Licensure Examinations (NCLEX) are scheduled to arrive in the Philippines by end-October for discussions on the possible conduct of American nursing exams here. Chairperson Leonor Rosero of the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) made the announcement Wednesday, adding that the NCLEX officials' visit should belie claims that the US is concerned over the nursing board exam leakage last June. "It's not true the NCLEX was cancelled. The US Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS) has not raised any concern about it, but merely said they want to know about the situation," Rosero said in Filipino during an interview on dzXL radio. She said the NCLEX executives will attend the convention of the Philippine Nursing Association (PNA) in Metro Manila towards the end of the month. Rosero said she expects this may be a good occasion to "discuss" the state of the Philippine nursing industry with NCLEX executives on a "person-to-person" manner. "This shows the nursing leakage has no effect in other countries. Even in the US, it is not a big deal. It's only here where people are making a lot of noise about it," she said. However, Chairman Dante Ang of Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) scored Rosero for trying to sweep the issue under the rug. "There is an effect. Let's not talk about it any further. Let's admit there is an effect, there's nothing wrong if we admit that," Ang said in a separate interview. Meanwhile, Rosero welcomed the Labor department's probe on the PRC's supposed negligence in the leakage. "Our doors are open. The leaked manuscripts did not come from our system," she said. She also backed Malacañang's "shame campaign" plan to publicize the names of schools that produce flunkers. "I agree to that. There are many schools, not just nursing schools, that are just diploma mills," she said. Rosero said the PRC will recommend to the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) the schools that are not performing well not only in nursing but in other fields as well.-GMANews.TV