CHED reviews proposal for 5-year nursing course

The Commission on Higher Education Tuesday said it will decide this March whether or not to approve a proposal to increase to five years the curriculum of nursing students.
CHED Chairman Emmanuel Angeles said a technical panel is currently studying the advantages and disadvantages of adding an additional year–or two semesters–to the current four-year nursing curriculum. Angeles said that the panel is set to finish its review by the end of next month.
Subsequently, the CHED will start its consultations to students and parents. The final decision on CHED’s proposal, Angeles said, will be announced before March ends.
Angeles believed it is “more economical” for students to take a five-year nursing course. With review sessions already integrated in the fifth year, Angeles said students no longer have to pay for expensive review sessions outside of school.
“Students have overloaded subjects in a four-year course. And they go to school during the three summer breaks. After the four years, they still have to pay for their review classes,” Angeles said in an interview on ABS-CBN’s “Umagang Kay Ganda.”
Should the proposal be allowed, Angeles said those in their freshman year in nursing can have their course aligned to the five-year program. On the other hand, students from second year onwards can finish their four-year degree.
“We’ll see if some subjects can be removed, those which we find irrelevant to the course,” he said. (ABS-CBNNews.com)