'Retake' will not redeem PRC
Inquirer
Last updated 01:20am (Mla time) 10/18/2006
Published on Page A14 of the October 18, 2006 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer
Letters to the Editor
RETAKE or no retake -- the question lingers.
The controversy has boiled down to two major issues: the ability of the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) to conduct a credible licensure exam and the capability of the nursing students to pass a nursing licensure exam (not their competence as nursing professionals since it will take many more trainings, other exams and more than a couple of years of actual performance to determine this).
Obviously, a retake will not resolve the issue on the PRC's competence to conduct a credible exam, given the fact that a human factor caused the exam's flaw. The system and conduct of the exam itself were almost perfect. The problem was in having people in the nursing exam board who were either gravely dishonest or grossly negligent. (A retake would probably cost the government another P42 million.)
What then is our guarantee that a retake will not be attended by another leakage? But what will stop dishonest and negligent examiners, who are determined to cheat for whatever reason, from writing down and leaking again test questions to interested parties?
The PRC's credibility has been tainted. Only having honest and responsible people will take that taint away-and "redeem the image of the Filipino nurses here and abroad." Until then, no retake can do that.
FR. JESUS V. DUMAUL, MSC, Sacred Heart Parish, Bantug, Science City of Muñoz
