Angelite Nurses

By Jerrie M. Abella/KBK - GMANews.TV
The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) has imposed a moratorium on the opening of new programs in nursing, business administration, teacher education, hotel and restaurant management, and information technology (IT) education effective school year 2011-2012.

The moratorium, contained in CHED Memorandum Order 32, covers undergraduate and graduate programs in the following courses:

1. Nursing (Bachelor of Science, Master of Arts/Master and Doctor of Philosophy)

2. Business Administration (Bachelor of Science, Master and Doctor in Business)

3. Teacher Education (Bachelor of Elementary and Secondary Education, Master of Arts, Doctor and Doctor of Philosophy)

4. Hotel and Restaurant Management (Bachelor of Science, Master of Science and Doctor of Hotel and Restaurant Management, and Hospitality Management)

CHED cited the increase in the number of institutions offering these programs as one of the reasons for the moratorium.

“There is already a proliferation of Higher Education Institutions (HEI) offering Undergraduate and Graduate Programs in (these courses), which if allowed to continue unabated would result in deterioration of the quality of graduates of these five higher education programs,” the commission said.

CHED also said the results of the Evaluation of Graduate Education Programs, and the licensure examinations for teachers and nurses, confirmed not only the worsening quality of graduates in these programs, but the worsening of the programs themselves too.

The commission also pointed out the “problem of mismatch currently being experienced by (a) significant number of business administration, hotel and restaurant management, and information technology graduates.”

The moratorium shall cover all public and local universities and colleges, and private HEI including those which were granted autonomous status by CHED.

The commission likewise said the moratorium on maritime education imposed last year is still in effect.

DOLE supports moratorium

In a statement, Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said she is supporting the moratorium, saying it is part of the government’s efforts to shift focus to college courses that will help graduates land jobs.

“The moratorium, I believe, is a decisive action on the part of the CHED to mitigate potential oversupply of graduates in certain disciplines, and in the process, to encourage incoming students to opt for courses that offer the best chances of employment after graduation,” Baldoz said.

She said the moratorium complements the efforts of the DOLE to ensure employment of graduates, which include educating students on what courses are in demand in the labor market.

The DOLE is formulating a Philippine Human Resources Development framework which will outline strategies to attain quality graduates who will find jobs after college, Baldoz added.