Bello doubts need for bar exam, board exams: ‘Tanggalin na exam-exam na ‘yan’

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III has questioned the need for bar exams and board exams and said he will “probably consider” recommending these professional tests be scrapped altogether.

According to Bello, he urged officials of the Philippine Nurses Association and the Board of Nursing to recommend the non-requirement of board exams for nurses given that they have already gone through piles of examinations in college.

“Bakit pa kailangan ng board exam eh ilang exam ang dinaanan nila sa nursing? Puro na lang exam. Do they not trust these schools where these nurses came from, especially kung ‘yung school na pinanggalingan nila ay accredited by CHEd (Commission on Higher Education)?” he told an online media briefing Wednesday.

(Why is the board exam needed when they have already gone through a lot of exams for nursing? There are too many exams. Do they not trust these schools where these nurses came from, especially if the schools were accredited by CHEd?)

“So sabi ko pag-aralan na ‘yan and then we can recommend to Congress na tanggalin na ‘yung mga exam exam na ‘yan. Gastos sa ating mga nurses. ‘Pag grumaduate na, nakuha na lahat ng kailangang pag-aralan nila, [dapat] pwede nang magpractice, hindi na kailangan ng examination,” he added.

(So I told them it’s time to study this and then we can recommend to Congress to remove the requirement for those exams. Just an added expense to our nurses. Once they graduate and get all the lessons they need, they should be able to practice their profession without an examination.)

Bello said his idea should be “seriously considered” by the government.

The labor chief also believed examinations for aspiring lawyers should be ditched, claiming that anyway those who top the Bar are not as good when they actually practice the law.

“Dapat alisin na ‘yung mga board exam sa mga engineer, board exam sa dentistry, bar exam. Eight years ka nang nag-aaral para maging abogado, pumasa ka na sa lahat ng exam, kukuha ka pa ng Bar?” he stressed.

(We should remove the requirement for board exams for engineers and dentists as well as bar exams. You have been studying for eight years to become a lawyer and have passed all the tests, then you still need to take the bar exam?)

“Kagaya sa Bar, why don’t we do away with Bar? Tutal ‘yung estudyante may four years pre-law, four years proper. Dadaan ka sa rigorous scrutiny, tapos dadaan ka pa sa Bar,” he said.

(Why don’t we do away with bar exams? After all, the students have completed four years pre-law and four years proper. They will go through rigorous scrutiny then you will have to pass the bar?)

“Eh nakita mo naman ‘yung mga nagta-top sa bar hindi naman sila kasing galing pagdating sa practice although I am not trying to demean them,” he added.

(Those who topped the bar exam are not that good in practice although I am not trying to demean them.)

Bello said this proposal will probably be his pet bill if ever he becomes part of the government’s law-making body. However, he clarified that he has yet to decide on his political plans for the 2022 elections.

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