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Several professors and academics have asked the Commission of Higher Education (CHED) to stop the implementation of the proposal on lessening General Education (GenEd) subjects in college.
Prof. Jose Mario De Vega, in a Brigada News FM interview, has strongly opposed the plan, saying these may make products of higher educational institutions seem like “zombies”.
De Vega has called the plan as “pambababoy”, citing the idea of compressing subjects such as ethics and Rizal studies in other courses. In the proposal, CHED seeks to remove some GenEd units from 36 to 18, that is by compressing several disciplines into a single subject.
The plan, the professor said, will likely affect the critical thinking and knowledge of the students; similarly, the disciplines will not be given proper attention.
CHED, meanwhile, has said that the proposal remains under review and is not yet final. They said that they are conducting ongoing consultation process to be deliberate and evidence based.
“The proposed reframed GE curriculum is not yet final and remains subject to the ongoing consultation process,” the government agency said in a statement.
CHED has said that the proposal is part of the broader reforms linked to the post K-12 review of higher education alignment and curriculum efficiency.
This move, they said, seeks to address redundancy and improve alignment between senior high school competencies and college-level general education requirements.
But this has sparked opposition from teachers group. The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) said that the plan would result in the displacement of up to 90,000 educators nationwide and could weaken university instruction by narrowing exposure to humanities, social sciences, and civic education subjects.
“The proposed GE cuts are part of a neoliberal approach to education that prioritizes efficiency, cost-cutting, and marketable skills over universities’ broader mission of fostering critical inquiry,” the group said.
Sources: Brigada News, Tribune, GMA News
