Gatchalian: Three-Year College Education Act aims to cut parents’ expenses

The proposed measure to shorten college to three years is a move to help parents lessen their children’s education expenses, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian said Sunday.

“Hindi natin ito ginawa para magtipid ang gobyerno. Ginawa natin ito para makapagtipid ang mga magulang,” Gatchalian explained to Super Radyo dzBB.

(We’re not proposing it so that the government could save money, but to ease the parents’ education expenses for their children.)

He noted that these expenses include travel fare, dormitory rent, and costs for projects and field trips.

The senator said some courses from previous years are being studied again in college.

“Imbis na kukunin lang ulit yung kinuha nung elementarya, PE is an example na binabayaran ng magulang ng four semesters, ibuhos niya na lang ang oras niya sa concentration,” Gatchalian said.

(Rather than retaking subjects already covered in elementary, such as physical education, which parents pay for four semesters, students could instead spend that time focusing on other courses.)

Among Gatchalian’s priority bills in the 20th Congress is the Three-Year College Education Act, which aims to enable the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to shorten degree programs to no more than three academic years.

The proposed measure provides that all general education courses shall be integrated and completed at the senior high school level and seeks to ensure students’ readiness to go to college and provide them more time for internships and advanced specialization. —RF, GMA Integrated News