CHED plan to cut college GE units sparks fears it could 'water down' ethics, humanities courses

A proposed overhaul of the college general education (GE) curriculum by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) is facing mounting criticism from academics and schools, with educators warning that the planned reduction of GE units could dilute the teaching of ethics, philosophy, literature, arts, and Philippine history.

At a public hearing on May 5, CHED defended its draft proposal to reduce GE units from the current 36 units to 18 - 21 units under a “reframed” curriculum focused on outcomes-based education.

The proposal has alarmed faculty members from several universities, including the University of Santo Tomas, University of the Philippines, and Silliman University, prompting them to raise concerns over the possible merging or removal of humanities-related subjects.

One of the most contentious issues discussed during the hearing was the plan to remove Ethics as a standalone GE subject and instead integrate ethical concepts across multiple courses.

UST philosophy professor Paolo Bolaños questioned the proposal, saying CHED’s current understanding of ethics appeared too narrow.

“Ethics is reduced to, what, a response to fake news, and a tool for managing data?” Bolaños said during the consultation.

He also challenged CHED’s assertion that philosophy is already adequately covered in senior high school.

“In the current or new curriculum, philosophy is just an elective,” Bolaños said.

“The level or maturity of students in terms of their grasp of ethics is enough when they enter college — that’s totally wrong,” he added.

Bolaños further criticized what he described as an increasing focus on “market-based education” rather than deeper humanities instruction.

“The elephant in the room is that I think it’s market-based education,” he said.

Faculty members also warned that merging subjects such as Rizal studies, Philippine history, ethics, mathematics, literature, philosophy, and arts appreciation into broader three-unit courses may weaken disciplinary depth and student formation.

During the consultation, stakeholders urged CHED to “consider retaining or allowing separate stand-alone courses for legal mandates, disciplinary depth, or student formation requiring deeper treatment.”

Concerns were also raised over possible faculty displacement once the new curriculum is implemented.

Victor Aguilan, convenor of the Council of Teachers and Staff of Colleges and Universities of the Philippines, warned that reducing GE units may affect teaching loads and employment, particularly in private schools.

“Our concern is really the impact of displacement because of the reduction in the general education courses,” Aguilan said.

CHED officials, however, insisted that the proposed changes are intended to modernize and streamline general education rather than remove important competencies.

Edizon Fermin, chair of CHED’s Technical Panel for General Education, said the commission is shifting focus from “stand-alone subjects” toward broader learning outcomes and interdisciplinary instruction.

“We’re not operating in this context on stand-alone subjects because we’re working on outcomes,” Fermin said.

Fermin added ethics would instead become a “cost-cutting consideration” integrated across several GE subjects.

In response to the criticism their proposal violates academic freedom, CHED Executive Director Cinderella Filipina Benitez-Jaro maintained the commission has constitutional and legal authority to set minimum standards for higher education.

“The Constitution allows regulation. But the Constitution is a limit on state power. It does not allow control,” UP Los Baños professor Antonio Contreras countered during the hearing.

Contreras warned the proposed curriculum risks centralizing decisions that should belong to universities.

“When the state through CHED determines a curriculum, prescribes pedagogy, and reduces institutional autonomy to compliance, it does not merely supervise higher education. It governs and controls it,” he said.

CHED said consultations with stakeholders are ongoing and that the draft curriculum remains under review. —RF, GMA News