CHED delays reduction of college GE units to 2028

The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) announced that the proposed reduction of General Education (GE) units in college has been pushed back to 2028 following opposition from academics, students, educational institutions, and stakeholders on the revised curriculum.

In a media briefing on Wednesday evening, CHED Chairperson Shirley Agrupis said the decision was reached following a meeting with the CHED, Department of Education (DepEd), Teacher Education Council (TEC), and the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II).

"We just had an inter-agency meeting... to really present the collected manifestations from the different sectors and we came to a decision that there will be no GE implementation across all programs this school year," Agrupis said.

The pause in implementation comes after various academic sectors raised concerns over the plan to trim the current 36-unit GE curriculum to 18. Critics have argued that removing subjects such as Filipino and Panitikan would "dilute" the quality of tertiary education.

Similar concerns were raised with the potential merger of "Readings in Philippine History" with "The Life, Works and Writings of Jose Rizal." Republic Act 1425, or the Rizal Law, provides that all colleges and universities include courses related to the national hero.

Some standalone GE courses such as ethics, meanwhile, have been likewise proposed to be taught across different subjects.

The pilot rollout was originally targeted to commence in a few months, starting academic year 2026-2027.

Agrupis emphasized that the commission needs more time to review the feedback gathered from stakeholders.

"This is to give us time, especially the technical panel and the Department of Education, to analyze and study well the different manifestations because we understand where they are coming from and even in the teacher education," she said.

The CHED chairperson also clarified that even the teacher education sector will not see a trial run of the new system anytime soon.

"There will be no pilot testing of this reframed curriculum. The target of this will be 2028," Agrupis added.

CHED had earlier said the proposed curriculum was "not yet final" and remains subject to ongoing consultations with higher education institutions, faculty members, students, professional organizations, and other stakeholders.

It had said the proposed curriculum reframing is part of the deliverables of the reconstituted Technical Panel for General Education (TPGE), which was formed in September 2024 in response to concerns regarding the alignment between the senior high school and general education curricula.

Delay welcomed

Meanwhile, the General Education Movement (GEM), which has been critical of the proposed overhaul, welcomed the postponement of the reframed GE curriculum.

In a statement, the group said the decision not to proceed with pilot implementation for the upcoming academic year reflects "growing nationwide opposition" to the plan, particularly the reduction of GE units from as many as 36 to a minimum of 18.

"The growing nationwide opposition exposed the deep flaws of the proposed RGECC and compelled CHED to delay its implementation," said Prof. Jonathan Geronimo, one of GEM’s initiators.

However, the group stressed that the deferment should go beyond a timeline adjustment.

"But postponement alone is not enough. The central problem remaining is that the framework itself continues to weaken critical, nationalist, and humanistic education in favor of market-oriented restructuring," Geronimo said.

GEM also warned that the proposed restructuring could affect not only academic content but also employment in the education sector, particularly among contractual and part-time faculty who may face reduced teaching loads if GE subjects are consolidated.

The group also raised concerns that the shift toward fewer, integrated courses could sideline disciplines in the humanities and social sciences, which it said are essential to developing critical thinking and national consciousness.

Call to junk proposal

The coalition urged CHED to withdraw the current draft and instead pursue broader consultations with stakeholders.

GEM also called for the restoration of subjects such as Filipino, Panitikan, and Philippine Government and Constitution as core components of the curriculum.

“At a time when Humanities and Social Sciences are being weakened… the Filipino people need more General Education, not less,” Geronimo noted.

The group said it will continue consultations and advocacy efforts, including campus-based activities and public forums, as discussions on the proposed GE overhaul continue. — VDV, GMA News