CHED assures GE curriculum remains open to revision amid backlash over proposed cuts

The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) has assured stakeholders that the proposed Reframed General Education (GE) Curriculum remains under review and is not yet final, following widespread concerns raised by educators and sectoral groups over its potential impact on teaching staff and academic quality.

CHED emphasized that the ongoing consultation process is designed to be “deliberate and evidence-based,” noting that inputs from higher education institutions, faculty members, students, and professional organizations will be fully considered before any policy is finalized.

“The proposed reframed GE curriculum is not yet final and remains subject to the ongoing consultation process,” CHED said in a statement.

The Technical Panel for General Education (TPGE) has been tasked to review all position papers and submissions gathered from public consultations.

The assurance comes after a 5 May online public hearing that drew thousands of participants, where CHED presented its draft proposal to reframe the GE curriculum.

The proposal is part of broader reforms linked to the post-K to 12 review of higher education alignment and curriculum efficiency.

Under the draft, the GE curriculum is expected to be streamlined, a move CHED says is intended to address redundancy and improve alignment between senior high school competencies and college-level general education requirements.

The TPGE, reconstituted in September 2024, earlier recommended revisions following concerns over overlap between Senior High School (SHS) subjects and university GE courses.

However, the proposal has sparked strong opposition from teachers’ groups.

The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) has warned that the planned reduction in GE units could result in the displacement of up to 90,000 educators nationwide, citing potential reductions in teaching loads and institutional staffing needs.

The group argued that the reforms 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,” said Prof. Carl Marc Ramota, ACT Vice Chairperson and former UP Faculty Regent.

“This approach will undermine the university’s role as a hub for social critique, which is crucial in light of widespread corruption, rampant human rights violations, and the decline of democracy,” he added.