The New General Education Curriculum of Higher Education

Presenter: Ms. Grace O. Yanson

I. Higher Education in the Philippines

1.1 GOALS
Higher education institutions in the Philippines operate with in this three goals:
(1). Cater to the educational needs and requirements (2). Deliver educational services that
demand responsiveness. (3). Operate within an environment of laws and policies that aim to
guarantee and protect right to education.

1.2 REFORMS
Several reforms were implemented with the following factors: K-12, Asean
Integration and Identification of Key Tactical Points.

II. Definition of General Education

General education, as defined by UNESCO (1986 as cited in Digo, 2015) is a form of non-
specialized education, typically from kindergarten to pre-university, designed as preparatory for a
more “determined profession.” In higher education, general education is considered as a distinct
feature of a university or college’s baccalaureate programs. Nichols and Nichols (2001) describe
general education as the liberal arts component of the curriculum, easily referring to it as the
“common denominator” of subjects that students need to accomplish while attending school. In
many instances, it also pertains to the foundation courses that comprise a baccalaureate or four-
year degree program and at the same time, serve as the core courses of two-year college
programs (Nichols and Nichols, 2001). As a form of liberal education, general education courses
aim to situate the student in their bigger community and nurture an appreciation of culture
(Kosslyn, et.al, 2007; Conway, 2010 as cited in Digo, 2015)

III. Historical Development of GEC

- GEC in the 1950’s
The author Arthur Carson in a bulletin titled “Higher Education in the Philippines” described
that much of the college curricula followed by private colleges and universities during the 1950s
were patterned from that of the University of the Philippines where the latter prescribed a one-
year liberal arts education that is common for both Bachelor of Arts (A.B.) and Bachelor of
Sciences (B.S.) students. This curriculum comprised of units in English and Spanish, Science,
Social Science, Military Education and Physical Education (Carson, n.d.)

- Memorandum Order 59 series of 1996

Memorandum Order 59, series 1996 titled “New General Education Curriculum (GEC),”
prescribing the minimum requirements for the general education curriculum for bachelors’ degree
programs (4 years). The minimum units is 63 and is comprised of four major subject areas: (a)
Language and Literature, 24 units; (b) Mathematics and Natural Sciences, 15 units;
Humanities and Social Sciences, 18 units; and (d) Mandated Subjects, 6 units (CHED, 1996).
As such, the aims for the major subject areas include: (1) Language and Literature – to develop
effective communication skills, understanding and appreciation of the value of personal
expression. (2) Mathematics and Natural Sciences - to help develop the students’ “precision in
numerical expression, logical thinking and problem solving” and increase their scientific literacy.
(3) Humanities courses - to help students develop “a human perspective that integrates all
branches of knowledge” for a better understanding of the individual and the society. (4) Social
Sciences - to make students more socially conscious and present, aware of social problems and
issues especially those relating to Philippine society (CHED, 1996).

- Memorandum Order 20,series of 2013

Recently, the general education curriculum in the Philippines has been subject to
discussion and debate with the release of the New General Education Curriculum (GEC) by the
Commission of Higher Education (CHED) through Memorandum Order No. 20, series of 2013.
Under this new curriculum, general education courses are being reduced to a maximum of 36
units only, with 24 units for core courses, nine for electives, and three units for one mandated
course on the life and works of Jose Rizal (CHED, 2013). This means a substantial reduction in
the number of GE courses, which has been traditionally high (as much as 63 units)
in many Philippine colleges and universities. With such reduction, the length of time appropriated
for GE courses in a four-year degree program is also effectively reduced from two years to only
one as most of the subjects in the old GE curriculum will now be added in the senior high school
level as part of the new K+12 Basic Education Curriculum (Pazzibugan, 2013). This new policy
poses a number of challenges affecting largely the GE faculty members in Philippine higher
education institutions (HEIs). With the decrease in the number of GE courses to be offered in
schools and universities, a considerable number of GE professors and instructors will be left with
fewer or no courses to teach, which may force many to early separation or resignation from
service (Abanto, 2014 as quoted by Marcelo, 2014). Hall (2012) also notes that this could also
mean a shift to administrative or research work for other faculty members, and even being
relegated to teaching in high school especially as the old GE courses will now be moved to senior
high school.
 In the face of these changes and issues surrounding the new GEC, an interesting subject
of inquiry is the GE professional or teacher who has to contend with this GE paradigm shift and
what such shift would mean for them as educators, particularly their role in the teaching-learning
process and the accompanying responsibilities and competencies expected from them. The new
GEC warrants a different outlook in viewing general education in higher education and the key
roles and tasks expected from the GE teacher or instructor will certainly change.
The new general education curriculum, released through CHED Memorandum Order 20,
series of 2013, is proposed in light of the implementation of the new K+12 Basic Education
Curriculum and the College Readiness Standards. The CHED rationalizes the proposal as a
response to the need for a “more holistic and less disciplinal program”, explaining that the
courses in the current general education curriculum are often viewed as introductory or
foundation courses for certain disciplines than as general education subjects. The present GEC
also provides for more remedial courses especially in the areas of English and Mathematics,
which defeats the purpose of a liberal education (CHED, 2013). The new curriculum provides for
only a minimum requirement of 36 units broken down into 24 units of core courses, 9 units of
elective, and 3 units on the life and works of Jose Rizal (as mandated by the Philippine
Constitution). The Memorandum also further stipulated the eight GE core courses to be taken by
the students: (1) Understanding of the Self, (2) Readings in Philippine History, (3) The
Contemporary World, (4) Mathematics in the Modern World, (5) Purposive Communication, (6)
Art Appreciation, (7) Science, Technology and Society, and (8) Ethics (CHED, 2013). Compared
to the GEC-A and GEC-B where GE subjects were more extensions of courses in high school,
such as College English, and Philippine and Asian History, courses in the new GEC are more
broadly defined, and less remedial or review courses. Also, notable is the distinct addition of the
course on Ethics, which is not clearly articulated in GEC-A and GEC-B. The core courses are
designed to be inter-disciplinary and the electives to “traverse disciplinal borders,” highlighting the
aim of general education as “oriented towards broad or wide-ranging understandings.” Compared
to the GEC-A and GEC-B, the new curriculum also identifies three major competency outcomes
following the principles of an outcomes-based education: intellectual competencies, personal and
civic competencies, and practical responsibilities (CHED, 2013).
IV. References
1. Carson, A. (n.d.). Higher Education in the Philippines. Retrieved from
http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED544129.pdf
2. Digo, G. (2015). Towards the Preparation of the Sorsogon State College General Education
Curriculum. Asia Pacific Journal of Multidisciplinary Research, 3:4. Retrieved from
http://www.apjmr.com/wp- content/uploads/2015/11/APJMR-2015-3.4.5.08.pdf
3. Carillo, Clarita (2017). Higher Education in the Philippines. QS Asia News Network.
4. Commission on Higher Education. (1996). CHED Memorandum Order 20 Series of 1996 – New
General Education Curriculum (GEC). Retrieved from
http://www.ched.gov.ph/index.php/archive/cmo-archives/1996-ched-memorandum-orders-2/.
5. Nichols, J. and Nichols, K. (2001). General Education Assessment for Improvement of Student
Academic Achievement: Guidance for Academic Departments and Committees. New York:
Agathon Press.