CHED wraps up public hearing on new education curriculum

MANILA, Philippines - The public hearing on the new General Education (GE) curriculum to shorten some college courses in line with the implementation of the K to 12 program was completed yesterday.

Maris Diokno, Commission on Higher Education technical panel on GE curriculum head, said they will submit their final report to CHED chair Patricia Licuanan for approval.

“We will only start the new GE curriculum once the first batch of K to 12 graduates comes in,” she said.

Diokno said currently schools allot two years for the GE subjects (first to second year).

Under the revised curriculum, students can take GE subjects even in their junior or senior years.

“GE subjects currently eat up two years but now it would be reduced by one year to a minimum of 36 units and not all of the units would be taken from the first year,” she said.

“We will give the autonomy to the schools, universities if they want to add more GE subjects but the minimum is 36 units.”

Licuanan said the GE technical panel had recommended that four-year arts and sciences programs be reduced to three years, while five-year courses like engineering and nursing be trimmed down to four.

The engineering technical panel has already decided to shorten the course from five years to four years because of the K to 12 program, she added.

The new GE subjects will be taught to students finishing the additional two years of high school under the K to 12 (Kindergarten to Grade 12) program in 2018.

Under the K to 12 program, Filipino students will have to go through kindergarten, six years of elementary, four years of junior high school (Grade 7-10) and two years of senior high school (Grade 11-12).

Diokno presided over the last public consultation at the CHED office in Quezon City yesterday.

Last year, CHED held public consultations in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, as well as two meetings with the technical panels of different disciplines.

2 new universities

President Aquino has signed two laws converting two state colleges in Mountain Province and Kalinga into universities.

On May 24, Aquino signed Republic Act No. 10583, an act converting the Mountain Province State Polytechnic College into Mountain Province State University.

The new state university’s main campus will be in the municipality of Bontoc in Mountain Province.

Under the law, the university shall primarily provide advanced education, higher technological, professional instruction and training in forestry and agriculture, teacher education, engineering and technology, arts humanities, sciences and other relevant fields of study.

It shall also promote and undertake research, extension services and production activities in support of the socioeconomic development of Mountain Province and provide progressive leadership in its areas of specialization.

Aquino also signed on May 24 RA 10584, an act converting the Kalinga-Apayao State College in Tabuk, Kalinga into Kalinga State University.

The new state university’s main campus will be in Tabuk City.

It is mandated to provide advanced education, higher technological, professional instruction and training in the arts, agriculture, forestry, social and natural sciences and technology and other relevant fields of study.

Under the indicative budgets for 2014, state colleges and universities will get P31.9 billion, or P900 million less than the 2013 budget of P32.8 billion.  –  Helen Flores