UP Board of Regents approves GE reform proposal

MANILA, Philippines – The University of the Philippines (UP) Board of Regents (BOR) approved UP Diliman’s proposed General Education (GE) Reform in the 1,330^th BOR meeting on September 7, Thursday, reducing to less than half the required GE units of each student. (READ: Narrowing UP Diliman’s GE program is a disservice to PH)

The results of the meeting were announced only via an online post 3 days later on Sunday, September 10.

With the decision, UP Diliman students will only be required to take a minimum number of 21 GE units – far less than the current 45 required GE units. 

When the reform of curriculum was proposed, faculty, students, and staff, organized  the alliance UP Sagip GE which called for a GE curriculum which was “critical, holistic, nationalist, and service-oriented.”

Supporters, on the other hand, argued that the move is the university’s way of responding to its 21st century learners. (READ: UP’s new GE curriculum: Should Diliman make the shift?)

“The Student Regent strongly manifested her opposition on the board’s approval of the GE Reform based on the grounds that the Philippine education’s orientation must be directed towards serving the people,” the UP Office of the Student Regent said in a statement.

Student Regent Shari Oliquino was the only dissenter of the curriculum reform among the board’s 11 members.

The statement of the student regent also added that the reduction of the required GE subjects is not the solution to the nation’s ongoing educational crisis.

“Moreover, UP students do not gain anything under this reform. It merely aims to change our educational programs along with K-12 and ASEAN integration to better meet the fulfillment of the business sectors that include big foreign corporations.”

The reform came about due to the implementation of the K to 12 program because some GE courses were already expected to be included in the senior high school curriculum. (READ: INFOGRAPHIC: 10 things about K to 12).

“We will continue to register our opposition,” said Oliquino in a phone interview.

The student regent said they will stage a series of mobilizations on Tuesday, September 12, at the AS lobby in UP Diliman, to express their disappointment and protest towards the BOR’s decision.

UP Diliman was the last of the premier state university’s 8 constituent units to vote on whether or not it will shift to a GE curriculum that is “interdisciplinary” in nature, but with less units: a range of 21 to 36, from the current 45.– Rappler.com