CHED ready to defend new college curriculum

MANILA, Philippines – The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) is ready to defend its revised college general education curriculum, which is the current subject of a petition for certiorari and prohibition before the Supreme Court (SC).

“We will await the request of the Supreme Court to respond to the petition and will prepare an appropriate response in due time,” CHED media officer Abi Lasaca told The STAR.

“For now, we will abide by the commission’s position on the issue,” Lasaca added.

On Wednesday, a group of Filipino teachers led by National Artist for Literature Bienvenido Lumbera asked the high court to suspend the implementation of a memorandum order issued by CHED in 2013 that revises the curriculum for tertiary education.

The petitioners, which also included several Makabayan bloc congressmen, pointed out that the policy violates the Education Act of 1982 because it does not comply with the law’s provision on a nationalist-oriented curriculum.

They said it abolishes subjects such as Filipino Language, Literature and Philippine Government and Constitution, which are vital in promoting national identity, indigenous culture and responsible citizenship.

The petitioners argued that the policy violates the Constitution as it “disregards the pro-national language spirit of the framers of the Constitution, the emphasis on nationalism and cultural awareness as core values of Philippine education and the pro-labor provisions.”

In 2013, CHED issued CMO 20, which outlined a new general education curriculum in light of the implementation of the K to 12 program.

Read more on The Philippine Star (http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2015/04/17/1444769/ched-ready-defend-n…).