A Framework for General Education in the University of the

Philippines
(2016 FINAL Draft- it takes into account the comments and suggestions
made by the faculty in the various CUs to the original 2015 draft)
BACKGROUND
The 1958 GE program

63-unit GE program
Purpose: to humanize the specialization gaining ground in the University
and to counter-act the fragmentation and proliferation of subjects[and] the
restrictive compartmentalization of knowledge and intellectual pursuits, and
produced technical men and specialists found wanting as professionals and
citizens.
Unifying factor to prevent the danger of community disintegration through
formation of ideal citizenry.

The GE curriculum has undergone two major revisions as a response to changing

conditions within and beyond the University:
1. 1986 GE Program
Cut the units down to 42
o Removed 12 units of Spanish and reorganized the rest
Response to:
o Splitting of the college of Arts and Sciences into three colleges in
1983 putting into question the further relevance of the current
GE.
o Formal reorganization of UP as a system of constituent
universities (CU) and the People Power Revolution
To provide a common learning experience and to infuse
learning with moral and intellectual integrity. Social
awareness too. (Lets not breed more dictators!)
2. 2001 RGEP or the cafeteria model
a. Purpose: teach students how to learn and instill in them the drive to
keep learning and AVOID producing narrow-minded and self-centered
specialists.
b. Response to 3 other factors:
i. Logistical challenge of offering a common set of GE courses
(population increased in the 1990s)
ii. Emphasis on individual choice
iii. Lack of agreement as to what courses should be required
c. Basically, UP had GE departments for each college but because of the
increase in population (and they also felt like they wanted to assert
their own discipline) they decided to push the responsibility to other
departments. They gave incentives to faculty to handle GE courses.

d. Effect: Free market dynamic and weakened attempts at defining a

common GE curriculum. Review of RGEP in 2010 revealed lack of
awareness of nationalism as an objective of GE as well as a
deterioration in oral and written communication skills.
This led to the formation of a hybrid RGEP with prescribed courses in
Communication, history, mathematics and PH studies.
[See Annex-1 for the table of changes and revisions]
RATIONALE for the NEW GE CURRICULUM
A. Internal and External Developments:
1. K-12
2. ASEAN integration
3. CHEDs new 36-unit GE program (See CMO-No. 20-s 2013)
a. CMO-No.20
i. Present GE attends to basic knowledge and skills that ought to
have been learned in basic education. With K-12 and College
readiness standards developed by CHED, this some courses
(such as math and communication) are no longer necessary.
B. Other Reasons (since some people apparently think its premature to revise
because of K-12):
1. Continuing trend of specialization in the University
a. Factors from UCC on GE (2007) as seen in UP context:
i. Culture of Research- UPs mandate influencing emphasis on
research and publication
ii. Focus on STEM- increased public and private sector funding and
enrollees
iii. Increased demand in management and business courses - more
enrollees here even if enrollees in the humanities are declining
reflecting national and global trends in EMPLOYMENT
iv. Lack of consensus on the GE
v. Some structural impediments to interdisciplinary education- decentralization and discipline-based departments in UP
2. Need of students to cope with increasingly complex issues and challenges
Recent revisions and reviews reflect the increasingly rapid pace of
change.
Specialization is not a negative trend since it is the growth of
disciplines and fuels progress and development
Concedes that to cope there is a need for holistic appreciation
[I found no specific reason for reducing the GE units. They only recognized the need
for change and specialization. We could perhaps argue like the SAGIP that the
reduction is too arbitrary.]
UP General Education Philosophy

Highlights:

complementary relationship between GE and specialist education

contrast between basic education and GE

In sum, the UP GE philosophy is an ethos characterized by the following key

principles:

It is liberal, holistic and integrative (non-specialist), and non-utilitarian in

orientation.
It reflects and promotes the loftiest principles at the core of a UP education. It
goes beyond inculcating habits of thought and ways of perceiving to the
ideals of humanism and nationalism (pagiging makatao at pagiging
makabayan).
It is a transformative education, enabling students to change themselves,
their worldview, and their world. It encourages creative and constructive
action that contributes to the improvement of the students community, the
nation, and the world

[We can derive some support for our arguments here]

Proposed Curriculum

Streamline to 21-36 units of core and elective courses to be determined by

each CU. CUs may select their core and elective GE courses from the 11 GE
courses proposed through the Systemwide GE mini-conferences , as well as
GE courses currently being 16 offered under the hybrid GE program. They
may also propose new GE courses for approval based on the principles and
guidelines laid out in a framework. [See Annex 1]
The revised GE program is expected to be fully implemented in AY2018-2019.