MANILA — A coalition of education stakeholders, including academics, writers, and artists, has opposed a proposal by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to reduce general education (GE) units in college, warning it could weaken higher education and affect thousands of teaching jobs.

In a report, it said that in a petition shared by the Alliance of Concerned Teachers-Philippines, the group urged Commission on Higher Education to withdraw its proposed “Reframed General Education Curriculum Component” (RGECC) and instead pursue broader consultations with stakeholders.

The petition, which has gathered around 1,000 signatures, criticized the plan to cut GE units from 36 to 18, saying it is “simply unacceptable,” especially after Senior High School core subjects were previously reduced.

The group said the proposal departs from the traditional liberal education framework that equips students with a shared intellectual foundation for civic participation and democratic engagement.

They also questioned CHED’s “market-driven” and “job-centric” approach, arguing that it treats higher education institutions as workforce producers rather than venues for developing socially conscious citizens.

Stakeholders disputed CHED’s claim of curriculum redundancies between Senior High School and college GE subjects, saying no changes should proceed without a formal review of the existing curriculum under CHED Memorandum Order No. 20, Series of 2014.

They also called for stronger emphasis on humanistic education rather than technology- and artificial intelligence-focused approaches.

The group warned that reducing GE subjects could further weaken education quality, citing National Achievement Test results showing gaps in college readiness among Senior High School graduates.

They also opposed proposals to merge subjects such as Rizal’s Life and Works and Philippine Studies, saying such combinations would not be effective.

On the labor impact, the group estimated that between 60,000 and 90,000 faculty members could be affected through job displacement, reduced workloads, and salary cuts.

While they supported the inclusion of Labor Education as a required subject, they said the proposed version remains too focused on employment outcomes and lacks emphasis on workers’ rights, unionization, and social justice.

They also raised concerns that the proposal could lead to “over-regulation” and undermine academic freedom and innovation in higher education institutions.

During a Senate hearing on May 5, CHED officials defended the reform, saying it aims to modernize and streamline the GE curriculum rather than eliminate essential competencies.

Edizon Fermin, chair of CHED’s Technical Panel for General Education, said the reform shifts away from stand-alone subjects toward broader learning outcomes and interdisciplinary teaching.

“We’re not operating in this context on stand-alone subjects because we’re working on outcomes,” Fermin said.

He added that ethics would be integrated as a “cross-cutting consideration” across multiple GE subjects.

CHED Executive Director Cinderella Filipina Benitez-Jaro maintained that the agency has the constitutional and legal authority to set minimum standards for higher education institutions despite concerns over academic freedom.