General education

While there is still ongoing drama at the Senate, with politicians trying to point out who is who, I am seated in a room filled with brilliant minds attempting to piece together the future of pedagogy. The topic of general education is at the center of the discussion, as many are trying to lessen its presence or remove it entirely from the curriculum. For context, these are courses that focus on topics outside one's degree program. These involve the humanities, literature, and many more. To those who prioritize practicality above all else, they call it “useless.” From a bigger perspective, it actually isn't.

A framework on general education leads one to introduce students to critical thinking. This skill is not taught through a module or a simple how-to guide, nor can it be fully developed through do-it-yourself exercises. The goal is to allow learners to look at things differently. Their thoughts become deeper, more contextualized, and grounded in a fuller grasp of the issues at hand through exposure to different ideas and principles.

When I was an undergraduate student, I loved my general education courses. They seemed to be a breather from the difficult major subjects, allowing room for self-expression and collaboration with other students. I particularly enjoyed our humanities classes, where we were asked to attend film festivals and theater productions. We did weaving in between classes and even tried pottery. My hands got dirty and sweat filled my forehead, but these are activities that I will never forget. They allowed me to understand hard work and labor, placing them in the context of the profession that I would eventually pursue.

The move to lessen or remove general education courses is downright an attempt to clamp down on the opportunity to build a better populace. We want to produce workers with skills but with no heart. Think of robots that can do almost anything but do not have the capacity to decide properly or feel for the world around them. We say hello to apathy and to a mindset that can easily be dictated. The result is a gullible set of people who would not think twice about validating the narratives that come their way. A society that does not question, analyze, or reflect is a society that is easily manipulated.

CHED and other higher education institutions must continue to fight for general education. Life is not just about acquiring skills and making money; there is much emptiness in that. We need to allot space for growth, self-realization, and the development of values alongside the cultivation of competence. It reminds us that education is not merely about producing workers. It is about forming human beings. Some people may never understand that, and perhaps they never will unless they see its benefits outright but those of us who have experienced the value of general education know that its impact extends far beyond the classroom. It shapes how we think, how we relate to others, and ultimately, how we participate in society.