A top group of private schools is urging the government to first fix the problems in basic education before trying to shorten college from four years to three.
Senator Sherwin Gatchalian recently proposed a law to make college just three years long by putting some general subjects into senior high school. But the Coordinating Council of Private Educational Associations (COCOPEA) says that’s not a good idea — at least not yet.
“Students who finish senior high are not even ready for college,” said Joseph Noel Estrada, COCOPEA’s legal adviser, in an interview on radio dzBB. “How much more if we cut college short?”
Estrada added that private schools were surprised by the proposal. He explained that the real issue is still the K-12 program and how it can better prepare students for the future. “Before changing college, we must first fix the curriculum in basic education,” he said.
Gatchalian’s plan includes moving general education subjects — like Math, Science, and History — to senior high school so college can focus more on specialization and job skills. But critics worry that without fixing the current problems in early education, students may fall further behind.
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