Ethics is not a subject that can be simplified and relegated to secondary education without losing its essence. Senior High School students are generally not yet predisposed to the rigorous demands of ethical theories and their complex applications.
In college, Ethics serves as a professional course that teaches students moral reasoning. It bridges the gap between academic theory and civic engagement, providing students with the critical thinking skills and abilities necessary for responsible citizenship.
We challenge the direction of the Commission on Higher Education and EdCom 2 which appears to prioritize economic utility over human dignity. Any proposal to remove Ethics threatens to reduce the education system to a mechanism for producing subservient labor for a consumer-driven, globalized market.
Education must be an instrument for liberation, not a means of reinforcing a colonial past that treats individuals as tools for the rich and powerful. Contrary to the mechanical and economic definitions offered by policy-makers, we maintain that education must focus on making us better humans.
The decision-making process of Edcom 2 has been alarmingly exclusionary, disregarding our diverse cultural landscape. No philosophical associations or ethics teachers from Mindanao, until today, have been consulted. Regardless, the current consultations are mere formalities to legitimize an elitist academic perspective.
Ethics must be framed by the experiences of our communities, incorporating local history, culture, and religion—realities that "elite" experts often overlook. In an era marked by overt government corruption and the abuse of power, the relevance of Ethics is self-evident.
Particularly in the Bangsamoro region, Ethics empowers future leaders with a moral compass and the "ethical competence" required for genuine good governance. Ethical analysis opens the eyes of the youth into that difficult mission of rectifying historical and structural injustices.
The proposal to remove Ethics is a capricious act that risks the nation's future. It prioritizes the biased opinions of a select few over the lived experiences and moral contributions of scholars across the country. The teaching of Ethics is not a burden; it is the ultimate safeguard of democracy and human freedom.