CHED: Philippines education at its lowest point

CEBU, Philippines — Philippine education has sunk to its “lowest point,” Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Chairperson Shirley Agrupis warned yesterday.

“I talked with legislators… (they said), ‘you are coming in a very fortunate or unfortunate season of the Marcos administration where education is at its lowest,’ and when you talk of lowest, it all boils down to the kind of leadership we have,” Agrupis said in a speech.

According to her, weak leadership has compounded the struggles of higher education institutions, pointing to the oversubscription of some programs, the lack of enrollees in others and what she described as the “mass rooming” of colleges and universities.

The mismatch between academic training and job requirements also remains evident, according to the CHED chief. Of the 25,000 students who attended job fairs, only 13 percent were hired, with most rejections attributed not to poor technical knowledge but to inadequate soft skills.

Agrupis also raised alarm over a “troubling increase” in unemployed college graduates, citing Department of Labor and Employment data that showed a 2.6-percentage-point rise in jobless graduates in June 2025 compared to 35.6 percent in December 2024.

To address these gaps, CHED signed a memorandum of understanding yesterday with the Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP) for the joint implementation of a leadership development program for academic leaders.

“This partnership that we are going to sign between CHED and DAP is just one of the many efforts of the Commission in expanding its governance so that everybody is aligned in the same framework,” she said, adding that the agency has also met with DOLE and the Department of Social Welfare and Development on scholarship concerns.

“Statistics may reveal the gaps, but it takes strong leadership to close them and address them. Behind every reform, every program and every innovation we envision for higher education lies the question of leadership. Who will guide our institution, who will drive change and who will ensure that policies translate into action on the ground?” Agrupis stressed.

She underscored that CHED needs leaders who have the courage to make difficult choices, the discipline to follow through and the commitment to keep learners at the heart of every reform.

“Strong leadership is what will enable us to retool curricula to match industry needs, strengthen research that supports national development and cultivate graduates equipped not only with the skills but with the values and adaptability needed in today’s world. This is precisely why our partnership with DAP is so crucial,” said Agrupis.

“It’s not enough to design policies. We must invest in the people who will implement them. By equipping our education leaders with the right mindset, tools and training, we are laying the groundwork for a higher education system that can rise above persistent problems and meet the demands of a rapidly evolving future,” she added.