Minimum of 5 years to get a bachelor's degree
By nympha687
@nympha687 (940)
United States
January 27, 2009 8:34am CST
The Commission on Higher Education in my country recently announced it's plan to change the curriculum and prolong the college students' stay in the university. In this curriculum, all courses will take minimum of 5 years to finish. The said curriculum, once approved will take effect in 2010.
Students and parents are already opposing this plan because of added expenses. Adding another year to children's education would mean additional miscellaneous, tuition,and laboratory fees and allowances. They say adding another year in college is not the best solution to improve tertiary education.
Students, Parents, Teachers, Do you agree with this plan?
3 people like this
4 responses
@Pigglies (9329)
• United States
29 Jan 09
It already takes over 5 years with all the budget cuts. I can barely get 8 units per quarter now. I've been in college for 6 years and there are classes I want and there are over 50 people trying to add them. They only offer some classes every 2 years due to the budget.
What they need to do, is charge more money. Their budget can be met and in the long run it will be cheaper for students because we can get out in 4 or 5 years, instead of 6 or 7!
@nympha687 (940)
• United States
29 Jan 09
If you don't take advance units during summer classes, you also would end up finishing your bachelor's degree in 5 years.
@Pigglies (9329)
• United States
29 Jan 09
I've only skipped 2 summers. And that was because nothing was offered that I needed.
A lot of people who just start think that all us older students must be lazy or something, but then they quickly find out that they can't get their classes either. I finished general ed in 2 years, but getting everything else has been next to impossible.
Hopefully next quarter I'll be done!
@chance2691 (566)
• Philippines
31 Jan 09
Wait, they said ALL courses? WTF?
Apart from the fact that it causes additional expenses, it just shows that our country's quite insensitive to the financial turmoil we're all going through. Why on earth would you add a burden to your already burdened people? It's already recession, people are getting unemployed, and the thing that our government is focused on is adding up to our problems. Who knows? Maybe the 'additional one year' thing's just a way for them to milk us out of what we're worth.
The five year thing just makes my blood boil. It goes to show that we live in a country full of jerks.
@nympha687 (940)
• United States
3 Feb 09
They'll start with education and nursing this year and all the other courses will follow by 2010.
@djemba (767)
• India
27 Jan 09
You are also an Indian I guess. Happy republic day firstly. Yes, it really is a big turn off to the students and parents that the degree will take longer than four years as there is really not that much of a need to increase year in order to improve quality. I feel this is more of a plan to delay allowing the release of students into the professional arena as there is already a pretty bad crunch. The expenses part is right, it really sucks already education is transforming into a business and one more year will make those businessmen salivate with their lust for money.
@nympha687 (940)
• United States
27 Jan 09
Well, I'm actually a Filipina.
I guess you are right. There are a lot of graduates every year who add up to the number of unemployed. This could be a good scheme to lessen them.
@Ephraim123 (274)
• Philippines
1 Feb 09
I know how difficult it is to take a 5-year course because I am an engineering graduate. On my last year, I even applied for a part-time job(tutor) in order to cover my everyday expenses. For me, the proposed addition of one year to courses that require board exams is not timely. 2010 is just a year ahead and this might just discourage students from entering tertiary education because of high expenses. Personally, I don't think this proposal will even improve the country's unemployment rate. There are still a lot of graduates who end up jobless because of economic crisis, not because they didn't have enough education.
