ETHICS IS NOT OPTIONAL. IT IS ESSENTIAL:
CEAP Statement on the Proposed Exclusion of Ethics from the General Education Curriculum
The Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines is resolute in its stand that Ethics should remain an essential part of the college curriculum because it forms the moral and spiritual foundation of holistic educatiom While basic education may introduce ethical principles, the complexity of moral dilemmas that students face in adulthood, particularly in professional and societal contexts, requires a deeper, more critical engagement with ethical frameworks- College is a formative stage where young adults refine their values and make life-defining decisions- To remove Ethics from higher education is to deprive them of a crucial opportunity to anchor their
choices in sound moral reasoning and Gospel values.
Education rooted in the Church's mission of integral human formation, demands the continuous teaching of Ethics beyond basic schooling- As stated in Gravissimum Educationis (1965), the Second Vatican Council emphasized that "true education is
directed toward the formation of the human person in view of his final end and the good of that society to which he belongs." College Ethics courses serve precisely this purpose: to help students develop a conscience, discernment, and a moral compass amid the complexities of modern life- The Church insists that moral formation must be "permanent and progressive" (Familiaris Consortio, 1981), not something concluded after high school.
Moreover, in a pluralistic and often morally ambiguous society, college Ethics helps students critically engage with competing worldviews while remaining faithful to upholding human dignity, justice, and the common good. As such, colleges and universities bear a special responsibility to ensure that students are equipped not just with technical knowledge, but with moral wisdom capable of transforming society. Ethics taught rigorously and theologically, helps preserve the moral integrity of
professions like business, medicine, law, and education.
Finally, removing Ethics from college curricula undermines the vision of education as both academic and evangelical. Pope Francis, in Evangelii Gaudium (2013), calls for education that forms m issionary disciples capable of ethical leadership and social responsibility. Ethics courses are not peripheral but central to this mission. They provide the intellectual space for dialogue between faith and reason, between doctrine and real-life application. In educational institutions, where the goal is not just to inform but to transform: Ethics is not optional—it is essentiaL