Integrating Christian Living Education with the Good Manners and Right Conduct and Values Education Curriculum

Edwin Odulio

doi:10.67641/mstr.v28i1.2023

Integrating Christian Living Education with the Good Manners and Right Conduct and Values Education Curriculum

Auteurs

Edwin Odulio Ateneo de Manila University

DOI :

https://doi.org/10.67641/mstr.v28i1.2023

Mots-clés :

Christian Living Education, Religious Education, Good Manners & Right Conduct, Values Education, Curriculum Dilution, Vocational Tension

Résumé

The institutionalization of the Good Manners and Right Conduct (GMRC) and Values Education (VE) Act in the Philippine K–12 curriculum has prompted Catholic schools to integrate Christian Living Education (CLE) with these state-mandated subjects. While the Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines (CEAP) proposed a comprehensive integration model in 2017, current policy shifts risk diluting the distinct religious identity and theological foundations of CLE. This conceptual study examines the curricular dilemma of maintaining CLE’s unique identity while fulfilling state-mandated moral education outcomes within the CEAP framework. Through a comparative analysis of the pedagogical nature, theological foundations, and core objectives of CLE versus GMRC and VE, this paper delineates the systemic challenges of curriculum convergence. The findings reveal critical points of tension, particularly regarding teacher preparation and the philosophical distinction between secular morality and faith-based formation. Building upon the 2017 CEAP proposal, this paper provides a framework of curricular safeguards and actionable guidelines to prevent the secularization of religious education. This study contributes to the discourse on religious school autonomy, curriculum integration, and institutional policy response in pluralistic educational landscapes.

Biographie de l'auteur

Edwin Odulio, Ateneo de Manila University

Edwin B. Odulio is a theology professor in the Higher Education Unit of Ateneo de Manila University, Philippines, where he teaches courses on Catholic Social Teaching, Christian vocation, marriage, and family life. He also handles Religious Education courses in the Formation Institute for Religion Educators (FIRE) Program, the graduate degree program of the Department of Theology. In addition, he serves as a consultant at the John J. Carroll Institute on Church and Social Issues (JJICSI), where he contributes to initiatives that promote dialogue between faith and society. His recent publications include: “Conversations in the Spirit through the Normativity of the Future.” Hapág 22, no. 2 (2025): 165–186; “Proposals for the Use of Scripture in Catholic Moral Education.” Asian Horizons 19, no. 4 (2025): 411–422; “Scripture in the Classroom: A Critical Evaluation of Current Practices and a Proposal for a Narrative Change.” Hapág 23, no. 1 (2026): 77–101.