A Critical Policy Analysis of the Disjuncture between the Higher Education Computing Curricula and the Electronics Engineering Law

Abstract

This study critically examines the disjuncture between the computing curricula and the Electronics Engineering Law of 2004 within the context of Philippine education and professional regulation. Guided by the framework of Critical Policy Analysis, it investigates how the legislative, implementing, and academic tiers of state policy interact to produce systemic incoherence and exclusion. Using qualitative documentary analysis, the study reviewed key laws, regulations, and issuances. Findings show that the legislative definition of electronics engineering, reinforced by regulatory interpretation, extends into computing and information technology domains defined as distinct academic disciplines. This overlap excludes qualified computing graduates from professional practice, transforming education into a pathway of exclusion rather than empowerment. The analysis further demonstrates that this disjuncture violates constitutional guarantees of quality education, academic freedom, and equal protection. The study concludes that the conflict between academic authority and regulatory mandate constitutes both policy and constitutional incoherence. It recommends legislative clarification, inter-agency coordination, and constitutional harmonization to ensure that education and professional regulation function as complementary pillars of social justice and national development.