GRADUATE SCHOOL

Notre Dame University

Cotabato City

Title: An Analysis on Inclusive Education of the Department of Education

Proponent: Sittie Saharah D. Dirangaren

Introduction

Challenges to the Filipino education system are due to a low education budget and

government corruption (Pennington, J. 2017). Adding to the hardships of Filipino children in

gaining a quality education, schools are short on classrooms, school furniture, teachers, and

curriculum (K12academics, n.d.-b). Many students are not enrolled in school, with only 90

percent of children being in primary school and 75 percent in secondary school (Albert, J.R.G.

2016). Socioeconomically disadvantaged students, about a quarter of the population

(Pennington, J. 2017), have a more significant drop-out rate in elementary school

(K12academics, n.d.-b). Additionally, national test scores suffer with less than 50% of students

passing the grade 6 and grade 10 achievement tests (Ager, M. 2019).

There are approximately 2.2 million children and youth with disabilities, and only 2% of

this population goes to school (Quilao, L.M.F. 2018a). Although this number is an estimate, as

parents with children with disabilities are often hesitant to admit that they have a family

member with a disability (Buenaobra, M.I.T. 2011). For the children with disabilities who attend
school, there are barriers due to a lack of special education teachers, a lack of accessible

schools and materials, and stigmas due to beliefs that children with disabilities are cursed

(Quilao, L.M.F. 2018b).

Inclusive education is a policy being implemented by the Department of Education

through DepEd Order No. 72 s. 2009. It is an on-going process aimed at offering quality

education for all learners while respecting diversity and the different needs and abilities,

characteristics and learning expectations of the students and communities, eliminating all forms

of discrimination.

The inclusive education policy implemented by the Department of Education

throughout the Philippines is not so strong considering the fact that there are so many schools

who does not conform to this policy. Many schools in the rural area have no programs for

special education, no teachers designated as special education teachers even though there are

lots of children who have belong to the disadvantage people such as those who have physical

disabilities.

In line with this, proposal evaluation of the said policy is necessary to uphold the

essence of this policy on inclusive education and to have a clear and strict implementation.
Theoretical Basis of Educational Issues

Historically, the Filipino government has recognized the importance of inclusive

education by attempting to reduce inequalities (Albert, 2016). Inclusive education appears to be

at the forefront of education policy as new policies have emerged within the past several years.

Antidiscrimination

Filipinos with disabilities are supported as equal citizens by having the same rights as

others in society (Magna Carta for Disabled Persons, 1992). The Constitution of the Republic of

the Philippines (2016) requires Congress to give the highest priority to protecting and enhancing

the rights of all people “to human dignity, reduce social, economic, and political inequalities, and

remove cultural inequities” (n.p.). Furthermore, the Philippines’ Constitution (2016) is

committed to “creat[ing] economic opportunities based on freedom of initiate and self-reliance”

(n.p.).

The Philippines’ Constitution (2016) provides a free and compulsory education for all children

and encourages formal and non-formal learning and vocational skills training. Other policies

help to ensure that all citizens have the right to a quality basic education (Governance of Basic

Education Act of 2001; Magna Carta for Disabled Persons, 1992) and helps assure that no child

is refused admission in public education (Presidential Decree No. 603: Children and Youth

Welfare Code (Children and Youth Welfare Code), 1974; Magna Carta for Disabled Persons,
1992). In 2018, the government passed the Inclusive Education Children and Youth with Special

Needs Act (IECYSNA) to ensure that all children are educated without discrimination or

inclusive and conducive learning environment.

With the implementation of the IECYSNA (2018), the government supports the ideas of

inclusive education. The policy language has shifted from an integrated system to an inclusive

one through supports such as UDL, aids and services, specific supports for sign language, and

individualized support. However, the national policies for inclusive education continue to be

broad and vague, with little guidance as to how such practices are to be carried out.

Individualized supports and services are vaguely written with policies by only indicating

that IEPs are developing and implemented. Although, parents are supported as active members

of the placement decision-making and have mechanisms of recourse, there is no guidance as to

how this process is to be carried out to ensure the concerns of parents are heard. This lack of

policy goes against the requirements of the United Nations (2016); therefore, policies should be

further developed for better assures that adequate supports are provided. The

government has done well to promote antidiscrimination rights and prevention and

amelioration (IECYSNA, 2018; Special Education Act; 2011). Research topics have been

specifically focused on services to support the needs of children with disabilities. Initiatives

have been taken to increase public knowledge of disabilities at the national level (Special

Education Act, 2011). Furthermore, including parents and other supports in training is beneficial

to improving lifelong outcomes of students with disabilities. However, this area could be
strengthened within policies by providing specific topics for national-level training topics to

ensure better quality trainings across the country.

The Filipino policies hold exclusions by implicit use of negative labeling and explicit use

of medical and deficit-model language. Such use of such terms creates assumptions that

students should be placed in a specific setting or assume that children with specific types of

disabilities are limited in their abilities. Parts of the Child and Youth Welfare Code (1974) and

the Special Education Act (2011) have been repealed under the IECYSNA (2018); yet there is a

lack of clarity as to which parts have been repealed and the language continues to exist. The

redaction of this language is necessary to ensure that educational leaders and others are not

persuaded with negative assumptions of what the labelled children can achieve.

The second explicit exclusion is due to the lack of individualized supports. The IECYSNA

(2018) lacks support occurs because the policy lacks in providing individualized assessments,

IEPs, and reasonable accommodations. With this being the second implicit indicator, in addition

to the one explicit indicator, the Philippines’ policies on inclusive education are rated as needs

improvement.
Significance of the Propose Policy

This policy evaluation was made to discern whether the Department Order no. 72 s.

2009 and other policies that pertains to inclusive education requirements have been

implemented by the districts schools within the Philippines. The outcomes of this policy

evaluation have provided information and data that educational leaders, disability advocates

and future researchers may find helpful. The results may help ensure equity and equality in

educational policies for learners with disabilities to promote more inclusive policies through the

strict implementation of inclusive education policy.

Policy Recommendation

After thorough evaluation regarding the implementation of the Department Order no.

72 s. 2009 and other policies that pertains to inclusive education the following are

recommended:

1. Inclusive educational policy needs to be revamped

This means that department of Education has something to do with the assessment of the

Department order no. 72 s. 2009 considering the fact that in the rural areas there are lots of

children who are belongs to the disadvantage children they have no access to education; thus,

they were deprived of their basic right.

2. Strict implementation of the policy on inclusive education

This means that there should be a strict implementation of the policy, many district school do

not have special education teachers, and classroom intended for special education.

3. Assessment and evaluation of policy

The department of Education should have come up on the assessment and evaluation on

inclusive education policy in order to know whether this policy is really implemented and how

far the policy as of now.

This policy recommendation is addressed to the education leaders and some disability

advocates they will be served as the medium to bring the issue to the higher in authority such

as the department of education. This policy proposal should be submitted before the opening

of A.Y 2022-2023 considering that this issue can be regarded as urgent knowing that children

who have disabilities are also entitled for their basic rights such as right to education.
References

Albert, J. R. G. (2016, October). What do statistics say about basic education in the Philippines?

Policy Notes. https://www.think

asia.org/bitstream/handle/11540/6837/pidspn1619.pdf?sequence=1

Buenaobra, M. I. T. (2011). Overcoming disability challenges in the Philippines. The Asian

Foundation. https://asiafoundation.org/2011/10/26/overcoming-disability-challenges-in

the-philippines/

K12academics (n.d.-a). Education in South Africa. K12academics.

https://www.k12academics.com/Education%20Worldwide/education-south-africa

K12academics (n.d.-b). Education in the Philippines. K12academics.

https://www.k12academics.com/Education%20Worldwide/education-philippines
Pennington, J. (2017, March 22). Education, inequality, poverty-a paradox in the Philippines.

Asean Today. https://www.aseantoday.com/2017/03/education-inequality-poverty-a

paradox-in-the-philippines/

Quilao, L. M. F. (2018a, January 14). Inclusive education in the Philippines. The PWD Forum.

https://thepwdforum.wordpress.com/2018/01/24/inclusive-education-in-the-philippines/

Quilao, L. M. F. (2018b, February 19). Pushing for the PWDs’ education. The PWD Forum.

https://thepwdforum.wordpress.com/2018/02/19/pushing-for-the-pwds-education/

Laws and Issuances

DepEd Order No. 72 s. 2009 (inclusive Education as strategy for increasing participation rate of

children

Enhanced Basic Education Act, 2013. (Republic Act No. 10533) (Philippines).

https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/2013/05/15/republic-act-no-10533/

Governance of Basic Education Act, 2001 (Republic Act No. 9155) (Philippines).

https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/2001/08/11/republic-act-no-9155/

Inclusive Education for Children and Youth with Special Needs Act, 2018. (S.B. No. 1414)

(Philippines). http://legacy.senate.gov.ph/lisdata/2579822158!.pdf

Magna Carta for Disabled Persons, 1992 (Republic Act No. 7277) (Philippines).

http://hrlibrary.umn.edu/research/Philippines/RA%207277%20
%20Magna%20Carta%20of%20Disabled%20Persons.pdf

Philippines [Constitution] October 15, 1986 (amend. 1987) (Philippines).

https://www.constituteproject.org/constitution/Philippines_1987.pdf

Presidential Decree No. 603: The Child and Youth Welfare Code, 1974 (Philippines).

https://pcw.gov.ph/presidential-decree-no-603-the-child-and-youth-welfare-code/

Special Education Act, 2011 (S. No. 1912) (Philippines).

http://legacy.senate.gov.ph/lisdata/94838026!.pdf#:~:text=FIFTEENTH%20CONGRESS

%20OF%20THE%20REPUBLIC%20)%20OF%20THE,by%20the%20Senate%20and%

20the%20House%20of

The Filipino Sign Language Act, 2018 (Republic Act No. 11106) (Philippines).

https://www.ncda.gov.ph/disability-laws/republic-acts/ra-11106/