Equity and Equality in Education

When it comes to education, it is not simple as just studying. In education,

there are measures if all students have access to it. Equality is the state which the

students have equal treatment regardless of their needs. However, equity is

something that is deserving to be given to an individual with special needs for the

success of everyone as long as they have it provided for them. I personally think

that the key policy areas that affect equity in education is the best guide because

they are relevant and helpful for the students' success.

The first one is design of education system. It is to prevent the academic

selection and to offer second chances to students by limiting tracks and streams.

And by providing alternatives to remove dead ends.

The fundamental structure of educational systems has an impact on equity.

Traditionally, educational systems have categorized students based on their

academic achievements. According to evidence from secondary and elementary

school research, such sorting can exacerbate disparities and inequity, especially if

it occurs early in the educational process. Early sorting can also degrade overall

results.

This leads to two conclusions: early tracking and streaming must be justified

in terms of shown advantages, and educational systems that use early tracking
should postpone use to a later time in order to reduce inequity and enhance

outcomes.

Education systems' socioeconomic structure is also essential. Secondary

education systems with high socioeconomic disparities across schools have

inferior math and reading results on average, as well as a wider range of reading

outcomes. Indeed, in systems with large socioeconomic disparities between

schools, social background is a greater barrier to educational performance.

The socioeconomic basis of educational systems is also critical. Math and

reading results are worse on average in secondary education systems with

substantial socioeconomic disparities among schools, as well as a greater variety

of reading outcomes. Indeed, social background is a stronger impediment to

educational performance in systems with considerable socioeconomic gaps

between schools.

Governments frequently provide parents a choice of schools, partly to

promote equity. However, because better-educated parents make better-informed

decisions, this may actually increase the probability of injustice. Greater school

choice is connected with wider variations in the social composition of schools in

many OECD countries.

The conclusion is that, from an equity standpoint, school choice

necessitates careful supervision, particularly to avoid increasing disparities in

school socioeconomic composition. Popular schools are likely to be

oversubscribed, and they will need to find a method to maintain a balanced social

mix. This could involve techniques of selection such as lotteries. Financial

incentives for schools that attract disadvantaged students may also be beneficial.

The second one is practices in and out of school. Its objectives are to

reduce year repetition, help disadvantaged parents help their children to learn, and

for the successful inclusion of migrants and minorities within the mainstream

education. Those are achieved by identifying and providing systematic help,

strengthening the links between school and home, and responding to diversity in

order to provide.

Equity is obviously influenced by what happens in the classroom, but

relationships between schools, parents, and communities are equally important. An

effective school-home interaction enhances student learning, but children from low-

income families may be held back by a lack of assistance at home. Effective

educational provision for migrants and minorities is likewise a major concern.

Making pupils repeat a year if they fall behind is a popular option; in certain

school districts, up to a quarter of students repeat a year. However, it is expensive,

and there is little proof that it benefits children. In some nations, high rates of year

repetition must be addressed by fostering alternate educational approaches.

The last one is how resources are allocated. They provide strong education

for all, direct resources to students with needs and set concrete targets for more

equality.
 Making pupils repeat a year if they fall behind is a popular option; in certain

school districts, up to a quarter of students repeat a year. However, it is expensive,

and there is little proof that it benefits children. In some nations, high rates of year

repetition must be addressed by fostering alternate educational approaches.

Because increasing education spending to address equity issues is likely to

be challenging in many countries, it may be more beneficial to concentrate on

targeting existing education expenditures to ensure that it contributes to equity.

Clearly, education systems must provide a strong education for all students, with a

focus on early childhood development and fundamental education. If bad family

circumstances are addressed early in a child's life, public education can help to

promote equity. However, if it provides a common resource that is predominantly

claimed by those who are least in need of it, it may exacerbate unfairness.

To be honest, I do not think all students can meet a particular high-

performance standard of they still have no enough capability so they need special

attention and be provided with what they need. I believe that not all students have

access to high quality education for their needs due to poverty and academic

standards.

Every individual has the right to a high-quality education. For many others,

however, this is not the case. Some of them must fight tooth and nail just to receive

the education they deserve. These are our society's marginalized people, and

those with disabilities are included in this group.

 The Republic Act 7277 (Magna Carta for Disabled Persons, and for Other

Purposes) is a law in the Philippines that assures that people with disabilities have

access to education. Despite this, acquiring a good education for someone with a

disability is still a difficult task. Quality education entails not only accepting children

into schools, but also providing them with accommodations, true inclusion, and

support in order for them to thrive.

One of the first questions a parent has when their child starts school is,

"Which of the schools is going to be the best for my child?" ", and they have a wide

range of possibilities. In the Philippines, however, this is not the case for parents of

disabled children. "Which of the schools in my town will accept my child?" will be

the first question on their minds.”

Unfortunately, the Magna Carta for Disabled Persons is insufficient to

ensure that schools welcome all students, including those with disabilities. They

would frequently claim that their school lacked a special education center and that

parents should seek out a school that did. Some schools will open their doors, but

after that, the student is on their own. If the teacher does not include the student in

the classroom, if items are not accessible, or if the student is not learning as a

result of these hurdles, there is no assistance from the school administration.

Many special education teachers will advocate for students, but if the school

does not have a special education center, students are expected to advocate for

themselves at a young age because their families can only do so much. However,
not everyone is able to speak for themselves, and as a result, many students are

unable to reach their full potential in class. Because teachers have made students

feel like they are an extra burden, they tend to become reserved, silent, and have

self-doubt.

When asked if there have been any changes in schools or classrooms over

the years, professionals in the inclusive education area said, "Struggles are always

present." Schools are so preoccupied with their 'regular' students that the needs of

people with disabilities are overlooked. If we had trouble reaching out to teachers

before, it's even more difficult now that we can't physically visit them. The most

significant shift in educators' perceptions of inclusive education is that they

recognize it as a right, but they have yet to assume responsibility for providing it.

They are only more compassionate to disabled people. Teachers will always

believe that education of persons with disabilities is not their job but that of SpEd

as long as our department of education clings to their SpEd notion." - Alphalyn

Pedro, Training Coordinator at Saint Louis University Institute for Inclusive

Education.

"Students with visual impairments are better accommodated by younger

teachers." The concern remains, though, because they are not completely qualified

to teach people with disabilities. They have no idea how to utilize Braille or what to

do to ensure that students with visual impairments can view their visual aids, exam

sheets, and other materials. That issue, to be honest, hasn't been resolved yet.
Teachers still have 40 or more students in their classes, thus many of them wish to

return their disabled students to Special Education." - Irish Ayesa Mendez, Visually

Impaired SPED teacher at Jose Rizal Elementary School.

"Because the teachers are dealing with a large number of youngsters in

their classrooms, the problem will always exist." They are accommodating to the

children with impairments that I send to their classrooms because I always promise

them that if they have any problems with my children, they can contact me. For me,

it's about how you handle'regular' teachers." - Madonna May Guerrero, SPED

Teacher at A.P. Santos Elementary School is a public elementary school in

Santos, California.

Some families assume that because their child has a disability and will have

a hard time finding work, it is not in their child's best interests to pursue an

education. They believe that going to school is a waste of time and money. They

would rather their children stay at home and be cared for by them. The most

significant impediment is one's thinking. Even if the school is not inclusive or the

student lives in poverty, a person with a handicap has an opportunity to finish

school with the help of their family.

Now that COVID-19 is upon us, the country has decided to do remote

learning and will not hold in-person sessions until the curve in our country flattens.

The PwD community will face new hurdles as a result of this. The Department of

Education is doing its best to provide accessible modules for students with
disabilities in public schools, but sources say that most of the materials will not be

ready in time for the start of the school year in October.

IIE (Institute for Inclusive Education) is aiding PwD students and private

schools in Northern Luzon in making their school materials accessible. They assist

authors in creating electronic editions of their works and warn schools about the

inaccessibility of photographs that lack alt language. Unfortunately, IIE can only do

so much because schools guard their materials and refuse to allow IIE workers

access. Ms. Alphalyn further noted that schools provide extremely little

adjustments for PwD students, and that some remote learning teachers are

unaware that they have a blind or deaf student in class until the student informs

them. Unfortunately, kids with impairments are once again being left behind during

COVID19.

In terms of inclusive education, the Philippines still has a long way to go. It's

discouraging to witness at times, but activists like Ms. Alphalyn, teacher Irish, and

teacher Madonna give me hope. We also have supporters in the form of groups

like the Institute for Inclusive Educations and others. We must continue to

collaborate until all of these hurdles have been removed. Our country's schools

must ensure that kids with disabilities are not burdened in any way. PwD provide a

unique viewpoint on life that many others do not have. When their school

administrators and teachers allow them to blossom, thrive, and realize their full

potential, they contribute so much value to the classroom and society.

 "A focus for Australia's development effort in the Philippines is to improve

the quality of basic education." We recognize that having access to a high-quality

education increases one's chances of overcoming poverty. Australian Ambassador

to the Philippines Bill Tweddell stated, "Australia invests in early childhood

education in recognition of the crucial role ECCD plays in enhancing the quality of

learning outcomes, retention, and completion rates of school children."

It is also a child's right to get early childhood care and development. It is not

only the responsibility of parents, but also of the community and government.

Increasing access to high-quality ECCD for Filipino boys and girls supports the

Philippine government's convergence and reform strategy in education, social

protection, and poverty reduction.

"We should expand on the government's efforts and recognize the many

obstacles that prevent youngsters from obtaining a good start in school." When it

comes to school preparedness, these 36 areas fare far worse than the national

average. We will be in a better position to ensure the growth and success of

children who are the most underprivileged if we can solve the problems they face.

We are able to give a solution that works for all sections of the country by

developing an early learning model that is appropriate to their condition," UNICEF

Philippines Representative Tomoo Hozumi stated.

 The Early Learning for Life initiative will help the most vulnerable children

who are exposed to various risks as a result of armed conflict, natural disasters,

and urban difficulties.