Profed Sir Patrick Inclusive 1-4
Profed Sir Patrick Inclusive 1-4
0 10-July-2020
Proper and good education is very important for all of us. It facilitates quality learning all through the life
among people of any age group, race, status, color, religion and region. It is the process of achieving
knowledge, values, skills, beliefs, and moral habits. Education is very necessary for each and everyone in order
to improve knowledge, way of living as well as social and economic status throughout the life. All citizens have
the right to education even those persons with disabilities. Two concepts are important here i.e., Inclusive
Education and Special Education.
Special education is the practice of providing individualised instruction and support to students with
disabilities or learning difficulties. It is designed to be need-based and individualised, which means that every
student in special education will have a different plan depending on their needs, abilities and goals. Inclusive
education, on the other hand, is the practice of educating students with disabilities alongside their peers without
disabilities, in the same classroom. It is meant for all learners. Inclusive education is based on the premise
that all students develop and learn differently, and therefore one fixed way of teaching and learning cannot
ensure successful outcomes for all. (Bhalla, 2020)
On this learning module, you will understand more the definition, goals, and scope of Special and Inclusive
Education. Also, historical timeline will be discussed in this module to further understand and be aware of the
development of Inclusive and Special Education.
Definition
Inclusive Education
Inclusive education means different and diverse students learning side by side in the same classroom. They
enjoy field trips and after-school activities together. They participate in student government together. And they
attend the same sports meets and plays.
Special Education
Special education (also known as special needs education, aided education, exceptional education or Special
Ed) is the practice of educating students in a way that addresses their individual differences and needs. Ideally,
this process involves the individually planned and systematically monitored arrangement of teaching
procedures, adapted equipment and materials, and accessible settings. These interventions are designed to
Definition of Terms
Educators at all levels refer to special needs students as those with exceptionalities. In general,
exceptionalities fall in six broad categories:
• Intellectual. This includes students who have superior intelligence as well as those who are slow to
learn.
• Communicative. These students have special learning disabilities or speech or language impairments.
• Sensory. Sensory-grouped students have auditory or visual disabilities.
• Behavioral. These students are emotionally disturbed or socially maladjusted.
• Physical. This includes students with orthopedic or mobility disabilities.
• Multiple. These students have a combination of conditions, such as orthopedically challenged and
visually impaired.
Mainstream - People, activities, or ideas that are part of the mainstream are regarded as the
most typical, normal, and conventional because they belong to the same group or system as most
others of their kind.
Integration - Integration is placing persons with disabilities in existing mainstream education without
changing the system of education delivery.
Segregation - Segregation occurs when students with disabilities are educated in separate
environments (classes or schools) designed for students with impairments or with a particular
impairment.
Inclusion - Inclusion involves a transformation of the education system with changes and modifications
in content, teaching methods, approaches, structures, strategies, and review mechanisms in place.
To be diagnosed under GDD, the child must also be significantly limited in at least two developmental
domains, including, gross motor, vision and fine motor, communication (i.e. speech/hearing/language)
and social skills.
LD – Learning Disability
A learning disability is a neurological disorder. In simple terms, a learning disability results from a
difference in the way a person's brain is "wired." Children with learning disabilities are as smart or
smarter than their peers. But they may have difficulty reading, writing, spelling, reasoning, recalling
and/or organizing information if left to figure things out by themselves or if taught in conventional ways.
As recent as a hundred years ago, children with disabilities received little, if any, formal
education. In the tradition of segregating students during the middle to late 19 th century, special schools
for those with disabilities continued to be created in the early 1900s. These schools claimed to educate
children; however, they primarily served as residential facilities and institutions. Even in 1918, as states
began creating a nationwide public school system, children with disabilities were usually excluded.
Between 1850 and 1950, special classes with people trained to care for individuals with
disabilities began to develop as teachers noted differences among students. During these years,
groups of parents of children with developmental disabilities started schools and programs. Although
these developments were sporadic, they began to positively change ideas about teaching these
children. Attitudes continued to change in the mid-1920s as educators began to see the value of
education and community involvement for individuals with disabilities. Still, children continued being
placed in institutions as many parents believed these facilities offered the only educational opportunity
available to their child. Special education was typically only offered in large cities.
While the Supreme Court ruled in 1954 that students could not be separated in schools
because of race, the parents’ movement worked to change the belief that individuals with disabilities
IDEA
Beginning with the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and its amendments of 1986 and 1992,
employment and educational rights of people with disabilities were guaranteed from institutions
receiving federal funding. Then, with the passage of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
(IDEA), all school districts were required to develop and provide a free, appropriate public education for
all children. The first major legislation of its kind, IDEA required that education be provided in the least
restrictive environment for each child, meaning that students with disabilities should be taught in
neighborhood schools in general education classes.
The U.S. Court of Appeals ruling, with Timothy v. Rochester School District, established that all school
districts have the responsibility for educating every child, including those with disabilities. The
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 further protected school-aged children with disabilities outside
of education in employment and access to public and private services.
Although still rare in many school districts, real special education inclusion began in the 1990s
when children with physical disabilities gained access to neighborhood schools. For children with
developmental disabilities in 1993, though, separate classes remain the norm. The reauthorization of
IDEA in 1997 guaranteed more than access to education for students with disabilities; it ensured the
rights to a quality education and quality outcomes. Another reauthorization of IDEA occurred in 2004 to
align it more closely with the general education No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, while retaining,
expanding, and clarifying important elements of the 1997 law.
The onset of inclusion has resulted in over 90% of students with disabilities receiving education
in typical schools and almost half were included in the general classroom 80% of the day during the
1999-2000 school year. An increasing number of students with disabilities are graduating from high
school, with over half earning a diploma. Full inclusion is still years away, though, as millions with
disabilities learn in special education classrooms.
The Past
People who had a disability were seen as mentally ill. Many of them were placed in Mental intuitions
called Insane Aslyms and were being "cured". They were treated in very inhumane ways making life expectancy
short for
many.
Timeline A
Gifted and talented is now part special education and is growing in numbers.
However, for future need, schools need to seek out children who are advance in poverty districts and students
of color. Some schools have made efforts to put students with learning disabilities in gifted and talented
programs.
Timeline B
Write a one page reflection on “Inclusion: Another Way to Educate”. Send a Word file or PDF file to the
instructor.
INCLUSIVE EDUCATION IN THE PHILIPPINES
SUMMARY
REFERENCES
https://education-profiles.org/eastern-and-south-eastern-asia/philippines/~inclusion#Definitions
https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/explainers/value-inclusive-education
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special_education
https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/disabilityandhealth/disability.html
World Health Organization, International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health
(ICF)external icon. Geneva: 2001, WHO.
US Department of Health and Human Services. The Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Improve the
Health and Wellness of Persons with Disabilitiesexternal icon. Washington, DC: US Department of
Health and Human Services, Office of the Surgeon General; 2005.
https://www.teachervision.com/special-needs/students-with-exceptionalities
https://impactofspecialneeds.weebly.com/history-of-special-education-christina-pressley.html
In striving to educate as many children as possible and with limited funds to build a separate special
education infrastructure to cater to the needs of children with disabilities, inclusive education was officially
adopted in 1997 by the Department of Education in the Philippines as a viable educational alternative.
Inclusive Education is the core principle of the K to 12 Basic Education Program. This promotes the right of
every Filipino to quality, equitable, culture-based, and complete basic education. Through inclusive education,
all Filipinos will realize their full potential and meaningfully contribute to building the nation2 The inclusiveness
of the K to 12 Education.
On this learning module, you will understand and be aware of the Philippine’s Department of Education on
its Vision, Mission, and the Policy Guidelines on the K-12 Basic Education Program.
5. Demonstrate an in-depth understanding of concepts related to inclusive and special education that
promote supportive environments to diverse learners (like inclusion, integration, mainstream, transition,
etc.) as indicated in the DepEd Inclusive Education Policy;
6. Demonstrate knowledge of responsive special and inclusive education programs for diverse learners;
and
7. Compare and contrast Inclusive Education in the Philippines with that of International standards.
I. Definitions
Inclusive education
The 2009 Department of Education Order No. 72 defines inclusive education as the philosophy of accepting all
children regardless of race, size, shape, colour, ability or disability with support from school staff, students,
parents and the community. The more recent 2013 Enhanced Basic Education Act refers to gifted and talented
children; learners with disabilities; learners of the madrasa curriculum; indigenous peoples; and learners in
difficult circumstances, such as geographical isolation, chronic illness, abuse, or displacement due to armed
The proposed 2019 Special Education Act defines learners with special needs as children who differ in mental
characteristics, sensory ability, neuromuscular or physical characteristics, social abilities or multiple handicaps
and/or have a lag in development requiring tailored school practices or special education services. The act
includes gifted, talented, disabled, impaired and handicapped persons in need of special education and
services of rehabilitation.
Considered an inclusive and learner-centred teaching and learning strategy, the 2016 Basic Education
Research Agenda defines inclusive education as a cross-cutting issue implemented through special education,
indigenous peoples’ education, madrasa education, the country's Alternative Learning System and alternative
delivery modes.
Special education (SPED) is part of the country's education system and is implemented through a
specific programme targeting both children with disabilities and gifted and talented learners, who need
a systematic and deliberate process to achieve functional literacy and achieve their individual potential
and capability. Supporting the 1997 Magna Carta for Disabled Persons, the 1997 Department Order
No. 26 on Institutionalization of SPED Programs in All Schools established at least one special
education centre for children with special needs in all schools. Called resource centres for inclusive
education, the centres were intended to support the integration of children with disabilities into regular
schools through the production of appropriate teaching materials and continuous assessment. Specific
guidelines to set up special education centres in regular schools were defined in 2000.
The 2019 Special Education Act aims literally to institutionalize inclusive education though the
institutionalization of at least one special education centre in each school division and three such
centres in larger divisions, equipped with adequate qualified staff and administered by the principal of
the regular school.
Indigenous peoples’ schools are registered within the Department of Education and mainstreamed in
the national education system but benefit from some flexibility in terms of curriculum, teacher
recruitment and school calendar.
Madrasa education was institutionalized in 2004 through the Standard Curriculum for Elementary and
Public Schools and Private Madaris (i.e. madrasa schools), and then improved with the Refined
Elementary Madrasah Curriculum in 2011 in public elementary schools with at least 15 Muslim students
and in private madaris. Madrasa education is provided in public and private schools within the context
of Muslim culture, customs, traditions and interests through the integration of the Arabic Language and
Islamic Values Education (ALIVE) in the basic education curriculum.
The Alternative Learning System is a parallel learning system to the formal education system usually
conducted in community learning centres. Established by the 2001 Governance of Basic Education Act,
it provides an opportunity for the out-of-school population to access and complete basic education.
Alternative delivery mode programmes are based on self-learning modules to cater for learners in
difficult and different circumstances.
The 1987 Philippine Constitution enshrines the right to quality education for all citizens and mandates the state
to take appropriate steps to make it accessible to all (Art. 14, Section 1). The state must also establish an
Disability
The 1997 Magna Carta for Disabled Persons, amended in 2007, mandates the state to ensure that persons
with disabilities have access to quality education, making special education provision able to serve various
types of impairments, in particular the visually impaired, hearing impaired, those with intellectual disabilities and
other types of exceptional children throughout the country.
In response to the implementation of the Magna Carta, the 1997 Department Order No. 26 on
Institutionalization of SPED Programs in All Schools established resource centres in regular schools to provide
continuous support to children with special needs. The 2010 department order Strengthening Special Education
Program at the Basic Education Level financed regular secondary schools to train education personnel and
provide the institutions with adequate teaching materials.
Memorandum orders in 2000, 2006 and 2008 contained provisions on reasonable accommodation in higher
education. In particular, the 2008 Manual of Regulations for Private Higher Education encourages private higher
education institutions to admit students with disabilities.
Inclusion of children with special needs was promoted in the 2013 Early Years Act, for example through the use
of Filipino Sign Language as the visual language of the deaf community, and in 2013 with the Enhanced Basic
Education Act, which encourages the implementation of the Alternative Learning System to cater for the needs
of the target group. The 2015 Education Plan calls for an expansion of the current basic education services
through the multiplication of special education classes within the regular elementary and secondary schools and
through the inclusion of learners with disabilities into existing regular classes.
Gender
Gender equality is enshrined in the 1987 Constitution (Art. 14, Section 14). The 2009 Philippine Magna Carta of
Women establishes a non-discriminatory and pro-gender equality and equity framework for policy formulation
and implementation. In relation to education, it reaffirms the right of equal access and elimination of
discrimination in education, scholarships and training. In addition, it declares unlawful the discrimination in
education of women due pregnancy out of marriage in the form of expulsion, non-readmission or enrolment
prohibition.
In 2013, a joint memorandum was adopted by various government bodies, including the Department of
Education, to mainstream gender perspectives in local planning, programming and budgeting.
Encouraged by the 1987 Constitution (Art. 14, Section 2), indigenous peoples’ education was formally regulated
in the 1997 Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Act. The latter lays down indigenous peoples’ right to equal access to
cultural opportunities, including through the education system, where they have the right to receive education in
their own language through the establishment and control of education institutions, respecting their cultural
methods of teaching and learning. Although Filipino and English are recognized as official languages for
communication and instruction, regional languages are acknowledged to serve as ‘auxiliary media of instruction’
In response to the distinct education needs of indigenous communities, the 2004 department order titled Permit
to Operate Primary Schools for Indigenous Peoples and Cultural Communities allows the school curriculum to
be adjusted according to the cultural interest of the community, as long as core learning competencies are
cultivated. Based on the Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Act, a 2010 department order on the Alternative Learning
System curriculum for indigenous peoples’ education draws on the Alternative Learning System curriculum
while taking into account the concerns of indigenous peoples. The 2013 Enhanced Basic Education
Act reaffirms that basic education for kindergarten and for the first three years of elementary education must be
provided in languages understood by the learners. It further mandates the Department of Education to
formulate a mother-language transition programme from the first local language to English for other grades.
At the policy level, the 2011 department order Adopting the National Indigenous Peoples Education Policy
Framework aimed to create an inclusive and respectful education system for learners belonging to minority
groups, ensuring universal and equitable access of all indigenous people to quality and relevant basic
education and providing adequate and culturally appropriate learning resources and environments. In particular,
the framework intends to integrate indigenous knowledge systems and practices and recruit and train teachers
and learning facilitators engaged in implementing education programmes for indigenous people. Since 2012–
13, mother tongue-based multilingual education (MTB-MLE) has been implemented nationwide, with 19 local
languages now used for instruction.
The Philippines’ Response to Indigenous and Muslim Education (PRIME) programme is an education
development initiative of the Department of Education that seeks to improve equitable access to and quality of
basic education for girls and boys in disadvantaged indigenous and Muslim communities.
Poverty
Within the school health and nutrition programmes, the breakfast feeding program aims to improve the
nutritional status of its beneficiaries and increase their attendance rate. Expanded to 14 regions, the programme
serves undernourished children from kindergarten to grade 3. With the introduction of implementation
guidelines in 2012, the feeding initiative was renamed School-Based Feeding Program and gave more flexibility
to schools.
With the aim of addressing the poorest Filipinos, the Conditional Cash Transfer programme provides a monthly
education subsidy to encourage school attendance.
The 2015 Education Plan identifies children engaged in labour as a specific group of unreached and
underserved learners. It sets out to strengthen the implementation of distance learning programmes at
elementary and secondary levels to reach out to children who cannot attend regular classes.
Street children
The 2015 Education Plan calls for strengthening current partnership between government agencies and
partners and the Department of Education to reach out to street children and their families and provide them
with basic education and other basic services.
IV. Governance
The 2019 Special Education Act intends to establish the Bureau of Special Education to institutionalize and
manage special education. It is to design an appropriate curriculum and tailored programmes and supervise
divisions for gifted and talented youth and children and youth with disabilities within the Department of
Education. It is also responsible for early identification of special needs and the provision of medical and
financial assistance.
According to the 2015 new organizational structure of the Department of Education, the Bureau of Learning
Delivery is in charge of the Student Inclusion division.
At present, the Bureau of Alternative Learning System, under the Department of Education, is in charge of non-
formal education. Strengthened in 2004, it addresses the learning needs of all marginalized learners, including
indigenous learners. Madaris are also under the jurisdiction of the Department of Education, although most of
them are private and locally managed.
Development programmes and service delivery for persons with disabilities, including in education, are
managed by the National Council on Disability Affairs, a national government agency with the mandate to
formulate policies and coordinate the activities of all public and private organizations dealing with disability
issues and concerns.
Through the 2013 Department Order No. 27, the Department of Education institutionalized the Gender and
Development Focal Point Systems, an institutional mechanism to ensure gender mainstreaming in government
offices at the national, regional and school levels.
According to the 2019 Special Education Act, local governments bear the responsibility for special
education institutions, the organization of parent–teacher associations and coordination with other civil society
actors.
V. Learning Environments
Infrastructure
The 1983 Act to Enhance the Mobility of Disabled Persons by Requiring Certain Buildings, Institutions,
Establishments and Public Utilities to install Facilities and Other Devices sets specific provisions to ensure
access to school to some specific groups of people with disabilities.
Curriculum
The 2009 Philippine Magna Carta of Women calls for a revision of educational materials and curricula to avoid
gender stereotypes and images and ensure that gender-sensitive language is used. Gender-related
modules have been developed and launched in the basic education curriculum.
According to the 2013 Enhanced Basic Education Act, the national basic education curriculum must be learner-
centred, inclusive and developmentally appropriate, culturally sensitive, consistent with the principles and
framework of MTB-MLE and flexible in order to allow schools to localize and indigenize according to the
context.
Appropriate learning materials have been prepared to support the indigenous peoples’ curriculum, open to
consultation and translated into 14 different languages. Indigenization of learning materials is encouraged in
Occidental Mindoro and Oriental Mindoro provinces.
Teachers’ right to professional development is enshrined in the Constitution (Art. 14, Section 5). However, with
regards to special education, trainings are not provided on a regular basis. Ad-hoc programmes are
implemented upon the specific request of local authorities. At the national level, a training for special education
teachers has been organized by the Department of Education’s Bureau of Elementary Education, while
trainings on visually impaired learners and those with multiple disabilities were provided by non-government
organizations from 2007 and 2009.
According to the 2000 Memorandum Order No. 23 on Quality Education for Learners with Special Needs,
teacher training institutions must include special education courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels
and provide further learning opportunities for qualified special education teachers through scholarship
programmes, in coordination with the Commission on Higher Education and other government and non-
government agencies.
The 2009 Philippine Magna Carta of Women calls for capacity building on gender and development for teachers
and personnel involved in the education sector.
Within the Basic Education Information System (BEIS), all Department of Education offices and units gather
relevant data from schools, learning centres and education programmes for the effective planning and
implementation of education programmes.
1. Multigrade Education
One of the continuing initiatives of the Department of Education (DepEd) along its thrust of increasing access to
quality elementary education is strengthening the implementation of the Multigrade Program in the Philippine
Education (MPPE) Multigrade Education Program addresses pressing concerns and issues on the provision of
customized teaching and learning materials for multigrade classes and professional development of teachers.
This Special Education Program specifically aims to enhance access and upgrade the quality of SPED
programs and services, as well as to raise the efficiency of education services directed towards all recognized
SPED Centers for elementary and secondary schools with classes for learners with special needs. The ultimate
goal of SPEd is the inclusion of children with special needs into the regular school system and eventually, in the
community.
The Madrasah Education Program (MEP) aims to provide the Muslim learners with appropriate and relevant
educational opportunities within the context of their cultures, customs, traditions and interests through the
integration of the Arabic Language and Islamic Values Education (ALIVE) program in the basic education
curriculum so that the Muslim citizens shall have the intellectual and educational capacity to participate actively
in the social, economic and political endeavours of the country.
The Indigenous People’s Education (IPEd) Program is DepEd’s response to the right of Indigenous People (IP)
to basic education that is responsive to their context, respects their identities, and promotes their indigenous
knowledge, skills, and other aspects of their cultural heritage. Additionally, the IPEd Program supports the
realization of the K to 12 Basic Education Curriculum, which subscribes to the following standards and
principles that are: inclusive, culture-sensitive, and flexible enough to enable and allow schools to localize,
indigenize, and enhance based on the community’s educational and social context.
Alternative Learning System is a program aimed at providing an alternative path of learning for the out-of-school
youth and adults who are basically literate but have not completed 10 years of basic education as mandated by
the Philippine Constitution. Through this program, school dropouts will be able to complete elementary and
secondary education outside the formal system.
ADM is a tried and tested alternative modality of education delivery within the confines of the formal system that
allows schools to deliver quality education to marginalized students and those at risk of dropping out in order to
help them overcome personal, social, and economic constraints in their schooling (Republic No. 10618 (An Act
Establishing Rural Farm Schools as ADM of Secondary Education and Appropriating Funds Therefor).8
Additionally, ADM may also be defined as follows: 1. Instructional or learning modalities that do not strictly
follow the typical set-up for regular classroom instruction 2. An alternative way of delivering and providing
education to learners who are enrolled in the formal school but for various reasons cannot attend school
regularly and are at risk of dropping out. 3. It is one of the two categories of Flexible Learning Options. One of
which is Alternative Learning System. 4. It is flexible in terms of time and duration of the instruction, the place of
instruction and the modes of instruction depending on the context and needs of the learners.
ALS-EST: The Alternative Learning System (ALS) Integrated Education and Skills Training Program modifies
the regular ALS program by integrating Technical Vocational Training and other skills training. The program will
utilize existing DepEd expertise, particularly from remaining technical high schools and select Senior High
Schools, and leverage partnerships with SUCs, LGUS, private sector and CSOs, to provide the technical-
vocational and other skills training components attuned to the demands and opportunities of the local
community and the country. The ALS Integrated Education and Skills Training Program aims to produce ALS
completers that not only are able to catch up with basic academic education, but have also acquired technical
competencies suitable for immediate employment. Thus, this program will be able to help fulfill the state’s
obligation to provide basic education, at the same time mitigating the problem of a considerable number of out-
of-school and unemployed youth.
Reflection Activity: Write/Type your reflection in a Microsoft Word and send it to the instructor saved in a word
file. Use this question as a guide to your reflection paper.
“What can you say about the implementation and execution of Inclusive Education in our schools?”
SUMMARY
https://education-profiles.org/eastern-and-south-eastern-asia/philippines/~inclusion#Definitions
https://www.deped.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/List-of-Programs-and-Projects.Final_.TS_.pdf
DO 21 s. 2019 Policy Guidelines on the K-12 Basic Education Program
DO 72 s. 2009 Inclusive Education as Strategy for Increasing Participation Rate of Children
According to UNICEF, Inclusive education is the most effective way to give all children a fair chance to go
to school, learn and develop the skills they need to thrive. Hence, most countries from all over the world are led
towards the promotion of inclusive education to all learners.
On this learning module, you will understand more the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA-US) and be
able to present the promotion of Inclusive Education in other countries.
8. Demonstrate an in-depth understanding of the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA-US); and
9. Compare and contrast Inclusive Education in the Philippines with that of International standards.
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is a law that makes available a free appropriate
public education to eligible children with disabilities throughout the nation and ensures special education and
related services to those children.
Infants and toddlers, birth through age 2, with disabilities and their families receive early intervention
services under IDEA Part C. Children and youth ages 3 through 21 receive special education and related
services under IDEA Part B.
Formula grants to states to support special education and related services and early intervention
services.
Discretionary grants to state educational agencies, institutions of higher education, and other nonprofit
organizations to support research, demonstrations, technical assistance and dissemination, technology
development, personnel preparation and development, and parent-training and -information centers.
Congress reauthorized the IDEA in 2004 and most recently amended the IDEA through Public Law 114-95,
the Every Student Succeeds Act, in December 2015.
Disability is a natural part of the human experience and in no way diminishes the right of individuals to
participate in or contribute to society. Improving educational results for children with disabilities is an essential
element of our national policy of ensuring equality of opportunity, full participation, independent living, and
economic self-sufficiency for individuals with disabilities.
Purpose of IDEA
to ensure that all children with disabilities have available to them a free appropriate public education
that emphasizes special education and related services designed to meet their unique needs and
prepare them for further education, employment, and independent living;
to ensure that the rights of children with disabilities and parents of such children are protected;
to assist States, localities, educational service agencies, and Federal agencies to provide for the
education of all children with disabilities;
to assist States in the implementation of a statewide, comprehensive, coordinated, multidisciplinary,
interagency system of early intervention services for infants and toddlers with disabilities and their
families;
to ensure that educators and parents have the necessary tools to improve educational results for
children with disabilities by supporting system improvement activities; coordinated research and
On November 29, 1975, President Gerald Ford signed into law the Education for All Handicapped
Children Act (Public Law 94-142), now known as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). In
adopting this landmark civil rights measure, Congress opened public school doors for millions of children with
disabilities and laid the foundation of the country’s commitment to ensuring that children with disabilities have
opportunities to develop their talents, share their gifts, and contribute to their communities.
The law guaranteed access to a free appropriate public education (FAPE) in the least restrictive
environment (LRE) to every child with a disability. Subsequent amendments, as reflected in the IDEA, have led
to an increased emphasis on access to the general education curriculum, the provision of services for young
children from birth through five, transition planning, and accountability for the achievement of students with
disabilities. The IDEA upholds and protects the rights of infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities
and their families.
In the last 40+ years, we have advanced our expectations for all children, including children with
disabilities. Classrooms have become more inclusive and the future of children with disabilities is brighter.
Significant progress has been made toward protecting the rights of, meeting the individual needs of, and
improving educational results and outcomes for infants, toddlers, children, and youths with disabilities.
Since 1975, we have progressed from excluding nearly 1.8 million children with disabilities from public
schools to providing special education and related services designed to meet their individual needs to more
than 7.5 million children with disabilities in 2018-19.
In 2018-19, more than 64% of children with disabilities are in general education classrooms 80% or
more of their school day (IDEA Part B Child Count and Educational Environments Collection), and early
intervention services are being provided to more than 400,000 infants and toddlers with disabilities and their
families (IDEA Part C Child Count and Settings).
The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) provides additional resources of
interest for individuals with disabilities and their families.
OCR does not enforce the IDEA; however, OCR does enforce the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Section
504 and Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, Title II rights of IDEA-eligible students with disabilities.
The Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Section 504 addresses protections for students with disabilities. Section
504 is a federal law designed to protect the rights of individuals with disabilities in programs and activities that
receive Federal financial assistance from the department. OCR enforces section 504 in public elementary and
secondary schools.
Section 504 states: “No otherwise qualified individual with a disability in the United States… shall,
solely by reason of her or his disability, be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be
subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance….”
OCR also enforces Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, which extends protection
against discrimination to the full range of state and local government services, programs, and activities including
public schools regardless of whether they receive any Federal financial assistance.
OCR shares in enforcement of Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act with the U.S. Department of
Justice.
Infographic Activity: Compare and contrast Inclusive Education in the Philippines to other countries through an
infographic.
SUMMARY
Growth and development includes not only the physical changes that occur from infancy to adolescence,
but also some of the changes in emotions, personality, behavior, thinking and speech that children develop as
they begin to understand and interact with the world around them. Skills such as taking a first step or smiling for
the first time are called developmental milestones. Development of the child is very essential in the educational
context. Child development tracks children’s physical, emotional, psychological, and cognitive growth which are
the very domain of education.
Another essential for the development of the child or learner are the policies and laws that protect their
rights and dignity. In inclusive education, policies and laws not only protect the learner but also give security to
the learner as he or she feels safe in the school.
On this learning module, you will be able to understand the bases and different policies that protect the
rights of the learner in Inclusive Education.
10. Demonstrate understanding of the philosophies, theories, and legal bases of special and inclusive
education including its application;
11. Demonstrate knowledge of policies, guidelines and procedures that provide safe and secure learning
environments for learners with special needs; and
12. Demonstrate knowledge of the development of Special and Inclusive Education in the local and
international contexts by constructing a historical timeline.
A. Psychological Bases
The term psychology has been derived from two words “Psyche” meaning mind and
“Logos” meaning science. Hence psychology is the science of mind. J.B. Watson
characterized psychology as the science of behaviuor. Experimental psychology, tries to
determine the course or tendencies of human behaviour. Applied psychology, intends to
improve human life with the application of the scientific knowledge of the human behaviour.
Educational Psychology
Educational Psychology has developed to study scientifically the behaviour of the students
and to help the process of education. It tries to study the educational behaviour of the child
and applies the knowledge psychology in education. It is also defined as the science which
describes and explains the changes that take place in individuals as they pass through
various stages of development from birth to maturity. Educational psychology discusses
process of development of the students, process of learning, social adjustment of the
students, individuals differences in physical abilities and mental traits and powers, interest
and motivation of child and various problems associated with the mental health of the
students.
To understand more:
This theory is concerned with the thought processes of a person and how they are
used to understand and interact with the environment. Piaget’s theory focuses on children’s
intellectual development and has four stages.
This theory believes that learning takes place through observation and modeling. As
a child observes the actions of the people in his or her environment, new information is
acquired and new skills are developed.
This theory believes that children learn actively through hands-on experiences.
Vygotsky highlights the importance of other people such as parents, caregivers, and peers
in the development of children. Culture plays an integral role as well. Interaction with others
allows learning to be integrated in the child’s understanding of the world. Also included in
the theory is the zone of proximal development, which is the portion in between one can do
on his or her own and with help. Children best learn when they are in this zone.
Situated learning theory argues that learning occurs best when it takes place in the
context in which it is applied. Students should act in an apprentice capacity within
communities of practice where learning opportunities arise situationally. As students gain
experience and competence they gradually move from an apprenticeship role to full
participants in their community of practice.
Inclusion
In DepEd Philippines, the 2009 Department of Education Order No. 72 defines inclusive
education as the philosophy of accepting all children regardless of race, size, shape,
colour, ability or disability with support from school staff, students, parents and the
community.
Equality asserts that every student should have the same access to a high quality
education regardless of where they come from. It also requires that all students be held to
the same standards and objectives regardless of their circumstances, abilities, or
experiences. Equality focuses on what is fair within the group.
On the other hand, Equity recognizes that different students need different resources
to achieve the same goals as their peers. It takes into consideration the fact that a student
with a disability requires different physical supports at school than a peer who does not
have a disability. Equity highlights what is fair for the individual.
Therefore, in Inclusion, all students should have equal access to high quality
education and once they get it, they should be afforded equitable supports to
achieve success.
D. Historical/Sociological Bases
That children are not just objects who belong to their parents and for whom decisions
are made, or adults in training. Rather, they are human beings and individuals with their
own rights. The Convention says childhood is separate from adulthood, and lasts until 18; it
is a special, protected time, in which children must be allowed to grow, learn, play, develop
and flourish with dignity. The Convention went on to become the most widely ratified human
rights treaty in history and has helped transform children’s lives.
The Education for All movement is a global commitment to provide quality basic
education for all children, youth and adults. The movement was launched at the World
Conference on Education for All in 1990 by UNESCO, UNDP, UNFPA, UNICEF and the
World Bank. Participants endorsed an 'expanded vision of learning' and pledged to
universalize primary education and massively reduce illiteracy by the end of the decade
2005-2015.
K to 12 Inclusion Policy
Inclusive Education is the core principle of the K-12 Basic Education Program. This
promotes the right of every Filipino to quality, equitable, culture-based, and complete basic
E. Legal Bases
a. Article 14, Section 1 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution - The State shall protect and
promote the right of all citizens to quality education at all levels, and shall take
appropriate steps to make such education accessible to all.
m. Civil Service Commission MC No. 20, s. 2017 - express lanes for PWDs in all
commercial and government establishments
n. RA 11228 (2019) - Amendment of RA 7277
* All PWDs shall be automatically covered by the National Health Insurance
Program (NHIP) of the Philhealth and that the PhilHealth shall develop exclusive
packages for PWDs that will address their specific health and development needs.