Overview of Special Education in the Philippines

What is Special Education?

    Accordingly, special education refers to the arrangement of teaching procedures, adapted equipment and materials, accessible settings, and other interventions designed to address the needs of students with learning differences, mental health issues, physical and developmental disabilities, and giftedness.

    In the 1987 Constitution of the Philippines, there are two provisions for Special Education. Article II Section 17 mandates that the state must give priority to education and Article XIV Section 1 guarantees that this education is accessible to all and appropriate steps must be taken.

    Moreover, in RA 7277 or the Magna Carta for Disabled Persons, Chapter II of Title II introduced some rules on special education in the Philippines. Section 2 mandates that the state shall take into consideration the special requirements of disabled persons in the formulation of educational policies and programs. Meanwhile, learning institutions are encouraged to take into account the special needs of disabled persons concerning the use of school facilities, class schedules, physical education requirements, and other pertinent considerations. Particularly, learning institutions are encouraged to provide auxiliary services that will facilitate the learning process for disabled persons.

    Moreover, Section 14 of RA 7277 provides that the state shall establish, maintain and support a complete, adequate, and integrated system of special education for the visually impaired, hearing impaired, mentally retarded persons, and other types of exceptional children in all regions of the country.

Policy, Goal, and Objectives of Special Education

    The goal of the special education programs of the Department of Education all over the country is to provide children with special needs with appropriate educational services within the mainstream of basic education. Particularly, this includes the development of key strategies for legislation, human resources development, family involvement, and active participation of government and non-government organizations. Likewise, there are major issues to address the attitudinal barriers of the general public and efforts toward the institutionalization and sustainability of special education programs and services.

What are the aims of Special Education?

    The first is to provide a flexible and individualized support system for children and youth with special needs in a regular class environment in schools nearest the home of the students.

  Another is to provide support services, vocational programs and work training, and employment opportunities for efficient community participation and independent living.

    Lastly is to implement a life-long curriculum to include early intervention and parent education, basic education and transition programs on vocational training or preparation for college, and make available an array of educational programs and services. some of the education programs and services include:

1. Special Education Center built on a school within a school concept as the resource center for children and youth with special needs; 
2. inclusive education in regular schools;
3. special and residential schools;
4. homebound instruction;
5. hospital instruction and community-based programs; and,
6. alternative modes of service delivery to reach disadvantaged children in far-flung towns, depressed areas, and underserved barangays.

History of Special Education in the Philippines from 1950-1975

    There is a long history of how special education and inclusive education developed into how it is today. Watch the video below to have a glimpse of the history of special education in the Philippines from 1950-1975.