FOSTERING INCLUSIVE EDUCATION

FEBE B. LINGAT

The Department of Education (DepEd) is fostering inclusive education by strengthening its Special Education (SPED) program for learners in Central Luzon.

The initiative, which is in support of the institutionalization of the SPED Program, aims to establish trust and camaraderie among the children with disabilities and their teachers and other school officials.

Likewise, SPED Teacher Implementers shall intensify priority support for quality-assured SPED services as commitment for Sustainable Development Goals and Targets.

Inclusive education, or ensuring that “no child left is behind” is DepEd’s primary vision to ensure that every learner has access to quality, equitable and liberating education, including those with exceptionalities and special needs through the SPED Program. This program provides a holistic approach in catering to the needs of learners with various exceptionalities. This program ensures that learners with exceptionalities will have access to quality education by giving them their individual and unique learning needs.

This initiative caters to learners with visual impairment, hearing impairment, intellectual disability, learning disability, autism spectrum disorder, communication disorder, physical disability, emotional and behavioral disorder, multiple disability with visual impairment, and to those who are orthopedically handicapped, chronically ill, and gifted and talented.

In Central Luzon, there are 178 SPED Centers serving a total of 4,771 elementary SPED students and 1996 secondary SPED students enrolled during the School Year 2016-2017.

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The author is Teacher II at San Fernando Elementary School