Definition of Education
“The action or process of teaching someone especially in a school, college or university.” – Merriam Webster
Teaching Learning Process Sequence:
They are educated at home by their parents
Then they go through preschool
In elementary, secondary and tertiary school people attempt to understand the world through various subjects
Some join the workforce, others continue to pursue higher education degree
(William Butler Yeats)- “Education is not the filling of a pail, but the light of fire.”
Aspects of Education That Need to be Addressed:
Learning in order to know
Learning in order to do
Learning so we can live harmoniously with others
Learning in order to be
WHAT IS SPECIAL NEEDS EDUCATION?
Special needs education is education for students with disabilities, in consideration of their individual educational needs, which aims at full development of their capabilities and at their independence and social participation. According to Prensky (2014) “the real goal of education is becoming-becoming a ‘good person’ and becoming a more capable person that when you started.”
Special education has been regarded as “an attempt to increase the fairness of universal public education for exceptional learners” because there are “those with special difficulties or extraordinary abilities in learning.” (Kauffman & Hallahan 2005) Acknowledging learner differences, the essence of special education lies in its goal to educate a certain population of students, particularly those at the fall ends of a normal statistical distribution of performance.
In other words, special education tries to ensure that those perceived to have difficulties learning will be taught, albeit in a different way.
THE NORMAL CURVE
Not everyone reacts to learner’s diversity the same way. Unfortunately, the default framework societies seem to operate on remains to be the medical model. As such, simply asking people to take on a more sociological standpoint appears much more difficult than it seems. It is unclear as to how society is expected to shift paradigms. Moreover, it is questionable if we can even reach that point given the discomfort and resistance others have shown against the social model. It has long been regarded that the key to nation-building is quality education accessible to all types of learners. This accessibility is the essence of inclusive education.
CONCEPT OF INCLUSION
Inclusion is the process were by every person irrespective of age disability, gender, religion, sexual preference or nationality. Who wishes to cab access and participate fully in all aspect of inactivity or service in the same way as the other member of community.
WHY INCLUSION?
Is an educational practice that places students with disabilities in the general educational classroom along with typically developing children under the supervision and guidance of general education teacher. (De Corro-Tiango 2014)
1948 – There have already been worldwide declarations on children in their (Universal Decoration of Human Rights 1948; United Right to be Educated Nation’s Convention on The Right of The Children Child 1989)
1990 – Many countries band together for the world, declaration of education for all which state that all children must have been access to complete, free, and compulsory primary education.
GUIDELINES FOR INCLUSION (2005) BY UNESCO ENUMERATES FOUR KEY ELEMENTS
That inclusion is a process that is a never-ending search to find better ways to respond to diversity.
That inclusion involves a preventative dimension, especially in identifying and removing potential barriers to this process through collecting collating and evaluating information for improving policy and practice.
That inclusion is all about the presence, participation and achievement or learning outcome of all types of students and,
That inclusion puts "particular emphasis on learners who may be addressed of marginalization, exclusion or under achievement", and therefore they must be consistently monitored and presented in the inclusive process.
INCLUSION IN EDUCATION INVOLVES:
a. Valuing students and staff equally.
b. Increasing the participation of students in: and reducing their exclusion from; the cultures, curricular and communities of local schools.
c. Reducing barriers to learning and participation for all students not only for those with impairments or those who are categories as having a special education need.
d. Viewing the difference between students a resource to support learning.
e. Acknowledging the rights of students to an education in their locality.
f. Improving schools for staff as well as for students.
g. Emphasizing the role of school in building community and developing values as well as an increasing achievement.
h. Fostering, mutual sustaining relationship between school and community.
i. Recognizing that inclusion is education is one aspect of inclusion in society.
REMEMBER
"Inclusion is changing the rules of the game so that everyone can play and everyone can win."
“An inclusive classroom is a supportive, caring learning community in which every student feels accepted.”
“Inclusion works when teacher believe that all children can learn.”
THE 2030 AGENDA
The goal of inclusion is for every fabric of society to embrace diversity. It is for this reason that all these treaties states that the need for a paradigm shift to address the issue of inclusion in education. Inclusive education is not merely a call toward educational reform from those with additional needs. It is simply a call to improve the quality of education for learners because "every learner's matter and matters equally" (UNESCO 2017:12, 2005)
All about 2030 agenda
The SDG are considered road or blueprints that were developed by the United Nations to ensure a better and sustainable future for everyone. SDG 4 - “Ensures inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.”
“PHILIPPINE LAWS FOR PWD’S” (PANGALANGAN & LITONG,2014)
BP 344(1983)- ACCESSIBILITY LAW
RA 7277(1992)- MAGNA CARTA FOR DISABLED PERSON
ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER 35(2002)- NATIONAL DISABILITY PREVENTION AND REHABILITATION (NP DR WEEK) EVERY 3RD WEEK OF JULY.
GUIDELINES IN THE ADMISSION OF STUDENTS WITH DISABILITY IN HIGHER EDUCATION AND POST-SECONDARY INSTITUTION IN THE PHILIPPINES (2004)
RA 9442(2007)- AMENDMENT OF RA 277 (PRIVILEDGES TO PWD’S)
RA 10754- AN ACT EXPANDING THE BENEFIT AND PRIVILEDGES OF PWD’S
CIVIL COMMISSION MC NO.2O,2017- EXPRESS LANES FOR PWD’S IN ALL COMERCIAL AND GOVERNMENT ESTABLISHMENTS.
RA 11228- AMENDMENT OF RA 7277
Foundation of Special and Inclusive Education
“If everyone was taught sign language at an early age, a deaf person would no longer be disadvantaged. If towns were built and planned with physical disabilities in mind and there was no social stigma attached to looking or sounding different, then having a physical impairment would no longer be disabling.”
- Dr. Nancy Doyle