Text of PRINCIPLES AND GUIDELINES FOR SPED IN THE PHILIPPINES
1. BEA JOY LORRAINE ARCENIO III-9BSE HISTORY Philippine Normal
University
2. Article 1: Philosophy, Goals and Objectives Section 1: The
State shall promote the right of every individual to relevant
quality education regardless of sex, age, breed, socio-economic
status, physical and mental condition, social or ethnic origin,
political and other affiliation. The State shall therefore promote
and maintain equality of access to education as well as the
enjoyment of the benefits of education by all its citizen. (BP Blg.
232)mental condition, social or ethic origin, political )
3. Section 2: Every child with special needs has a right to an
educational program that is suitable to his needs. Special
education shares with regular education basic responsibilities of
the educational system to fulfill the right of the child to develop
to his full potential.
4. Section 3: Special education shall aim to develop the
maximum potential of the child with special needs to enable him to
become self-reliant and shall be geared towards providing him with
the opportunities for a full and happy life.
5. Section 4: The specific objectives of special education
shall be the development and maximization of learning competencies,
as well as the inculcation of values to make the learners with
special needs a useful and effective member of society.
6. Section 5: The ultimate goal of special education shall be
the integration or maintenance of learners with special needs into
the regular school system and eventually in the community.
7. Article 2: Definition and Scope Section 1: Special education
refers to the education of persons who are gifted or talented and
those who have physical, mental, social or sensory impairment and
cultural differences so as to require modifications of the school
curricula, programs and special services and physical facilities to
develop them to their maximum capacity. These persons may be
gifted/talented, fast learner, mentally retarded, visually
impaired, hearing impaired, with behavior problems, orthopedically
handicapped, with special health problems, learning disabled,
speech impaired or multiply handicapped.
8. Section 2: These policies and guidelines shall apply to all
schools, centers and classes (national or local, public or private,
formal or nonformal) established under the educational system of
the Philippines for the education of children with special
needs.
9. Article 3: Identification, Screening, Assessment and
Evaluation of Children Section 1: Identification, screening,
assessment and evaluation of children with special needs shall be
conducted by the school and the community utilizing appropriate
assessment instruments. 1.1 Identification and assessment of every
child shall be conducted as early as possible.
10. 1.2 The team approach shall be used in the identification
and assessment procedures. The team shall be composed of persons
with working knowledge and understanding of children with special
needs, such as the following: 1.2.1 parents/guardians/extended
families, neighbors and friends 1.2.2 regular teachers
11. 1.2.3 special education teachers 1.2.4 guidance counselors
1.2.5 school administrators 1.2.6 health workers 1.2.7 social
workers 1.2.8 psychologists 1.2.9 speech and physical therapists
1.2.10 law enforcement officers 1.2.11 probation officers
12. 1.3 Aspects to be covered in the identification, screening,
assessment and education of children with special needs shall cover
the following aspects: 1.3.1 Physical: 1.3.1.1 height and weight
1.3.1.2 physical deformities 1.3.1.3 gross and fine motor
coordination 1.3.1.4 hearing a.3.1.5 visual function 1.3.1.6 oral
hygiene and dental development
13. 1.3.2 Psycho-social 1.3.2.1 family history 1.3.2.2
personality 1.3.2.3 behavior 1.3.3 Educational 1.3.3.1 learning
disabilities 1.3.3.2 language and speech 1.3.4 Medical
14. 1.4 Appropriate assessment instruments shall be developed
or adopted in order to identify handicapping conditions as early as
possible. 1.5 Identification and assessment of children with
special needs shall be a continuing process 1.6 The synthesis of
identification and diagnostic information shall be the basis for
the appropriate educational placement of the child with special
needs.
15. Article 4: School Admission and Organization of Classes
Section 1:Children with special needs shall enjoy equality of
access to formal and nonformal education. 1.1 Educational help for
the handicapped child shall be made available as early as possible.
1.2 Every school division shall organize special classes and
provide special services for children with special needs. (PD
603)
16. 1.3 All schools at the preschool, elementary, secondary and
tertiary levels shall admit children and youth with special needs.
1.4 Preschool education and post secondary education for technical
and vocational courses shall be salient features of the formal
education of children with special needs.
17. 1.5 The school entrance age of a child with special needs
to formal academic instruction shall follow the current regulation
of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports. He may be
admitted any time during the year, if circumstances warrant such
admission. No age requirement nor time limitation shall be imposed
for attendance to nonformal education programs. 1.6 Only persons
with special needs shall be eligible for enrolment in special
schools.
18. 1.7 Special educational provisions shall be made in
hospital schools during treatment periods of handicapped children.
1.8 An assessment test to determine proper grade placement shall be
administered to special students who cannot present school
credentials. Their admission shall be subject to the approval of
the regional director.
19. 1.9 Over-aged students assessed by the Philippine
Educational Placement Test but found deficient in communication and
other skills, shall be admitted provided that they shall undergo
remedial instruction in the areas of deficiency. 1.10 Admission
requirements for regular students taking degree courses at the
tertiary level shall apply to students with special needs.
20. 1.11 Adaptation in the administration of college entrance
tests and other examinations given by the Ministry of Education,
Culture and Sports and other agencies shall be provided to meet the
needs of special students.
21. Section 2: For maximum efficiency, class size at any given
time shall be as follows: Exceptionality...One-Grade
Level...Multi-Grade or Multi-Level Gifted/Fast
Learner...30-35...15-20 Mentally retarded...8-15...8-10 Blind 7-10
5-6
23. 2.1 Placement in a special class shall be temporary and not
terminal, thus a continuous assessment process is essential. 2.2 A
maximum of only 2 children with the same or different type of
handicapping condition shall be integrated in a regular class at
any given time. 2.3 An itinerant teacher shall have a case load of
not more than five children with special needs.
24. 3.2 The following modifications shall be made for special
learners. 3.2.1 Promotion Scheme for Gifted/Talented/Fast Learners
3.2.1.1 Yearly progression 3.2.1.2 Acceleration 3.2.1.3 Finishing
the last three grades in the elementary grades in 2 years 3.2.1.4
Advanced placement
25. 3.2.2 The levels of instruction for the mentally retarded
shall be as follows: 3.2.2.1 Preschool 3.2.2.2 Lower Primary
3.2.2.3 Upper Primary 3.2.2.4 Intermediate 3.2.2.5 Advanced 3.2.2.6
Post-Secondary 3.2.3 For the multiply handicapped, individualized
promotion shall be adopted on a case to case basis.
26. Article 5: Curriculum Content, Instructional Strategies and
Materials Section 1: Curriculum Content, Instructional Strategies
and Materials 1.1 The following schemes or options may be adopted
for Special Education Programs 1.1.1 Regular curriculum - the
curriculum prescribed for regular children. 1.1.2 Modified
curriculum - the curriculum prescribed for regular children with
certain adaptations to meet the needs of special children.
27. 1.1.3 Special curriculum - the curriculum for children with
special needs aimed primarily at developing special adoptive skills
to maximize their potentials. 1.2 Curriculum plans shall be
research- based, tested successfully on a pilot basis before their
implementation on a bigger scale, and evaluated periodically. These
plans shall be accompanied by a variety of instructional
materials.
28. 1.3 The modified curriculum for the visually impaired shall
include sensory training, special instruction in Braille reading
and writing, mathematics, orientation and mobility, Braille music,
and typing.
29. 1.4 The modified curriculum for the hearing impaired shall
emphasize communication and language development based on the
philosophy of Total Communication which is tailored to meet the
individual child's communication, and educational needs. The
curriculum, in addition, shall include special instruction in
speech and speech reading, auditory training and rhythm. The
multi-sensory approach shall be maximized and speech/speech reading
and sign language shall be encouraged starting in Grade I.
30. 1.4.1 Pilipino Sign Language shall be used in the education
of the hearing impaired. 1.5 The modified curriculum for children
with behavior problems shall include special activities and
instructional techniques for the normalization of behavior with
emphasis on moral, civic and spiritual values as well as training
in livelihood, and technical and academic skills to prepare them
for the world of work. 1.6 The curriculum for the physically
handicapped child shall include functional exercises.
31. 1.7 The special curriculum for the mentally retarded shall
emphasize training in self-care, socialization, motor and
pre-vocational and vocational skills. For the more severely
ratarded child, emphasis shall be on development of self- care
skills. 1.8 Teaching strategies shall be creative and
multi-dimensional. They shall make maximum use of all remaining
sense modalities and provide for active participation in the
learning process.
32. 1.9 All special schools shall strengthen their vocational
and technical training programs. Arrangements shall be made to
enable the child with special needs to attend special courses
offered in the regular vocational schools whenever practical. 1.10
A community-based, home-based or any useful alternative special
education delivery system shall be established to reach those who
cannot avail of regular institution-based programs.
33. 1.11 Effective guidance and counselling programs shall be
developed and maintained. Section 2: Instructional Materials 2.1
Low cost and indigenous materials shall be developed for the use of
children with special needs.
34. Article 6: Organization Patterns Section 1: Children with
special needs shall be provided with a variety of educational
patterns and services. 1.1 The assessed needs of each child shall
be the primary consideration in determining his particular program
and services. 1.2 Programs may be organized in a variety of
settings, namely:
35. 1.2.1 Integration/Mainstreaming. This refers to the
enrolment of a child with special needs in a regular school with
additional teaching/care resources. There are degrees of
integration. In partial integration, a child enrolled in a special
class in a regular school is integrated with regular children in
non-academic activities like work education, physical education,
arts, school programs, etc. Later on, qualified children may be
integrated gradually in one or more academic subjects. In full
integration (sometimes called "zero reject model"), the handicapped
child sits in the regular classes in all subjects, academic or non-
academic.
36. 1.2.2 Resource Room Plan. Under this scheme, the child with
special needs is enrolled in the regular school program but goes to
a resource room to use the specialized equipment either in a
tutorial situation or in a small group. The resource room teacher
functions both as an instructor and as a consultant. The usual
procedure is for the resource room teacher to serve the area of
exceptionality in which she has had training. However, occasionally
in small communities, necessity may dictate that she serves
children with a variety of learning disabilities. Such a resource
room service that does not constitute a complete program of special
education should not turn out to be a segregated plan.
37. 1.2.3 Itinerant Teacher Plan. Under this plan, an itinerant
or traveling teacher serves one or more regular schools depending
on how many pupils need special help. She gives direct and
consultative services to children. In addition, these specialists
observe, diagnose, make referrals, requisition textbooks and
equipment, prepare instructional materials and evaluates
performance.
38. 1.2.4 Cooperative Class Plan (Part-Time Special Class
Plan). In this plan, the child with special needs is enrolled in a
special class but receives some of his academic instruction in the
regular grades. In this way, the child is, to a varying extent,
integrated into regular education.
39. 1.2.5 Special Class Plan (Self- Contained/Segregated Plan).
Under this plan, usually, pupils with only one type of
exceptionality label are enrolled in the special class. This plan
is needed for those with more sever problems which makes it
impossible for them to learn in a regular classroom setting. At
times, they may be with their normal peers, but not usually in an
academic situation.
40. 1.2.6 Special Education Center. A growing alternative
service delivery system is the Special Education Center which holds
classes for children with special needs within the regular school.
Itinerant, resource room services, special and cooperative classes
are held in the special education center. Classes range from three
to more than twenty, depending upon the population and affluence of
the community. The school-within-a-school concept receives much
support from parents of the children themselves and from civic and
social community organizations. The Center is administered by a
principal and operated according to the rules and regulations that
govern a regular school.
41. 1.2.7 Special Day School. This type of school serves
specific types of children with moderate to severe disabilities. It
offers a range of trained special educators and a comprehensive
array of medical, psychological and social services. 1.2.8
Residential School. The reason for placing a child in a residential
school is based on the premise that he can make greater progress in
such setting than in any other. Residential schools provide special
education services that are qualitatively and quantitatively
superior to those available in local communities. They also offer
comprehensive diagnostic and counselling services, and vocational
and recreational services.
42. 1.2.9 Hospital Instruction. Provision of children confined
to hospitals, sanatoria, and convalescent homes is a service of
special education. The types of children in need of hospital
instruction are the severely emotionally disturbed, the profoundly
retarded who are bedbound, the crippled, those with chronic and/or
serious health disabilities, and recovering patients. Both bedside
tutoring and group instruction are made available to the
above.
43. 1.2.10 Homebound Instruction. This plan is provided by the
local school system to serve the chronically ill, usually the
bedridden, the convalescents from operation, accident or temporary
illness, the disturbed, and the retarded pupils. Services are
provided by either a full time itinerant teacher who instructs each
pupil in his own home about three times a week, or the regular
class teacher who instructs her temporarily homebound pupils.
44. 1.2.11 Community-based Delivery System. This is a plan for
children with special needs who reside in distant communities and
cannot avail of existing special education programs. They are
reached by teachers, para-teachers or volunteers trained to teach
the basic 3 R's and self-help activities to prepare them for useful
and independent living.
45. 1.3 A combination of plans may be considered where special
children are not concentrated in a particular geographic area;
where there are not enough children to justify employing more than
one teacher or where the spread is great; and/or where a variety of
services is not feasible. 1.4 Appropriate referral system shall be
established if the result of an assessment merits residential
school placement, e.g., for the child who lives too far from
existing special education services. Otherwise, homebound
instruction shall be provided. 1.5 Special supportive services like
readers, interpreters, notetakers, and others shall be provided
when necessary.
46. 1.6 Special programs for the gifted, talented and creative
shall be developed and maintained. 1.6.1 Special provisions for the
gifted, talented and creative may take the following prototypes,
singly or in combination: 1.6.1.1. Grouping - clustering of small
groups from different sections to be placed with a teacher who can
modify the curriculum to suit the gifted as in seminars, mini
courses, a library period a week, etc. 1.6.1.2 Vertical
Acceleration - early school admission, double grade promotion,
advanced placement, tutoring; correspondence courses; independent
study, acceleration by grade skipping or time compression.
47. 1.6.1.3 Horizontal Acceleration - mentorship wherein gifted
students are paired with adults who serve as their mentors in a
subject of mutual interest; individual or group research projects;
honors classes; a core or block program for the integration of
ideas from two or more subjects. 1.6.1.4 Guidance - individual
conferences; community-sponsored programs; scholarship societies;
career and vocational counseling; peer facilitator.
48. Section 2: The goal of special education shall be
integration or mainstreaming of children with special needs. 2.1
Integration or mainstreaming of children with special needs shall
be viewed as a developmental process. 2.2 Special supportive
services like readers, interpreters, note takers, and other
auxiliary services shall be provided when necessary. 2.3 The school
division shall extend such services as orientation and training of
administrators, teachers, other school personnel and regular pupils
on special education.
49. Article 7: School Plant Facilities Section 1: Adequate
physical facilities and equipment shall be provided to assure
quality education for all children with special needs. 1.1 The
school system shall assign buildings and resource rooms and adapt
physical facilities to suit children with special needs. 1.2 The
school system shall provide appropriate specialized equipment,
instructional materials and supplies.
50. 1.3 Requirement for school site, school plants, physical
facilities and classroom size shall be for the purpose of securing
permit for operation of special schools modified in accordance with
the type of exceptionality and enrolment size. 1.4 The minimum
requirement for basic classroom equipment for children with special
needs prepared by the Ministry of Education, culture and Sports
including medical and dental facilities shall be complied
with.
51. Section 2: Buildings and facilities shall be made
accessible to persons with special needs. 2.1 Steps shall be taken
to remove architectural barriers to and within buildings (walkways,
corridors, doors, washrooms and toilets) to enhance mobility of
disabled persons.
52. Article 8: Personnel Recruitment, Welfare and Development
Section 1: For the effective implementation of the special
education program, the education, welfare and training of personnel
shall be given high priority. 1.1 All personnel involved in the
education of children with special needs shall have adequate and
appropriate educational background and training and personnel
qualities specified as follows:
53. 1.1.1 Education and Work Experience 1.1.1.1 For a special
education teacher Bachelor of Elementary Education specializing in
special education Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education or
Secondary Education, major in Special Education Bachelor of Science
in Elementary Education or Secondary Education plus 18 units in
special education in the graduate level