The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) welcomes the passage of Senate Bill No. 1907 or the Inclusive Education Bill on second reading at Senate. This effort will help uphold the right to education of children, especially learners with disabilities.
The Inclusive Education Bill is a monumental move for learners with disabilities as it stipulates that “no learner with disability shall be denied admission and inclusion in any public or private early or basic education school in the country to afford such learners with equitable opportunities to educational services and programs.” The bill will help normalize the idea that learners with disabilities, just like the rest, need to be prepared to live as fully-functioning members of society. Key to this perspective is by mainstreaming these learners in regular age-appropriate school settings with the provision of supplementary aid.
Additionally, the said bill will also mandate the Department of Education, in cooperation with local government units, to establish and maintain at least one Inclusive Learning Resource Center (ILRC) in all cities and municipalities, as well as the conversion of SPED centers into ILRCs. The bill also seeks to provide teachers with ample training on inclusive education and the creation of instructional materials fit for learners with disabilities.
The Philippine government bears the responsibility to comply with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), which the Philippines ratified on 15 April 2008. Access to quality education is a fundamental human right to which the State has the basic responsibility to secure and guarantee. Additionally, the UNESCO Salamanca Statement asserts that the general education setting should be regarded as a venue of human development open to all schoolchildren, regardless of their physical, emotional, and intellectual state. Likewise, CHR will continue to work in ensuring that the dignity and human rights of everyone, including Persons with Disabilities, are always protected and promoted. In 2017, CHR has released an advisory that seeks to guide the government in fulfilling the right to education of Persons with Disabilities.*
The Commission extends its gratitude to the Senators who are behind the authoring and passage of this bill on second reading. In this regard, the Commission hopes that by the time Senate Bill 1907 becomes law, its implementation will be monitored so that the general education system will be truly inclusive and productive for everyone.
Likewise, CHR also commends the efforts of other institutions, both from the government and the private sector, that help promote everyone’s right to education. A move towards inclusivity and upholding of human rights is a welcome step towards the right direction. ###
The 2017 Human Rights Advisory on the Right to Education of Persons with Disabilities may be accessed through this link: http://bit.ly/CHRInclusiveEducation