SAINT MARY’S UNIVERSITY

Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya

GUIDANCE AND COUNSELING FOR EXCEPTIONAL CHILDREN

Name: AVERIL B. UPOD

Upscaling Educators on Inclusive Education

When it comes to inclusive education, each country shares the same goal. It is
for our learners to be “part” of the mainstream educational system not just to
experience being a part of it. The United States’ implementation of the Individuals
with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) of 2004, is paving the way for inclusive
education in other countries. The United States Framework of Inclusive Education
had become a basis for other countries in constructing their own framework.
Especially their program, “No Child Left Behind” was adopted by other countries
including the Philippines. It is now the goal of the Inclusive Education Framework.
Also, United Kingdom, “Save the Children UK”, constructed its framework by giving
highlights not just to students with special needs but also to those learners who
previously were being separated or deprived of their right to education mainly
because of their race or status in life. The United Kingdom Inclusive Education
Framework has ten principles of inclusive education that talks about how to stop
discrimination in schools and for everyone to have an access to education. Another,
the United Arab Emirates’ Federal Law No. 29 of the year 2006 on the Rights of
People with Special Needs guarantees: “…the person with special needs access to
equal opportunities of education within all educational institution”. As such, the
Ministry of Education in UAE is extending its help towards Inclusive Education by
establishing a new Special Education Department that encourages its public
schools to inclusive education. Teachers have continuous training on how to
accomplish inclusive education. Children learn not from textbooks but from real-
life experiences.
Revision of the terms used to identify each learner was also mentioned in each
framework. We should avoid using derogatory terms in addressing or learning.
Meanwhile, the Department of Education in the Philippines promotes Education for
All. The framework of Inclusive Education in our country is similar to other
countries mentioned above. Our framework prioritizes learner-centered and self-
directed instructions. The goals of our framework focus on learners achieving higher
education, employment, and continuous skills and professional development.
Inclusive education allows every learner to participate in class activities
without sacrificing their and others’ need. Learners will learn in a less restrictive
environment.
Implementing inclusive education will be a great help to our learners. But
there are concerns that need to be addressed. For example, the lack of trained
teachers to handle class with students with special needs. Though the Department
and Ministry of Education are doing their best to provide training to teachers, the
ratio is not sufficient and ideal for a class when implementing an inclusive
framework. Teachers who are teaching in regular classes do not want to accept the
learners because they think that they are not qualified to teach them. Another
concern is the parents, some of them might not agree with this kind of set-up
because of their lack of understanding about the framework. These concerns are
not new in our education system, we have experienced this situation. Perhaps,
providing seminars to parents can help them open up their minds and might lead
things into better circumstances. Another concern is the physical set-up of our
classrooms. If we were to abide by the inclusive education framework, we need to
improve our facilities in class.
The Department of Education goals, policy, and programs in Inclusive
Education aims for better education for every Filipino. People behind this framework
are doing their best to provide quality education, the least that we can do as
teachers, learners, and parents is to try to understand the framework, communicate
to the right people and address concerns. Having a harmonious relationship and
good communication with each other is the key to a successful implementation.
This pandemic had caused great damaged to our society. From lives that had been
lost, works that had been stopped or cancelled and education was put into a paused.
We are all busy taking care of ourselves and our family that sometimes we forgot to
look into our community and those who are crying for help.
It was the earlier months of the year 2020 when the pandemic had started, classes
were put into full stop. Everyone is lost, have no idea how to continue the class and
how to deliver instruction. Then, Department of Education, came up with plan on
how to continue with the education of the learners that had been halted. It was
October when a new school year starts. Everyone went into this phase of being lost,
everyone tried their best to follow the new program and learning instruction and did
their best in adopting in the new normal set-up.
While everyone is busy, adopting to these changes, there are certain group of
learners we tend to forget. Our learners in Special education Program. They are
equally important with other learners. And amidst the chaotic pandemic, may we
not forget the ultimate goal of inclusive education and that is to deliver quality
education to all our learners. And Special Education teachers are doing their best
in order to give learning materials and share learning to our learners.
Here are some of the ideas that I have thought to impart learning and deliver lessons
in different learning areas.
 As teachers, we must ne be afraid to learn new stuff. Humble yourself and try
it out. Involved yourself in the different programs of the Department if Education
such as broadcasting in television and in radio. Equipped yourself on how it works
and you can use this skill to deliver your own lesson. It would also be helpful, if you
will be able to share this skill to more teachers not just in Special Education but
also to General Education teachers.
Participate more in webinars. Do not think that every webinar or seminar is
the same. They may have the same topic but with different speakers, surely you can
learn a thing or two from it. We should avoid this kind of thinking that we know
more, and that we should always be open to different kinds of learning.
And one of the most important thing for teachers, to be familiarized during the time
of pandemic is the used of ICT. Using computers, and presenting your lesson
through PowerPoint is not ICT, It is merely digitalization, there is a fine line between
ICT and digitalization. Digitalization is merely transferring the data into computer
and having it your old way but when we say ICT, we talk about the utilization of the
materials.
If you are someone, who knows more about how to use this technology, be
kind enough and share your skill to your co-teachers. They will surely love the idea
of learning it from a colleague and that it would be very useful in the delivery of their
instruction. We should always remember, that not all of our teachers are able to
adopt from these changes and other are really trying hard to equipped themselves
and catch up with these changes.
And if you are a teacher who is not capable to use technology, seek help from
those who knows it. Try learning new things, it is true that it is really difficult but
with practice, even just the basics, then you can do it.
Here are just some of the ideas that I have in mind on how to help our learners in
Special Education. A Special Education that specializes in a a certain skill can help
other learn.
In other words, cooperation and good communication is a great point in
achieving a goal and that is to share learnings and provide service needed to out
learners.