Vice President Leni Robredo called for establishment of special education (SPED) centers in all public schools during her speech at the launch of UNICEF's photo exhibit featuring children with disabilities (CWDs) on Monday, July 18.
The Vice President underscored the importance of the measure that has been neglected since the 13th Congress.
"It is prohibitively expensive for poor families to give a good education to children with special needs. The ability to get a good education early on in life will mean the difference between exclusion and inclusion. If this bill is passed, we would have given inclusivity a big boost," said the Robredo, herself a former lawmaker.
Reports indicate in 2014 that only 620 out of 34,000 public elementary schools nationwide either have a SPED center or a SPED program. There is also a shortage of SPED teachers with only 6,000 handling 239,000 pupils with need for special education.
UNICEF Department Representative Julia Rees explained that rehabilitating CWDs during early childhood is crucial: "Good care and development during this time increases their chances of becoming healthy and productive adults and lessening the future cost of education, medical care and social spending."
"Early childhood intervention can fulfill the rights of children with disabilities in promoting rich and fulfilling childhoods and prepare them [for] meaningful participation in adulthood," Rees also said during Monday's launch.
In addition to pushing for laws establishing an inclusive environment for CWDs, Robredo said that as Housing chief, she would build communities that are friend to persons with disabilities.
"If we design communities with those who have special needs in mind, I am positive that everyone will benefit, and we would be literally reshaping our world to become a better one," the Vice President said.
Robredo also mentioned of other campaigns for CWDs: hunger and food security, universal healthcare, rural development, education and people empowerment.
Based on local estimates cited by UNICEF, around 8.1 percent of Filipino children, or roughly 3 million children, below 18 years of age have disabilities.
Several government agencies have been working with UNICEF to promote the rights of CWDs:
- Department of Health - establishment of Regional Rehabilitation Centers
- Early Childhood Care and Development Council - development of a System for Early Identification, Prevention, Referral and Intervention for development disorders and disabilities in early childhood
- Deparment of Social Welfare and Development - providing disability grant for households with CWDs
Source: Rappler
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