Bill on creating SPED centers for public schools filed

MANILA, Philippines - Quezon City Rep. Alfred Vargas has filed a bill at the House of Representatives for the establishment of special education (SPED) centers for indigent children with special needs, for them to be able to enroll in public schools. 

“Children have a right to education regardless of any difficulties or differences they may have,” Vargas, author of House Bill 74 (An Act Establishing Special Education Centers for Children with Special Needs in all Public Schools), said. 

He lamented that “despite the many laws that recognize the needs and rights of children with special needs, there is no comprehensive law yet that mandates and institutionalizes special education in the country.” 

 “This right is granted not only by the Philippine Constitution but also by the Magna Carta of Persons with Disabilities and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) ratified in the country in 2008,” Vargas pointed out. 

The bill proposes that at least one SPED center for each school division and three centers in big school division be built.

Citing records from the Department of Education, Vargas said only two percent of the 5.49 million children with special needs are getting government assistance and 97 percent of those aged seven to 12 are not in school. 

Government records likewise showed that some parents tend to keep their special children out of school because of the fear that their children may be subjected to bullying and discrimination.

“In addition, dropout rates among children with special needs are relatively high because special education is often too expensive for an average Filipino family. As a result, most parents find it difficult to send their child to school,” Vargas said.