Lesson 4

Historical/Sociological Bases

The historical roots of Special Education can be traced as far back as

the 18th century. For many years before that, people with disabilities were
often placed in hospitals or asylums because they were mistaken as being
possessed by evil powers, cursed, or simply stupid. With the beginning of the
18th century, and also of the period known as the Enlightenment, ideas about
education started to arise.

The Enlightenment period influenced Special Education is many ways.

It started when Jean Jacques Rousseau published Emile, a book about the
education of children. According to him, learning should occur in agreement
with a child’s cognitive speed.

History of Special Education in the Philippines

The interest to educate Filipino children with disabilities was

expressed more than a century ago in 1902 during the American regime,
however, it was not until 1907 when the special education program formally
started in the country.

Timelines

1926 to 1949

- Founding of the Philippine Association for the Deaf (PAD) composed

mostly of hearing-impaired members (1926)
- Establishment of the Welfareville Children’s Village in Mandaluyong
(1927)
- Opening of the National Orthopedic Hospital opened its School for
Crippled Children (1945)
- Inauguration of the Quezon City Science High School for gifted
students (1949)
- Organization of the Phil. Foundation for the Rehabilitation of the
Disabled (1949)

1950 to 1975

- PAD opened a school for children with hearing impairment (1950)

- The Elsie Gaches Village was established in Alabang, Muntinlupa
(1953)
- First week of August was declared as Sight Saving Week (1954)
- Organization of the Elks Cerebral Palsy Project Inc. (1955)
- Holding of the First Summer Institute on Teaching the Deaf in Pasay
City (1956)
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- Creation of the Special Education Section of the Special Subjects

and Services Division (1957)
- Opening of the regional office in Manila of the American Foundation
for Overseas Blind (1958)
- Offering of special education courses in the graduate school
curriculum in some private colleges and universities (1960)
- Opening of the Manila Youth and Rehabilitation Center (1962)
- Qualifications of Special Education Teachers were specified (1962)
- PFRD sponsored the 2nd Pan Pacific Rehabilitation Conference in
Manila (1962)
- Experimental Integration of Blind Children in Jose Rizal Elementary
School in Pasay (1962)
- Holding of the first National Seminar in Special Education in Pasay
(1962)
- Founding of St. Joseph of Cupertino School for the Mentally
Retarded (1962)
- Commencement of the training of teacher scholars at the University
of the Philippines in the areas of hearing impairment, mental
retardation and mental giftedness (1962)
- Philippine General Hospital opened classes for its school-age
chronically ill patients
- Training of teacher scholars for the blind children started at the
Philippine Normal College (1963)
- Establishment of the Philippine Printing House for the Blind (1963)
- Establishment of the Manila Science High School and the Quezon
City Science High School for gifted students (1964)
- Sponsoring of the first Institute on the Education and Training of
the Mentally Retarded (1965)
- Organization of the National Committee on Special Education
(1967)
- Classes for socially maladjusted children were organized at the
Manila Youth Reception Center (1969)
- Training of teachers for children with behavior problems started at
the University of the Philippines (1970)
- Establishment of the School for the Deaf and the Blind (1970)
- Establishment of the Paaralan ng Pag-ibig at Pag-asa in San Pablo
City (1970)
- First Asian Conference on Mental Retardation was held in Manila
(1973)
- First National Conference on the Rehabilitation of the Disabled
(1974)
- Establishment of the Southeast Asian Institute for Deaf (1974)
- Implementation of the Silahis Concept of Special Education in
public elementary schools (1975)

1976 to 2000

- Proclamation 1605 declared 1977 to 1987 as the Decade of the

Filipino Child (1976)
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- MEC issued Department Order No. 10 that designated regional and

division supervisors of special education programs
- Creation of the National Commission Concerning Disabled Persons
(1978)
- Organization of the School for Crippled Children at the Southern
Island Hospital in Cebu (1980)
- Proclamation of the observance of the International Year of the
Disabled Persons (1981)
- Establishment of the Philippine Institute for the Deaf (1990)
- 1993 to 2002 were declared as the Asian and the Pacific Decade of
the Disabled Persons
- 3rd week of January was declared as Autism Consciousness Week
(1996)
- First National Congress on Visual Impairment held in QC (1996)
- First Seminar-Workshop on Information Technology for the Visually
Impaired (1996)
- First Congress on Special Needs Education was held in Baguio (1996)
- Promulgation of DECS Order No. 26 on the Institutionalization of
Special Education Programs in All Schools (1997)
- DECS Order No. 4: “Exemption of the Physically Handicapped from
Taking the National Elementary Achievement Test and the National
Secondary Aptitude Test” (1999)
- DECS Order No. 108: “Strengthening of Special Education Programs
for the Gifted in the Public School System” (1999)
- DECS Order No. 448: “Search for the Most Outstanding Special
Education Teacher for the Gifted” (1999)
- DECS Order No. 33: “Implementation of AO No. 101 directing the
Dept. of Public Works and Highways, DECS and CHED to provide
architectural facilities or structural features for disabled persons in
all state colleges, universities and other public buildings (1999)

Convention on the Rights of the Child

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child is an

important agreement by countries who have promised to protect children’s
rights.

The Convention explains who children are, all their rights, and the
responsibilities of governments. All the rights are connected, they are all
equally important and they cannot be taken away from children.

Education for All

The Philippines crafted and implemented the 10-year EFA Philippine

Plan of Action covering 1991-2000. The EFA plan articulated the country’s
national goals, objectives, policies and strategies, as well as the regional
programs for implementation for the first decade of the EFA movement.
Under the 1991-2000 Plan (EFA 1), the thrusts included:

1. Early Childhood Development

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• Expansion of self-sustaining community-based ECCD

• Use of innovative approaches to parent education
• Promotion of preparatory education
• Accreditation of private pre-school programs and institutions
• Differentiated approaches for special categories of children
• Strengthening of health, nutrition and other allied services
• Socio-cultural adaptation of curriculum, materials and
approaches
• Single agency to coordinate programs for ECCD

2. Universalization of Quality Primary Education

• Enhancing the holding power or student retention of schools
• Using alternative teaching-learning delivery modes
• Strengthening home-school partnership
• Emphasis on higher-level thinking skills
• Upgrading teacher competencies

3. Alternative Learning Systems

• Eradication of illiteracy in selected areas
• Promotion of continuing education and development
• Implementation of integrated programs

• Republic Act 9155 or the Governance of Basic Education Act of 2001.

Along with Republic Act 6655 or the Free Secondary Education Act,
these laws reaffirm the policy of the State to protect and promote the
rights of all Filipinos by providing children free and compulsory
education in the elementary and high school level. This pertains to six
years of free tuition fees for children aged 6 to 11, and free four years
of secondary schooling for those aged 12 to 15.
• EFA 2015 Plan

K to 12 Inclusion Policy

K to 12 further promotes the implementation of programs that address

the various physical, intellectual, psychosocial, and cultural needs of learners
in diverse contexts. These programs are anchored on inclusion which is a core
principle of the Enhanced Basic Education Program (DepEd Order No. 43, s.
2013).