One of the primary thrusts of the Department of Education (DepED) is to provide not just quality education but ACCESS to it.

            One of the marginalized sectors of our society are the so-called “differently abled individuals”. Question. Do they really have access to quality education?

            No less than the Philippine Constitution states that “ the state shall promote the right of every individual to relevant quality education regardless of sex, age, creed, socio economic status, physical and mental condition, social or ethnic origin, political and other affiliation.”

            At present, DepED has a program that caters to the needs of these individuals with special needs. It is called the Special Education (SPED). It refers to the education of persons who are gifted or talented and those who have physical, mental, social or sensory impairment and cultural differences that require modifications of the school curricula, programs and special services.

            It is through this program that many of the hearing impaired, mentally challenged, blind, or orthopedically handicapped students get to finish their elementary and secondary education  prior to the implementation of the k to 12 curriculum.

            Problem arises when SPED junior high school completers starts their Senior High School Program. The education set up is not prepared to provide the extended 12 year education cycle for these learners.

            Taking our experience in Limay National High School, we had 5 SPED junior high school completers who were not able to continue their studies because there is no learners support system for their special needs.

            In my  attendance to the School Head Development Program (SHDP), I came up with a proposal, an educational initiative to help our special learners. I coined the term SAKTO12 or the SPED’s Access to K to 12. With this program, the school must initiate the contextualization of the curriculum for SPED Senior High School students. Contents of the subjects must be modified to further help our hearing impaired students.

            An Alternative Delivery Mode (ADM) should be developed so that the parents and community can be tapped in the education of the students.

            This project will really proves that it takes a community to educate a child.

By: JOHN R. QUIROZ Assistant Principal II, Limay National High School