DepEd: Special Education remains

among its ‘priority programs’

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Updated August 13, 2018, 5:28 PM

By Merlina Hernando Malipot

Even if the proposed budget for the Special Education (SPED) was not
considered at all in the 2019 national budget, the Department of Education
(DepEd) maintains that it remains among its “priority programs.”
“There are external partners that we will work with so we can continue the
program,” DepEd Undersecretary for Finance Annalyn Sevilla said in an
interview. Since the SPED is a “continuing program,” she clarified that
there will still be funds for it. However, it will be lodged under the
Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE) – along with other
programs.
In an ideal situation, Sevilla said there should be budget that is solely for
SPED noting that relying on external partners greatly affects the
sustainability of the program. “It’s not sustainable to depend on the
external stakeholders because it will only be temporary and there are
changes in administration – especially in the local governments – so it’s
not sustainable,” she explained. “What we need is for it [support] to be
continuous so it’s better if DepEd is the one implementing it,” she added.
While education remains the “topmost priority” of the Duterte
administration – set to receive the highest allocation in the 2019 National
Expenditure Program (NEP) at P527.714 billion, Sevilla noted that this is
72.06 percent of the original budget that DepEd proposed which is
P732.280 billion. No new line item fror SPED
This year, DepEd noted the new line item for SPED was not considered by
the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) – at all.
For 2019, Sevilla said DepEd has proposed a line item for SPED
amounting to P562,732,000 but “has not been restored despite the appeal
to DBM.” She noted that previously, there was a line item for SPED but
with the change in approach – shifting to inclusive education – learners
with special needs were mainstreamed along with regular students.
“When they changed the approach, made into mainstream, the budget for
SPED was included in the MOOE,” Sevilla said. However, she noted that
over the years, “it was forgotten that there were many items that are under
the MOOE” and the increase in program support every year was never
really taken into consideration.
“They have forgotten the program support especially for learners who need
it the most because they probably felt that these were just inflationary,”
Sevilla said. Recognizing the need to strengthen the program, DepEd
proposed a new line item that will be solely for SPED, however, it was not
considered in the 2019 budget.
Where the funds will be used
If considered, Sevilla believes the new line item for SPED would be a “big
boost” to the program.
“Special education is not the usual, traditional classroom type – the
learners have their own needs,” Sevilla said. While there are some SPED
learners who are integrated in the mainstream, she noted that “there are
some that you need to give support.”
These learners, Sevilla said, need their own curriculum “which should be
progressive” as well as facilities and equipment that are “needs-based”
such as eyeglasses, Braille instructional materials, and hearing aids –
among others. “We need to emphasize that when we say special education,
it has different types and levels,” she explained.
Aside from learners who are mentally, psychologically, physically or
socially challenged, DepEd’s SPED program also caters to gifted and
talented children. “There is a certain percentage in our student population
that is exceptional – in terms of curriculum – so we need to support them
also,” she added.
Among the highlights of the P 562-million proposed SPED budget is the
program support fund for schools with SPED learners through the
allotment of P1,000 for each of the 400,732 learners with special education
needs (LSENs); P160 million for learner development activities, training,
educational visits, camp activities, sports, learning participation and SPED-
related activities and P140 million for procurement of instruction and
reference materials, early intervention materials, science manipulative
materials and other assessment tools.
Recently, Sevilla said 1,300 for SPED items were created. “If we have the
teachers, then that means we need to have the facilities and the continuous
development of our teachers,” she added. In the proposed SPED budget,
P100 million was requested for professional upgrading of the teachers and
school heads, travel expenses relative to the participation to activities
relevant to the implementation of the program.
Another highlight of the proposed SPED budget is for the P50 million
voucher system for private elementary schools for LSENs – particularly
the allotment of P10,000 for each of the 5,000 LSENs in private schools.
While DepEd has no intention to “aggressively appeal” for the restoration
of the SPED budget, Sevilla believes the “Congress will look for it” with
the SPED among the most “in demand” programs of DepEd in 2017.
Sevilla said that since last year, DepEd has been proposing the restoration
of a SPED line item in the budget but was not considered. This year, it will
be up to the Congress “if we can insert or do something… so it’s the
Congress that will help us, just in case,” she said.
Should the SPED budget be restored this 2019, Sevilla said DepEd’s SPED
program will remain inclusive but with “more facilities, more upgrading of
teachers and more activities appropriate for the new set of learners that we
will have.”