Two groups advocating for children’s rights believe that the passage of Senate Bill 1907 or the Inclusive Education Bill would be a “monumental move” especially for learners with disabilities during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.
Child Rights Network (CRN), the largest alliance of organizations and agencies pushing for children’s rights legislation in the Philippines, on Wednesday, May 26, said that the “Inclusive Education” SB 1907 is a bill instituting a wide range of services especially for learners with disabilities.
“The Inclusive Education Bill is a well-timed monumental legislation that addresses one of the key gaps that need to be urgently addressed to protect and nurture children with disabilities, especially as the current COVID-19 pandemic made life more difficult for them,” CRN said.
Save the Children Philippines, in a statement issued May 24, also called for the immediate enactment of the Inclusive Education (IE) Bill that would safeguard the right of children with disabilities to access quality inclusive education.
“The COVID-19 pandemic stirred our education system to adapt to the changing and challenging times and this should not exclude learners with disabilities who, even before the pandemic, are already twice marginalized by poverty and difficulty in accessing healthcare and learning needs,” said Save the Children Philippines Chief Executive Officer Alberto Muyot.
“We call on our leaders and the government to prioritize the education needs of our learners with disabilities,” Muyot, a former Undersecretary of the Department of Education (DepEd), added.
CRN noted that the proposed bill stipulates that “no learner with disability shall be denied admission and inclusion in any public or private early or basic education school in the country to afford such learners with equitable opportunities to educational services and programs.”
The House of Representatives, CRN said, has already passed on third and final reading its version of the proposed bill numbered House Bill 8080 last December 7, 2020, with 197 House members voting in the affirmative.
“What’s left is for the Senate to pass the proposed bill on third and final reading before it gets transmitted to the President for signing,” CRN added.
By advocating for the enactment of the Inclusive Education Bill, For Save the Children Philippines believes that “we are aiming to provide learners with disabilities with opportunities to choose their own paths and contribute to their communities.”