Modalities for distance learning not viable for students with special needs

Some teachers and parents lamented for students with special needs, they said that it seems that they are not considered in DepEd's Basic Education - Learning Continuity Plan (BE-LCP). In addition, the 2021 budget does not have an allocation for special education program.

Photo credit: ncda.gov.ph

A special education teacher at the Canizares National High School (CNHS) in Cotabato City, Helene Dimaukom, said that she worries on how her hearing impaired students can continue with their studies. Moreover, the different modalities offered by the Department of Education (DepEd) are not suitable to learners with special needs.

Most of the public schools will be using distance/blended learning. Distance learning offers modular distance learning (MDL), online distance learning (ODL), and television (TV)/radio-based instruction.

Dimaukom said online distance learning is not viable as most students do not have an internet connection or even own a gadget. There are also areas that do not have electricity, which also makes the television and radio-based instruction also not an option.

Hearing impaired students requires a special skill that is why modular learning is somewhat challenging.

As a result of modular learning, students will be studying at home and parents need to assist their children in their studies. This is also a problem to some parents who didn't have an education. They are wondering how will they be of help to their children, also, some parents admit that their child is a lot more smarter and wiser than them.

Guiamela Belon, a mother of a 20 years old mute. Belon said that she doesn't know how to do sign language. Dimaukom said sign language in school is in English which will make it even more difficult for parents who do not know this type of communication.

Belon also worries how she can assist her child's learning at home because she has four other children and she mans their small variety store.

Dimaukom said that students with special needs also need socialization. They need to go out and socialize with other children to boost their confidence.

Dimaukom said teachers can only do so much for their students. Although the situation is understandable due to the pandemic, Dimaukom said DepEd as the lead agency should ensure that the Filipino children will receive quality education as mandated by the constitution.

KJ Catequista also worries that her 12 years old son, who has an autism spectrum disorder will have difficulty coping with the new mode of learning. She said that socialization is one of the recommendations of her son's doctor. Now that it will be home based it might affect her son's improvement.

Catequista agrees that DepEd has not really considered the learners with special needs in implementing the BE-LCP this year. She said that not all parents can afford gadgets or equipment for online classes, or have the time to teach their children through the modules because they are working.

Children with special needs need special attention. A break from their routine would definitely cause a fallback on their development,

 she said, adding that not all parents can afford an expensive homeschool type of education for their special children.

It is saddening that the 2021 DepEd budget showed zero allocation to the special education program.

Remote learning is hard enough as it is for regular education, but for special education – which requires specialized skills and materials – the difficulty to deliver safe, accessible and quality education increases by tenfold,

 said Raymond Basilio, secretary general of the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT).

Instead of extending bigger support for a service that caters to the most disadvantaged section of learners, the Duterte regime opted to completely abandon our students by giving zero budget for the program,

Basilio said.