Question & AnswerQ&A (Republic Act No. 11650)
The short title of Republic Act No. 11650 is the "Instituting a Policy of Inclusion and Services for Learners with Disabilities in Support of Inclusive Education Act."
The State declares it the policy to protect and promote the rights of all learners with disabilities to quality, inclusive, equitable, and accessible education at all levels, ensuring no learner with disability is deprived of access and promoting lifelong learning opportunities.
Inclusive Education is the process of addressing and responding to the diversity of needs of all learners by ensuring full participation, presence, and achievement in learning cultures and communities, involving accommodation, modification, adaptation, and individualization in content, approaches, structures, and strategies to provide equitable opportunities and support for learners with disabilities alongside their age-appropriate peers.
ILRCs are physical or virtual centers providing support and related services to teaching and learning with appropriate, accessible, disability, linguistically-cultural, and gender-sensitive instructional materials, tools, devices, and equipment to enhance learning and assessment for learners with disabilities, along with medical, health, and allied professional support for their care and development.
ILRC personnel include guidance counselors, teachers qualified in sign language or Braille, para-teachers, learning support aides, and other qualified persons who administer special needs services to learners with disabilities within the ILRC or related settings.
The CFS is a system for identifying, locating, and evaluating all learners with disabilities ages three to twenty-four not receiving basic education, including those below five years old, to facilitate their inclusion in the general basic education system.
The Act guarantees rights to be informed in their mother tongue, written notice on matters affecting education, confidentiality of personal information, access to records, participation in meetings regarding identification, evaluation, placement, and provision of education programs, and speedy administrative resolution of complaints within 30 days.
The IACC is composed of officials or their authorized representatives up to Assistant Secretary level from DepEd (Chairperson), DOH (Co-Chairperson), DSWD (Co-Chairperson), DPWH, DILG, DOF, and NCDA Executive Director.
The DepEd is the lead agency to implement the Act, ensure free public early and basic education for learners with disabilities, establish and maintain ILRCs, hire qualified personnel, coordinate with other agencies, prepare the multi-year roadmap, maintain the Learner Information System, and issue procedural safeguards and policies for protection.
The DepEd in collaboration with CHED shall develop a scholarship program for in-service teachers to take courses or master’s degree units in special needs education or inclusive education. Grantees are required to return service in DepEd, and the program ensures adequate personnel for inclusive education.