DepEd to ensure PWDs can join early school registration Jan. 26

The Department of Education (DepEd) is taking steps to make sure children with disabilities can avail of the Jan. 26 early registration for School Year 2013-14. DepEd Secretary Armin Luistro said they are working with government and private organizations to identify and register children and youth with learning difficulties. “We have directed Special Education officials, teachers, NGO, workers and PWD volunteers to conduct an orientation on the screening and identification of children and youth with disabilities so that they too can be registered and be in school in June,” Luistro said in a news release. He said the DepEd is committed to providing all learners access to education under the millennium development goals, including the universalization of basic education. The DepEd is particularly targeting for registration children and youths with: - visual impairment - hearing impairment - intellectual disability - learning disability - speech/language impairment - serious emotional disturbance - those with autism, orthopedic impairment - those with special health problems and multiple disabilities. Also targeted for early registration children are indigenous peoples, out of school children and youth who have not been to school including street children from ages 5 to 18. The nationwide early registration in public elementary and public schools helps DepEd get a clear picture of the total number of expected enrollees, so it can address enrolment challenges that may arise. Meanwhile, learners who have dropped out from elementary or secondary school and want to go back to formal school can avail of alternative delivery modes such as the Modified In-School and Off-School Approach (MISOSA) and the electronic Instructional Management by Parents, Community and Teachers (e-IMPACT). Learners who want to enroll in the Drop-Out Reduction Program (DORP) or in the Alternative Learning System (ALS) are required to present their report card to the teacher in charge during registration. If a report card is not available, a certification letter signed by the parent or guardian could be presented. - VVP, GMA News