SEN. Sherwin Gatchalian yesterday called on the Department of Education to hire more special needs education (SNEDS) teachers, saying the country’s public school system is short of more than 7,000 SNEDS.
Gatchalian said there is an estimated shortfall of 7, 651 SNEDS teachers based on public school enrollment for the school year 2023-2024.
He said there are only 5,147 SNEDS teachers at present to cater to the needs of 323,344 special needs learners aged two to 17 years old.
“One of the challenges in implementing inclusive education is the supply of qualified teachers. The intention is to address the supply issues in terms of teachers with knowledge in special needs education,” he said.
Gatchalian called on the DepEd and the Commission on Higher Education to work closely to ensure the availability of qualified SNED teachers.
He said under Republic Act 11650, or the Law Instituting a Policy of Inclusion and Services for Learners with Disabilities in Support of Inclusive Education Act, the DepEd is mandated to collaborate with the CHED to ensure that updated courses on inclusive education, which responds to the needs of learners with disabilities, are included in bachelor of elementary or secondary education programs.
It also mandates the development of a scholarship program for in-service teachers to pursue master’s degree units in special needs education, inclusive education, or related courses.
Gatchalian earlier scolded DepEd officials over delays in the implementation of RA 11650 since it was signed into law in 2022.
As of 2023, there are 13,408 schools in the country with a Special Education (SPED) program, of which 471 are dedicated SPED centers in elementary and 177 in high school.
The DepEd previously said the ideal student-teacher ratio for SPED students is 15:1.
