I remember when I was younger, I would play on Sims with a friend on her computer. We would create families, homes, create a whole neighbourhood with a click of a mouse. So, you would go from a blank map, and expand it with the budget you have. Except, we found ways to cheat the game and, the slow development of Simcity was made within an hour. The services in Education, Health and Safety was even included for the imaginary citizens. 

If only we hasn't cheated the game, it would be a perfect example of what it is like in reality. In every country there is the government and then they control what is provided for the future of their citizens. Well, whoever they are in the Philippines, they would be awful at SimCity. Their personal choices and judgement for the country is well below par. 

I had been visiting around 6 schools of which are labelled as Sped standing for Special Education. One school I had attended, Zapatera, started with a volunteer who was signing in FSL, I interpreted by voice since there was a simple misunderstanding; only we were to find the teachers were scorning. To hear I could speak meant I was only "slightly Deaf." I responded with assertiveness and said "No, I am profound in one ear, I have to wear aids." They were surprised. To assume such thing and to yell at the current Deaf Filipino students can only do so much to your judgement in this country. Deaf filipinos with the age range of 15-25 only have the right to be educated up to Grade 4. To translate this, they are still in elementary education.  My Filipino counterpart was expressing the relief she had felt after succeeding her final grade in English (Grade Four).

Now, is it because they are seen to be "mentally-retarded" or is it because they don't know how to educate the Deaf? I'd say both. Because the truth is, there is no comprehensive law in the Philippines that mandates Special Education. Without the law, there would be no national reinforcement to educating those with Special needs (I hate the word "special" but that's what the Deaf schools are labelled as). 

Nurturing Children with special needs is simply not a priority in the Philippine educational system. The thrust of education in this country, an educator says, "has always been in the provision of more facilities for the growing school population."

Even the costs of specialised services affects the family's choices in whether their child should attend school. So for the UK, we would have a SEN teacher who can specialise in their educational needs, but here, you would have to pay in order for the needs to be diagnosed which is too expensive.

According to the Department of Education in the Philippines they implement and set up policies, plans and projects including........."alternative learning systems." WHAT?

And what's worse is that its provided "for the establishment and maintenance of a complete, adequate, and integrated system of basic education relevant to the goals of national development"

"NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT." 15 year olds are doing grade 9, the alternative shouldn't be about simplifying things but looking at a communication method for the Deaf. One that the teachers shouldn't call "monkey signs."

Urgh.

http://www.deped.gov.ph/index.php/about-deped/vision-mission-corevalues