HISTORY OF EDUCATION

FOR STUDENTS WITH

DISABILITIES
■ Early 9th century- first systematic attempts were
made to educate “idiotic” and “insane” children-
those who today are said to have mental retardation
and emotional or behavioral disorders.
■ Prerevolutionary era- most society had offered
children with disabilities was protection-asylum from
a cruel world into which they did not fit and in which
they could not survive with dignity, if they could
survive at all.
■ The history of Special Education begins with the
18th century. Before that time, persons with disabilities were
not taken in consideration, and were often mistaken as
being possessed by evil powers, cursed, or simply stupid
(Blackhurst 13, 14). With the beginning of the 18th century,
and also of the period known as the Enlightenment, ideas
about education started to arise.
■ The Enlightenment period influenced
Special Education is many ways. To
start, Jean Jacques Rousseau (1712-
1778) publishes his Emile, a book
about the education of children.
According to Rousseau, learning
should happen in agreement with a
child’s cognitive speed, with minimal
outer stimuli from society, which is
known for praising social roles, and
wealth. This idea of teaching children
in their own pace set the ground for
many educators (Johnston).
■ Charles Michel L’Epeé was one of the pioneers
in the 18th century in what concerns the
education of the disabled. In 1760 he founded
the first public school for people with disabilities
in France. He was concerned with language and
phonetics being taught in a different way as a
tool for the education of deaf and blind
students. Following L’Epeé’s path, Valentin Haüy
founded the “Institution Nationale des Jeunes
Aveugles” in 1784, which is recognized as the
first school in the world for the education of
blind people. Haüy was inspired by many people:
Rousseau, L’Epeé, and Madame Von Paradis,
who was blind, and helped him develop the
methods used in the school. Using these
methods, Haüy was able to educate a blind boy
who later became a teacher in the same school
(Safford 38-46).
■ The historical roots of special
education are found primarily in the
early 1800s.
■ Most of the originators of special
education were European
physicians
■ Philippe Pinel (1745-1826)- Itard’s
mentor, a prominent French
physician who was an early
advocate of humane treatment of
insane persons, advised Itard that
his efforts would beunsuccessful
because Victor was a “hopeless
idiot”.
■ Jean-Marc-Gaspard Itard (1775-
1838) , a French physician who
was an authority on diseases of
the ear and on the education of
students who were deaf, is the
person to whom most historians
trace the beginning of special
education.
 ■ In the early years of the
nineteenth century, this young
doctor began to educate a boy,
Victor, of about twelve who
had been found naked and
wild in the forests of France. -
Father of SPED for persons
with intellectual and physical
disability.

Victor: The Wild Aveyron

■ Edouard Sequin (1812-1880)
Itard’s student, emigrated to the
United States in 1848. Seguin
had become famous as an
educator of so-called idiotic
children, even though most
thinkers of the day were
convinced that such children
could not be taught anything of
significance.
■ Revolutionary ideas of Itard, Sequin, and their successors
that form the foundation for present day special education.
■ 1. Individualized instruction
■ 2. A carefully sequenced series of educational tasks.
■ 3. Emphasis on stimulation and awakening of the child’s
senses.
■ 4. Meticulous arrangement of the child’s environment.
■ 5. Immediate reward for correct performance.
■ 6. Tutoring in functional skills.
■ 7. Belief that every child should be educated to the
greatest extent possible.
MONTESSORI:
■ Extended Itard's program 1st to
the early stages of child
development, before formal
education, then revising our
conception of education itself,
whatever the age of the learner
■ Emphasis on sensory materials
■ First woman physician in Italy,
tasked to address the needs of
“feeble-minded” children
■ U.S. thinkers concerned with the
education of students with
disabilities
■ Samuel Gridley Howe(1801-1876) –
a physician and an educator,
instrumental in founding the
Perkins School for the Blind in
Watertown, Massachusetts and was
also a teacher of students who were
deaf and blind.
■ His success in teaching Laura
Bridgman, who was deaf and
blind, greatly influenced the
education of Helen Keller. Howe
was also a force behind the
organization of an experimental
school for children with mental
retardation and was personally
acquainted with Sequin.
■ Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet (1787-1851),
a minister,in 1817 established the first
American residential school, in Hartford,
Connecticut for students who were deaf
(now known as the American School of the
Deaf
■ Elizabeth Farrell- teacher in New York City
was highly instrumental in the
development of special education as a
profession. Farrell and a group of other
special educators across the U.S. and
Canada founded the Council for
Exceptional Children
 Mid -1970s
■ Many schools did not provide any programs for students
with disabilities, or the programs they provided were very
minimal
■ 1970-only 20 percent of all children with disabilities were
served in public school programs
■ It was estimated that 3 million children with disabilities
received inappropriate or inadequate services, while up to 1
million were totally excluded from the educational system.
 1970s
■ The only resources available for most parents were private
educational programs specifically designed for children
with disabilities. Parents paid for the education of their
children.
■ Many stayed at home and received no formal education.
■ In few schools, students with physical disabilities or
intellectual disabilities were provided with services,
however, these services were nearly always in self-contained
, isolated classrooms, and the students rarely interacted
with typical students. Services for these students were slow
to develop because of financial constraint.
■ Some children with disabilities received services in
residential programs. In 1963 nearly 50% of children
classified as legally blind in the US lived in residential
schools for the blind. These residential programs offered
daily living support as well as some education and training.
■ American Asylum for the Education of the Deaf and Dumb (
now the American School for the Deaf)- first school for
children with deafness established in 1817.
■ New England Asylum for the Blind- first school for children
with visual problems established in 1832
Since the mid -1970s
■ Services to students with disabilities have changed
dramatically . More appropriate services were provided
by schools but they are also frequently provided both in
resource rooms and general classroom teachers.
■ Many different developments brought about this
change, including parental advocacy, legislation, and
litigation.
■ Services for students with disabilities evolved in four
distinct phases: relative isolation, integration
(mainstreaming), inclusion, and empowerment.
 Historical Perspectives
(Philippines)

Historically, the interest to educate Filipino children

with disabilities was expressed more than a century
ago in 1902 during the American regime.
1926 to 1949
1926- The Philippine Association for the Deaf (PAD) composed mostly of hearing
impaired members and special education specialists was founded. The following year in
1927- the government established the Welfare Ville Children’s Village in
Mandaluyong, Rizal.

1936- Mrs. Maria Villa Francisco was appointed as the first Filipino principal of the
School for the Deaf and the Blind (SDB).

1945- The National Orthopedic Hospital opened its School for Crippled Children
(NOHSCC) for young patients who had to be hospitalized for long periods of time.

1949- The Quezon City Science High School for gifted Students was inaugurated.
- The Philippine Foundation for the Rehabilitation of the Disabled (PFRD) was
organized.
 1950-1975
1950- PAD opened a school for children with hearing impairment.
1953- Elsie Gaches Village (EGV) was established in Alabang, Muntinlupa, Rizal to
take care of abandoned and orphaned children and youth with physical and mental
handicaps.

1954- The first week of August was declared as Sight Saving Week.
1955- Members of Lodge No. 761 of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks
organized the Elks Cerebral Palsy Project Incorporated.

- The first Parent Teacher Work Conference

in Special Education was held at the SDB.

1956- The First Summer Institute on Teaching the Deaf was held at the School for the
Deaf and the Blind in Pasay City.
1957- The Bureau of Public Schools (BPS) of the Department of Education
and Culture (DEC) created the Special Education Section of the Special
Subjects and Services Division. The inclusion of special education in the
structure of DEC provided the impetus for the development of special
education in all regions of the country. Baguio Vacation Normal School ran
courses on teaching children with handicaps. The Baguio City Special
Education Center was organized in the same year.

1958- The American Foundation for Overseas Blind (AFOB) opened its
regional office in Manila. For many years AFOB assisted the special education
program of the DEC by providing consultancy services in the teacher training
program that focused on the integration of blind children in regular classes
and materials production at the Philippine Printing House for the Blind.
1960- Some private colleges and universities started to offer special education
courses in their graduate school curriculum.

1962- The Manila Youth and Rehabilitation Center (MYRC) was opened. The center
extended services to children and youth who were emotionally disturbed and socially
maladjusted.

- In the same year, DEC issued Circular No. 11 s. 1962 that specified the
“Qualifications of Special Education Teachers.”

- PFRD sponsored the Second Pan Pacific Rehabilitation Conference in Manila

that convened international experts in the rehabilitation of handicapped persons.

- Another milestone was the experimental integration of blind children at the

Jose Rizal Elementary School in Pasay City. The First National Seminar in Special
Education was held at SDB in Pasay City in 1962.

- St. Joseph of Cupertino School for the Mentally Retarded, a private day
school, was founded.
 - The training of DEC teacher scholars at the University of the
Philippines commenced in 1962 in the areas of hearing impairment,
mental retardation and mental giftedness under R.A. 5250.
- The Philippine General Hospital opened classes for its
school-age chronically ill patients.
1963- The approval of R.A. No. 3562, the training of DEC teacher
scholars for blind children started at the Philippine Printing House
for the Blind was establihed at the DEC compound with the
assistance of the American Foundation for Overseas Blind, UNICEF
and CARE Philippines.
- The Manila Science High School for gifted students was
established.
1964- The Quezon City Schools Division followed suit with the establishment of
the Quezon City Science High School for gifted students.

1965- Marked the start of the training program for school administrators on the
organization, administration and supervision of special education classes. The First
Institute on the Education and Training of the Mentally Retarded was sponsored by
the Special Child Study Center, the Bureau of Public Schools and the Philippine
Mental Health Association at the Ateneo de Manila University.

1967- BPS organized the National Committee on Special Education. General

Letter No. 213 regulating the size of special classes for maximum effectiveness was
issued in the same year.

1968- The approval of R.A. No. 5250, the teacher training program for teachers of
exceptional children was held at the Philippine Normal College for the next ten years.

- The First Asian Conference on Work for the Blind was held in Manila.
1969- Classes for socially maladjusted children were organized at the Manila
Youth Reception Center. The Jose Fabella Memorial School was divided into five
units and assigned to different parts of Metro Manila: the Philippine Training
School for Girls in Marillac Hills, Alabang, Muntinlupa; Reception and Child
Study Center in Manila; Elsie Gaches Village in Alabang and Nayon ng Kabataan
in Pasay City.
1970- The training of teachers for children with behavior problems started at
the University of the Philippines.
- The School for the Deaf and the Blind established in 1907 was
recognized into two separate residential schools: the School for the Deaf
(PSD) stayed in the original building and the Philippine National School for
the Blind (PNSB) was built next to PSD. Also in the same year, a special
school was established in San Pablo City, the Paaralan ng Pag-ibig at Pag-
asa.
1971- DEC issued a memorandum on Duties of the Special Education Teacher for the
Blind.

1973- The Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court of Manila established the Tahanan
Special School for socially maladjusted children and youth.

- The First Asian Conference on Mental Retardation was held in Manila under
the auspices of the UNESCO National Commission of the Philippines and the Philippine
Association for the Retarded (PAR). Caritas Manila’s Special School for the Retarded
was organized by Rev. Fr. Arthur Malin, SVD.

1974- The First National Conference on the Rehabilitation of the Disabled was held at
the Social Security Building in Quezon City. The Southeast Asian Institute for Deaf
(SAID), a private day school, was established in the same year.

1975- The Division of Manila City Schools implemented the Silahis Concept of Special
Education in public elementary schools. Six schools were chosen to organize special
education programs for the different types of exceptional children.
 - The DEC was reorganized into the Ministry of
Education Culture (MEC) in 1975, the Special
Subjects and Services Division was abolished. The
personnel of the Special Education Section were
divided into two. Half of them composed the
Special Education Unit of the MEC while the other
half was assigned to the Special Education Unit of
the MEC National Capital Region in Quezon City.
1976-2000
1976- The Proclamation 1605 declared 1977 to 1987 as the Decade of the Filipino
Child. The National Action Plan for Education was promulgated which included
provisions for in-and-out-of-school exceptional children.

- The First Camp Pag-ibig, a day camp for handicapped children was held on
Valentine's Day in Balara, Quezon City.

1977- MEC issued Department Order No. 10 that designated regional and division
supervisors of special education programs. The West Visayas State College of Iloilo City
started its teacher training program and offered scholarships to qualified teachers. The
Bacarra Special Education Center, Division of Ilocos Sur and the Bacolod Special
Education Center, Division of Bacolod City opened in the same year.
1978- Marked the creation of the National Commission Concerning Disabled Persons
(NCCDP), later renamed National Council for the Welfare of Disabled Persons or NCWDP
through Presidential Decree 1509. MEC Memorandum No. 285 directed school
divisions to organize special classes with a set of guidelines on the designation of
teachers who have no formal training in special education.

1979- The Bureau of Elementary Education Special Education Unit conducted a two-
year nationwide survey of unidentified exceptional children who were in school. The
Caritas Medico-Pedagogical Institution for the Mentally Retarded was organized. The
Jagna Special Education Center in the Division of Bohol w organized.

1980- The School for Crippled Children at the Southern Island Hospital in Cebu City
was organized.
1981- The United Nations Assembly proclaimed the observance of the International
Year of Disabled Persons. Three special education programs were inaugurated: the
Exceptional Child Learning Center at the West City Central School Division of
Dumaguete City, the Zapatera Speial Education Center at the Division of Cebu, and the
Deaf Evangelistic Aliance Foundation (DEAF) in Cavinti, Laguna.

1982- Three special schools were opened: the Cebu State College Special High
School for the Deaf, the Siaton Special Education Center in the Division of Negros
Oriental and the St. John Maria de Vianney Special Education Learning Center in
Quezon City.

1983- Batas Pambansa Bilang 344 enacted the Accessibility Law, “An Act to Enhance
the Mobility of Disabled Persons by Requiring Cars, Buildings, Institutions,
Establishments and Public Utilities to Install Facilities and Other Devices.”

- The Batac Special Education Center in the Division of Ilocos Norte was
organized.
1984- Two Special Education programs were inaugurated: the Labangon Special
Education Center Division of Cebu City and the Northern Luzon Association's Heinz
Wolke School for the Blind at the Marcos Highway in Baguio City. More SPED Centers
opened the next three years: the Pedro Acharon Special Education Center in the Division
of General Santos City, the Legaspi City Special Education Center in Pag-asa Legaspi
City, and the Dau Special Education Center in the Division of Pampanga.

1990- The Philippine Institute for the Deaf (PID) an oral school for children with
hearing impairment was established.

1991- The First National Congress on Street Children was held at La Salle Greenhills
in San Juan, Metro Manila.

1992- The Summer Training for Teachers of the Visually Imapaired started at the
Philippine Normal University. The program was sponsored by the Department of
Education Culture and Sports (DECS), the Resources for the Blind Incorporated (RBI)
and the Christoffel Blindenmission (CBM).
1993- DECS issued Order No. 14 that directed region offices to organize the Regional
Special Education Council (RSEC).

1993-2002- Were declared as the Asian and the Pacific Decade of the Disabled
Persons. Three conventions were held in 1995: the First National Congress on Mental
Retardation at the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City; the First
National Convention on Deaf Education in Cebu City which was subsequently held every
two years; and the First National Sports Summit for the Disabled and the Elderly.

- The National Registration Day for Persons with Disabilities was held this year
too. The Summer Training of Teachers for Children with Hearing Impairment started at
the Philippine Normal University with funding from the Christoffel Blindenmission (CBM).
1996- The third week of January was declared as Autism Consciousness Week.
Likewise, the First National Congress on Visual Impairment was held in Quezon City and
subsequently held every two years. The First Seminar Workshop on Information
Technology for the Visually Impaired was held in Manila sponsored by the RBI. The First
Congress on Special Needs Education was held in Baguio City.

1997- DECS order No. 1 was issued which directed the organization of a Regional
Special Education Unit and the Designation of a Regional Supervisor for Special
Education. Similarly, DECS order No. 26 on the Institutionalization of Special Education
Programs in All Schools was promulgated. The First Philippine Wheelathon-a-race for
Wheelchair Users was the main event of the 19th National Disability Prevention and
Rehabilitation Week. The SPED Mobile Training on Inclusive Education at the Regional
Level was held with funding from CBM. The Urdaneta II Special Education Center was
opened in the Division of Urdaneta City and the Bayawan West Special Education Center
in the Division of Negros Oriental. The First Teacher Training Program for the Integration
of Autistic Children was held in Marikina City.
1998- DECS Order No. 5 “Reclassification of Regular Teacher and Principal Items to
Special Education Teacher and Special Schools Principal Item” was issued. Palarong
Pinoy May K was held at Philsports Complex in Pasig City. The La Union Special
Education Center was opened in the Division of La Union.
1999- The Philspada National Sports Competition for the Disabled in Cebu City; the
Second National Congress on Special Needs Education in Baguio City; issuance of the
following DECS Orders- No. 104 “Exemption of the Physically Handicapped from Taking
the National Elementary Achievement Test (NEAT) and the National Secondary Aptitude
Test (NSAT)”, No. 108 “Strengthening of Special Education Programs for the Gifted in
the Public School System”, No. 448 “Search for the 1999 Most Outstanding Special
Education Teacher for the Gifted”; and Memorandum No. 457 “National Photo Contest
on Disability.”
- The following DECS Orders were issued: No. 11 “Recognized Special
Education Centers in the Philippines”; No. 33 “Implementation of Administrative Order
No. 101 directing the Department of Public Works and Highways, the DECS and the
Commission on Higher Education to provide architectural facilities or structural features
for disabled persons in all state colleges, universities and other public buildings”;
Memorandum No. 24 “Fourth International Noise Awareness Day”; and No. 477
“National Week for the Gifted and the Talented.