THE HOUSE Committee on Basic Education and Culture has urged the Department of Education (DepEd) to fully implement the key provisions of Republic Act No. 11650, or the Inclusive Education Act, stressing that learners with disabilities should not be automatically placed in regular classrooms without the assessment and support required under the law.

During a committee hearing on the law’s implementation, Committee Chairperson and EDCOM 2 Co-Chairperson Roman Romulo said mainstreaming should be based on Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) developed through Inclusive Learning Resource Centers (ILRCs), rather than applied as a blanket policy.

Romulo explained that ILRCs are designed to house multidisciplinary teams that assess learners with disabilities and prepare IEPs to determine whether they are ready for mainstream classrooms and identify the support services they need.

He criticized DepEd for allegedly proceeding with mainstreaming without first establishing ILRCs or developing individualized education plans, saying the agency failed to comply with the law and left teachers without clear guidance on supporting learners with disabilities.

The discussion echoed findings of the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2), which found that while schools have generally complied with the law’s prohibition against denying admission to learners with disabilities, many still lack the support systems needed to ensure meaningful inclusion.

According to EDCOM 2, consultations with teachers and school administrators showed that the admission guarantee has often been interpreted as requiring all learners with disabilities to be placed in regular classrooms, regardless of the nature of their disability, the support they need, or the school’s capacity to provide appropriate services.

Teachers also expressed uncertainty over whether self-contained Special Education (SPED) classes may still be maintained for learners requiring more intensive interventions.

School officials told the commission that although schools can no longer refuse admission to learners with disabilities under the law, many teachers have not received the training, resources, or specialized support needed to effectively address their students’ diverse learning needs.

Teachers from SPED centers likewise raised concerns over the growing number of mainstreamed learners without adequate support. One teacher said 12 of the 36 students in the class had been mainstreamed, while another questioned how a single teacher could effectively handle 15 learners with multiple disabilities at the same time.

EDCOM 2 said these experiences underscore the lack of assessment-based placement, Individualized Education Programs, and specialist support, leaving teachers to manage students with varying disabilities and educational needs in regular classrooms without sufficient assistance.

EDCOM 2 Executive Director Karl Mark Yee emphasized that inclusion involves more than simply placing learners in regular classrooms, saying mainstreaming without adequate support falls short of the intent of the Inclusive Education Act.

He urged DepEd to immediately issue clear guidelines on mainstreaming in accordance with Republic Act No. 11650, while strengthening Inclusive Learning Resource Centers and ensuring that support is tailored to each learner’s disability and level of assistance required.