Als Legal Bases

(5) Provide adult citizens, the disabled, and out-of-school youth with training in civics, vocational efficiency, and other skills. However, section 2 subsection 5 provides that "the state shall provide adult citizens, the disabled and out-of-school youth with training in civics, vocational efficiency and other skills." The subsection strongly suggests that: 1) the education of handicapped students is not an integral part of the system of education as defined in subsection 1; and 2) the education of the handicapped is limited to "training in civics, vocational efficiency and other skills." A definition of terms is in order to clarify the foregoing statement. The term "adult citizens" refers to Filipino citizens of legal age who --- for one reason or another --- have had little or no formal education. The term "out-of-school youth" refers to children and young people of school age who cannot or have decided not to attend formal school due to some personal reasons. Traditionally, the term "disabled" refers to physically handicapped persons but the meaning of the word has been broaden to include the mentally handicapped individuals. Since article 14 deals with the system of education in the Philippines, it is quite natural to assume that the "disabled" referred to in section 2 subsection 5 include handicapped children and young people of school age. Therefore, they have the right to attend school and to receive quality education as provided in section 1 of article 14, and they are subject to the constitutional provision on compulsory elementary education. Unless they are diagnosed as medically and/or psychologically unfit for school, they are willing to study under a system of free public elementary and high school education and to deal with the problems and difficulties inherent in their education
EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 117 January 30, 1987
REORGANIZATION OF THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, CULTURE AND SPORTS PRESCRIBING ITS POWERS AND FUNCTIONS AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES