discriminate against those who are unvaccinated and partially vaccinated
due to health reasons or contextual factors such as geographic distance to
vaccination sites and financial affordability that may contribute to their
untimely vaccination. Moreover, requiring negative RT-PCR or antigen
tests from not fully vaccinated teachers and non-teaching personnel who
wish to report to the schools presents an undue burden since these tests
are costly, particularly for daily wage earners and those who live below the
poverty line.
Virtual hands-on activities/practicum
167.
With the internship and work immersions mostly done virtually following the
shift to remote learning due to the pandemic, the roles of the school
partnership focal person, work immersion partner institution supervisor,
and work immersion teacher as specified in the DepEd Guidelines for Work
Immersion have become irrelevant as they are not included in the
discussions with the schools and employers, though DepEd has specified
their roles for work immersion of senior high schools.194
Concerning the Vulnerable Sectors
Lack of teachers for learners with disabilities
168.
The CESC expresses concern over the high percentage of children with
disabilities who are not fully included in the educational system and the
limited access to the internet among disadvantaged and marginalized
individuals and groups in rural areas.195 Addressing the needs of learners
with a spectrum of disabilities requires an understanding of their different
needs and conditions, which DepEd has appropriately surveyed by
maintaining data sets,196 but these should be regularly updated. However,
because of the insufficiency of the number of teachers who can attend and
cater to learners with disabilities, their needs remain unmet, which the
different advocacy groups try to address and augment through their own
initiatives.
169.
Similarly, the needs of youth with disabilities should be founded on a clear
understanding or definition of what school-to-work transition means for
them as well as for the teachers, as one CSO participant has raised. So
that the recommendations, curricula, and policies are tailor-fit according to
the different conditions and requirements of the learners and not blanket
or generic plans.
Equal opportunities
170.
The challenges faced by persons with disabilities finding employment are
rooted in the readiness of employers and society, in general, to employ
them, as one CSO participant asserts. The Non-Handicapping
Environment (NHE) project of NCDA in partnership with JICA should have
194
DepEd, Order No. 30, s. 2017, at 2.
Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, Concluding observation on the combined fifth and sixth periodic
report of the Philippines, E/C.12/PHL/CO/5-6 (Oct. 7, 2016).
196
supra note 24.
195
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