Forum focuses on inclusive education for marginalized sectors
Dr. Zhanina U. Custodio of the Philippine Normal University’s (PNU) Faculty of Education and Integrated Studies (FEIS), during the Inclusive Education forum at the PNU on June 25, 2025 underscores the historical evolution of inclusive education. She traced its roots from the segregated systems of the mid-20th century to today’s global push for inclusive, participatory learning environments. The Inclusive Education Forum is the United Nations Children's Fund’s (UNICEF) campaign that aims to spotlight efforts that extend educational opportunities to marginalized groups, including children with disabilities, out-of-school youth, and learners from indigenous, religious, and gender-diverse backgrounds.
VIDEO BY ALLEN LIMOS
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00:00Before this, even in the Philippines, educational systems appeared to be segregated among those with disabilities.
00:08Now for the slide 3, the second milestone emerged in the 1960s to 1970s.
00:16This becomes the rise of the special education services.
00:19While it marked an essential recognition acknowledging diverse population, it still operated within a separate system.
00:28So physically and socially distancing learners with disabilities.
00:33So activists from the U.S. and also from the U.K. began to shift the narrative emphasizing that disability is not a medical issue but it is a social construct shaped by the barriers in society.
00:49So this area laid the groundwork for systemic change.
00:53Now on this slide 4, this becomes the pivotal movement which occurred in the 1980s characterized by the first circle here on integration and the second one on inclusion.
01:08So no longer content with separate spaces, advocates began calling children with disabilities to be educated within mainstream classrooms, learning alongside their peers with appropriate supports.
01:22This was powerfully endorsed in 1994 through the UNESCO Salamanca Statement which declared that inclusive schools are the most effective means of combating discriminatory attitudes in creating welcoming communities.
01:40It reframed the conversation.
01:42Inclusion, therefore, is not just about proximity or presence.
01:46It is about participation and it is not just presence, it's not just participation but achievement.
01:58In conclusion, it is not just aoll of cooperation.
01:59It's about the 나quam, we can understand the country's
