Philippine Alliance of Women With Disabilities On Education Re Issue 11(c)31: “Supply updated information and disaggregated data on the situation of education for women and girls in the State party. In particular, please provide information on…(c) Measures taken to reduce the dropout rates of girls” Comments on para 11.5 of State Reply32: Regarding the State reply that “Special Programs are supposed to reduce the dropout rates of girls in marginalized groups of students, including persons with disabilities”, to date, there is no available data on the actual effectiveness of these programs on learners with disabilities. Information on recent developments 1. It is reported that twice as many women than men with disabilities have not completed any grade (or level of primary education) at all, particularly in rural areas. Government efforts to monitor education of girls with disabilities is limited to annual enrollment rates which are unable to document drop out rates during the rest of the school year. The sole government study on this was in 201133, which is already five years old. Considering that over 95% of children with disabilities are not in school34, it is expected that the Department of Education’s Alternative Learning System (with itinerant teachers throughout the archipelago) would address this need. The Department of Education has limited data on the numbers and participation of children with disabilities, including girls with disabilities. 2. There is also extremely limited information (if at all) on participation of women and girls with disabilities in: early childhood education (through the Daycare Centers in the barangays /villages), technical education, college or university level, and all other forms of life-long learning. 3. In the ongoing overhaul of the structure of the Department of Education from segregated Special Education to inclusive education, planning has proceeded without the participation of persons with disabilities, either with children and youth with disabilities including girls, even after repeated requests inquiring about the status of this complex administrative shift. There have been no disseminated information on how this transition shall be done, including curricular, human resource, and financing considerations. 4. Despite extensive curricular planning already for age-appropriate sexuality and reproductive health education for the public schools35 as compliance to Republic Act 10354 or the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act36, there appear to be no efforts to make these accessible to students with disabilities, including girls and adolescents with disabilities. Recommendations for Education: Eliminate legal, administrative, financing, and attitudinal barriers causing gender disparities at all levels of education. Ensure equality and effective delivery of education particularly to marginalized women and girls, including women and with disabilities through: a comprehensive plan on inclusive education in law and practice, formulated in consultation with disabled peoples’ organizations, with corresponding budget allocations to ensure that girls of all types of disabilities, particularly those living in the rural areas, are not left out; regular and systematic data collection on number of girls\ with dis31 CEDAW_C_PHL_Q_7-8_22448_E CEDAW_C_PHL_Q_7-8_Add-1_23670_E. 33 Philippine Institute for Development Studies. 2011. 34 Bureau of Elementary Education, Special Education Division http://www.deped.gov.ph/quicklinks/quicklinks2.asp?id=34; Morada, C. Special Children - Get them to the Mainstream. http://www.deped.gov.ph/e_posts.asp?id=641 35 Comprehensive Sexuality Education Forum. 18 May 2016. Philippine Normal University. Manila. 36 http://www.gov.ph/2012/12/21/republic-act-no-10354/ 32 8