Opportunities and Challenges on Inclusive Synergy among Schools and Local Governance: Basis for a Proposed Inclusive School–Local Governance Collaboration Framework

Abstract

Inclusive education has emerged as a core focus of basic education reform, yet many schools continue to face challenges in building effective collaboration with local government units (LGUs). These difficulties often result in fragmented service delivery, uneven policy execution, and inconsistent support for learners with diverse needs. Although national mandates such as the Inclusive Education Act and decentralisation frameworks seek to empower local actors and strengthen school–LGU partnerships, there remains limited empirical understanding of how stakeholders actually perceive the opportunities, barriers, and responsibilities involved in inclusive governance—particularly within local Philippine contexts. This lack of grounded insight constrains the development of practical, context-responsive frameworks that could improve inter-agency coordination and implementation. To address this gap, the present study adopted an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design to examine perceptions of inclusive education governance in Valenzuela City. The first phase surveyed 96 stakeholders—including local officials, school heads, teachers, and parents—using validated quantitative instruments measuring perceived opportunities, challenges, and roles. Findings revealed strong agreement on existing opportunities (M = 3.35, SD = 0.54), moderate acknowledgment of system challenges (M = 2.59, SD = 0.87), and high endorsement of stakeholder roles (M = 3.27, SD = 0.60), with significant differences observed only in perceived roles, where teachers reported lower involvement than officials and parents. The qualitative phase added explanatory depth, uncovering themes such as shared service delivery, inclusive infrastructure, role ambiguity, and sustainability concerns. These integrated insights informed the development of the Proposed Inclusive School–Local Governance Collaboration Framework, a structured and evidence-informed model designed to clarify stakeholder roles, strengthen inter-agency coordination, and enhance inclusive education governance across schools and LGUs.