📄 Abstract
This policy perspective paper examines the persistent gap between educational rights guaranteed under Philippine law and the educational realities experienced by learners in Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas (GIDA). Anchored on a rights-based and implementation gap framework, the paper argues that educational inequities in teacher deployment, infrastructure, information and communication technology (ICT) access, learning resources, and educational opportunities continue to undermine the realization of the constitutional right to quality education. Drawing on constitutional provisions, national legislation, Department of Education policies, international human rights instruments, and empirical evidence from EDCOM II, PISA, TIMSS, and national assessment reports, the paper demonstrates that despite strong legal commitments, many learners in disadvantaged communities continue to experience unequal educational conditions. The analysis employs Rights-Based Analysis, Governance Failure Analysis, Implementation Gap Analysis, Political Economy Analysis, and Comparative Policy Analysis to explain why legal guarantees have not consistently translated into equitable educational outcomes. The paper concludes that educational inequity in GIDA schools is not merely an administrative concern but a question of rights realization, governance effectiveness, and educational justice. It recommends needs-based educational funding, strengthened teacher deployment systems, targeted infrastructure and connectivity investments, improved accountability mechanisms, and participatory educational governance to bridge the gap between educational rights and educational realities and ensure that no learner is disadvantaged by geography, poverty, or circumstance.
📚 How to Cite:
Irish C. Say-A, MAED, Atty. Glene A. Nalla , BRIDGING EDUCATIONAL RIGHTS AND EDUCATIONAL REALITIES: A RIGHTS-BASED AND IMPLEMENTATION GAP ANALYSIS OF RESOURCE INEQUITIES IN PHILIPPINE GIDA SCHOOLS , Volume 12 , Issue 6, June 2026, EPRA International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research (IJMR) , Pages: 651 - 662 , DOI: https://doi.org/10.36713/epra30674