| Description of good practice: |
For China accurately estimating the number of school age children with IDD receiving compulsory education is a bit tough. Using the percentage of 63.19% from the latest national survey data, it is estimated that about 480000 children with ID aged from 6 to 14 years received compulsory education. According to a more recent government report, by 2017, the total number of students with disabilities who were receiving compulsory education was 578800. Of these, 304000 (52%) attended mainstream primary and junior high schools, while the rest attended 2107 special education schools across the country. By use of the prevalence of 6.68% IDD in the general disability population from the 2006 national survey, it is estimated that about 38600 children with ID were receiving compulsory education by 2017. The noticeable discrepancy between these two estimated figures suggests an urgent need for an updated national survey on the prevalence of disability.
Typically, there is a quota of 40–45, and 45–50 students per class in primary and secondary schools, respectively (Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China, 2002), with Chinese as the main language for instruction. An inclusive class usually holds no more than three students with disabilities such as ID, hearing impairment, visual impairment, physical disability, ASD, and cerebral palsy. Often there are about two or three teachers per class for primary and secondary schools, respectively (Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China, 2002). Support and resources for inclusive schools may include a resource room, shadow teachers for students who need more intensive support, and assistance from a special education resource centre in the school district.
To become a teacher in either regular or special education schools in China, all candidates need to first pass exams and hold the National Teachers’ Qualification Certificate. Special education teachers, and some special list teachers in mainstream schools (e.g., resource teachers) usually come from two approaches:
(1) studying a major of Special Education in teacher education colleges or universities; or
(2) studying a major other than Special Education in colleges or universities and receiving training in special education.
Nevertheless, to what extent general education teachers have access to training in special education and are equipped with the knowledge and skills to work with learners with disabilities such as IDD in mainstream settings remains under researched. In recent years, some universities in China have taken initiatives to train behavior analysts, speech language pathologists, physical therapists, and occupational therapists. A tendency to equip special education teachers with knowledge and skills in both special education and rehabilitation is emerging too. As of 2018, there was a total of 58700 special education teachers in China. |
