The Project to Develop Education Opportunities to Meet the Specific Needs of Children with Disabilities in Cambodia

Background

The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child states that children with a disability, no matter how severe, have a right to an education that promotes their fullest potential and their inclusion in society.

In Cambodia, a basic education is a luxury that many parents cannot afford for their children. Children with disabilities are particularly marginalised. There are a small number of special schools run by charitable organisations, and an unquantifiable number of children with disabilities are attending local regular schools, but there is currently no specific support provided to them or their teachers. However, the vast majority of children with disabilities are not receiving any education at all. The Project is seeking to address this problem.

Project Organisation

The DAC is coordinating this project in partnership with the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (MOEYS); and affiliated members of the DAC. The project began in September 1999 and is for a three-year period. It is funded by UNICEF, UNESCO and the Nippon Foundation.

Project's Vision and Activities

The Project aims to set Cambodia along the path towards inclusive education for all children with disabilities. Project activities are focused on three main areas:

• The development of national policy for including children with disabilities in mainstream education.
• Awareness-raising and the promotion of the right to education for children with disabilities in MOEYS and among the wider public.
• The development of teaching and training materials promoting and incorporating the needs of children with disabilities, for use in the national pre- and in-service teacher training courses and by other organisations working in education.

The Project takes a participatory approach to all its activities and is committed to capacity building and human resource development.

The Project has established two Children's Groups consisting of children and young adults with disabilities who help with the design and implementation of promotional activities. Teaching and training materials are developed by a working group which brings together project staff, skilled educators from the special schools, and MOEYS personnel. The Project works directly with the newly established MOEYS Special Education Office and provides on-the-job training to the MOEYS Disability Officer. It is envisaged that such an approach will enable the aims and objectives of the Project to become institutionalised within the Ministry of Education.

Past Achievements

• In June 2000, the Project held a major awareness-raising event in Phnom Penh. Key officials from the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Social Affairs joined representatives from NGOs, Special Schools, teachers, monks, children and the general public to enjoy a day of festivities to celebrate the abilities of children with disabilities. Children with disabilities were interviewed, and they performed traditional dances and sung songs to entertain the crowd.
• The Children's Group met and won the support of their Royal Highnesses King Norodom Sihanouk and Queen Monineath and later the Cambodian Prime Minister, Samdech Hun Sen.
• In November 2000, the Project took Ministry of Education staff to Laos to learn more about Inclusive Education from the highly successful programme there.
• Training materials have been developed for use with school inspectors and school principals.
• A pilot project was started in a rural location. The pilot project will aim to develop a model of inclusive educational practice which can be replicated across the country. Nine primary schools in Svay Rieng province are taking part in the pilot.
• In April 2001, the first national workshop on education for children with disabilities was held in Phnom Penh.

Future Plans

• Training will be given to all school inspector trainees at primary and secondary level.
• Training materials will be developed for inclusion into the national pre-service teacher training courses for primary level.
• A comprehensive report on the situation of children with disabilities in Cambodia will be produced and distributed to government, NGOs, Special Schools and other interested parties.
• A Policy Development Steering Committee will be established to develop a national policy for education for children with disabilities.
• A gradual handover of the project to the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport will take place.