The Beijing Municipal Education Commission in conjunction with six other departments recently made known improvement plans for Beijing's special education system, requiring each district to establish a school providing 15-year special education spanning kindergarten through senior high school by 2025. Such schools will be equipped with enough special education teachers in accordance with the education stages and directions.

[Photo via VCG]

Beijing will continue to build high-performing teams of special education teachers. In each district's open recruitment of teachers for primary and secondary schools and kindergartens, more special education teachers will be recruited with continuously improved welfare for them.

The city will provide more opportunities for students with disabilities to enroll in ordinary senior high schools. Students with disabilities who are willing and able to receive ordinary senior high school education are welcome to apply for admission at the locations nearest to their places of residence, with convenient services for their participation in  junior and senior high school academic proficiency examinations with reference to relevant rules concerning college entrance examinations. Moreover, the city will strive to develop secondary vocational education for disabled persons and promote career planning and guidance services for students with disabilities. Higher education institutions will be encouraged to establish separate examination and admission policies for students with disabilities and give full play to their advantages in disciplines and specialties for the development of disability-inclusive higher education.

In addition, Beijing will continue to optimize the cross-district allocation of high-quality special education resources, encouraging core areas' special education schools to provide targeted assistance for special education schools in urban development new areas and ecological conservation areas.

(Source: Xinhua News)