1. INCLUSIVE EDUCATION IN CAMBODIA: PRACTICES AND INITIATIVES; 2nd Annual Forum of SEAMEO Member countries and Associate Member; Danang City, Viet Nam, October, 2011
Mr. Un Siren,
Vice Chief of Special Education Office (SEO),
Primary Education Department (PED)
Ministry of Education Youth and Sport (MoEYS)
Kingdom of Cambodia

2. Outline
I-International and National Standards and Policy Framework II-Ministry Initiative and Provisions III-Best Practices IV-Challenges V-Future Directions VI-Conclusion

3. I-International and National Standards and Policy Framework
International context:
Royal Government of Cambodia is signatory to
and has expressed support for:
2008 UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD)
2006 Bangkok Statement on Achieving Rights-based

4. Education for All by 2015 2003 Biwako Millennium Framework for Action
1994 Salamanca Statement on Special Needs Education
Education for All by 2015
In Cambodia includes all traditionally excluded and vulnerable groups, such as girls, poor children, children from ethnic and linguistic minorities, children with disabilities, children living in remote areas, and orphaned, sick or trafficked children etc.

5. National Policy Framework:
Constitution
Education Law, 2007
Law on the Protection and the Promotion
of Rights of Persons with Disabilities, 2009
National Policy and Master Plan on
Education for Children with Disabilities, 2008/2009
National Plan of Action for Persons with Disabilities, including Landmine Survivors 2009

6. Education Law
Article 39 (Rights of disabled learners) states that disable learners have the same rights as able learners and have separate special rights:
Disabled learners of either sex have the right to study with able learners if there is sufficient facilitation in the study process
Disabled learners who are not able to learn with able learners, even with facilitation, have separate special classes at community schools in their locality.

7. Law on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
Ministry of Education should encourage disabled students to be in regular education classrooms and integrated classrooms (Article 28) and students with appropriate supports (Article 29)

8. II-Ministry Initiative and Provisions
CFS Policy was approved in March, 2007
School Mapping Policy was approved in 2007
Policy was approved in March, 2008
Master Plan was approved in September, 2009

9. -National Policy on Education of CWD, 2008
Increase awareness and acceptance of disabilities among communities, relevant institutions and stakeholders
Provide early identification and intervention to all children with disabilities from birth to five years
Provide quality education, life skills for disabilities equitably and effectively
Increase enrollment, promotion and survival rates in schools

10. -National Plan of Action for Persons with Disabilities, including Landmine Survivors 2009 (NPA)
NPA for PWDs, Landmine
Survivors was approved in 2009
(Part 4: Psychological support and social reintegration)
Raising communities awareness of disabilities
Improving access for CWDs in schools
Teachers/trainers training on Inclusive Education
Inclusive educational services for deaf and blind
Increase the uptake of sport by PWDs

11. Provision: Integrated Classrooms

12. Extent of Inclusive in Schools

13. Special Education Services
Limited educational services for children with disabilities began in mid-1990s as special schools
All run by NGOs
Rabbit School

14. III-Best Practices
Focus on integrated and inclusive classes instead of special schools through teachers training
Awareness-raising and dissemination of information on inclusive education for children with disabilities
Media campaigns on disability awareness raising and prevention: brochures, TV, radio spots and P posters

15. Prevalence study for identification and referral of out of school children, including children with disabilities.
Determine prevalence of out of school children, including CWDs
Develop systematic process of data collection in EMIS for planning purposes

16. Focus on Inclusive and Integrated Classes through Teacher Training
Training teachers on basic IE
Developing specialized curriculum with NGOs

17. IV-Challenges
Critical shortage of teachers in regular education affects availability of qualified teachers trained in inclusive education or in specialized courses
Limited financial resources: Some schools either have no ramps or accessible toilets or the ramps are not built to universal design specifications.

18. V-Future Directions Specialized courses
Systematic identification and referral of CWD
Awareness-Raising and Attitude Change

19. VI-Conclusion Some constraint: Families cooperation
Shortage of resources
High number of PWDs
Ministry strategies:
IE program
Reaching the un-reached
Collaboration

20. Inclusive Education in Cambodia: Practices and Initiatives
Thank you
Inclusive Education in Cambodia:
Practices and Initiatives