China to further boost special needs education in various stages

China's Ministry of Education, together with relevant authorities, has released an action plan to boost the development of special needs education, with the aim of reaching a 97 percent enrollment rate for school-age minors with disabilities in compulsory education by 2025.

Although the current enrollment rate for students with disabilities in compulsory education exceeds 95 percent, there remain issues such as a relatively weak foundation for special needs education and regional imbalances in the ratio of students with disabilities receiving compulsory education, according to the ministry.

With the major goal of basically building a high-quality system for special needs education by 2025, the action plan specifies efforts to prompt the development of special needs education during non-compulsory education stages, and efforts to broaden the opportunities for children and adolescents with disabilities to enroll in various stages of education.

Efforts will be made to improve inclusive education for students with disabilities, and to boost the integration of ordinary education, vocational education, medical rehabilitation and information technology with special needs education, according to the action plan.

It also outlines efforts to further improve the supporting mechanism for special needs education, along with increased financial investments for students with disabilities receiving compulsory education and a more professional teaching workforce in the field.