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Vietnam
Children with disabilities get access
to education through community support
The Vietnamese experience in improving the situation
of disabled children through inclusive education
suggest that community participation is part and
parcel of endeavor. Since the early 1980’s,
community-based support for children with disabilities
was viewed as an integral part of programming.
Between 1992 and 1996, a community-based nonprofit
organization Catholic Relief Services (CRS) worked
with Vietnam’s education ministry in piloting
small projects to model and promote inclusion
in pre-schools, primary schools, and vocational
training institutes. In 1995, CRS began to explore
ways to expand inclusive education with support
from USAID and MOET. They worked on refining teacher
training models and developing community models
to strengthen inclusive education by linking education,
health, and community support groups, such as
women’s and youth unions. Linking groups
and supporting them with technical input contributed
to a rapid spread of interest in inclusive education.
At
the community level, Community Steering Committees
(CSCs) of local leaders, teachers and health officials
provided guidance and support to mobilise community
involvement, organise local training, and engage
in advocacy. The committees were took it upon
itself to secure adaptive equipment (eg, wheelchairs,
walkers) and provide tuition assistance for the
disabled children and their families.
These committees and classroom teachers also developed
a Circle of Friends programme for children to
help their disabled peers to and from school,
and in their academic and social activities. Circle
of Friends is an activity established in all classrooms
with children with disabilities, which provides
peer support in emotional, academic, social and
physical development. More children with disabilities
began to complete primary school.
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