Of 10,000 integrated students, nearly 8,000 are mentally disabled.

Ms. Tran Thi Hoai Nghi, homeroom teacher of Kim Dong Primary School (Go Vap District, Ho Chi Minh City) in her class. In the class, there are integrated students who participate in many meaningful activities with their friends.

This afternoon, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training held a conference to summarize the 2023-2024 school year and deploy tasks for the 2024-2025 school year for special education. The Department of Education and Training's report showed notable information.

More than 3,000 specialized students, of which more than 1,800 are mentally disabled

The city currently has 39 special education units; a total of 3,312 specialized students are studying at these special education units.

Of these, 2,703 students are studying in public institutions; 609 students are studying in non-public institutions. In the 2023-2024 school year, the city will have a total of 698 cadres, teachers and staff in special education units.

Among the specialized students, if divided by disability type, those with motor disabilities have the fewest students - only 46 students; those with intellectual disabilities have the largest number with 1,820 students (accounting for 54.95%).

Statistics table on specialized education in Ho Chi Minh City for the 2023-2024 school year

PHOTO: REPORT FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING OF HO CHI MINH CITY

Primary school integration students are the most numerous with 4,911 students.

According to the report of the Department of Education and Training of Ho Chi Minh City, in the 2023-2024 school year, the city has a total of 907 kindergartens, primary schools, secondary schools, and high schools implementing inclusive education. Of which, the number of primary schools implementing inclusive education is the largest, with 482 schools.

The whole city has 10,441 special students studying in integrated schools from kindergarten to high school, of which the most integrated primary school students are 4,911.

If divided by disability type, in the total of 10,441 integrated students, visually impaired students account for the smallest number with 160 students; while intellectually disabled students account for the largest number with a total of 7,996 students (76.58%).

In addition to visual disabilities; hearing and speech disabilities; motor disabilities; intellectual disabilities; neurological and mental disabilities, there are 735 integrated students in groups with other disabilities.

Statistical table of the number of disabled students studying in integrated schools from kindergarten to high school in Ho Chi Minh City in the 2023-2024 school year

PHOTO: REPORT FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING OF HO CHI MINH CITY

Concerns about only students with severe disabilities being granted special permission to graduate from high school

At the conference, Mr. Nguyen Bao Quoc, Deputy Director of the Department of Education and Training of Ho Chi Minh City, expressed his emotion when watching the performances by special students - students with disabilities studying at specialized schools in the city. Mr. Nguyen Bao Quoc highly appreciated the efforts of the units implementing special education tasks, the efforts of the teachers who have helped the students to make such progress, confidence and initiative.

Mr. Nguyen Bao Quoc, Deputy Director of the Department of Education and Training of Ho Chi Minh City, spoke at the conference.

According to Mr. Quoc, the number of disabled students studying integrated in public educational institutions increases every year. His concern is that Ho Chi Minh City currently has a policy of direct admission to public grade 10 for disabled students studying integrated. However, according to the high school graduation exam regulations, only students with extremely severe disabilities and those with severe disabilities are eligible for special high school graduation. "This is an issue that the education sector is struggling with and proposing adjustments in the near future," said the leader of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training.

Mr. Nguyen Bao Quoc suggested that in the coming time, special education units need to be more proactive in advising and proposing support for teaching equipment and facilities from the state budget; improve the quality of training and skills development for teachers teaching integrated students in general schools. In addition, Mr. Quoc hopes to have more support and close coordination from families, schools, and society with special education and integrated education to help students with disabilities develop comprehensively.

"To help children have the opportunity to rise up, the whole society needs to join hands to build a positive and suitable educational environment, always filled with love for children," Mr. Nguyen Bao Quoc shared.

Teachers at the conference to summarize the 2023-2024 school year and deploy tasks for the 2024-2025 school year for special education

Leaders of the Ho Chi Minh City education and training sector recognized that in the 2023-2024 school year, the work of caring for students with disabilities received attention from leaders at all levels, coordination from departments, sectors, organizations, and cooperation from parents, which brought positive results in early detection and intervention.

However, special education in Ho Chi Minh City still faces difficulties. Regarding facilities, some units have small classrooms, no playgrounds or playgrounds that are too small, limiting the organization of educational and training activities for students; there is no psychomotor room, causing difficulties in psychomotor therapy for children with disabilities; there is no complete set of textbooks for students with intellectual disabilities at primary level...

In addition, there are difficulties in human resources. The city is lacking motor therapists, physical therapists, and early intervention teachers, so the professional activities of specialized schools still face many limitations.

Other difficulties lie with parents. There are still parents who are not really interested in cooperating with the school in implementing the care and education program for students for many reasons such as economic difficulties, incorrect awareness... The number of students with multiple disabilities is large, the intellectual age of students is different, teachers spend a lot of time designing educational activities...

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/10000-hoc-sinh-hoc-hoa-nhap-thi-gan-8000-em-la-khuet-tat-tri-tue-185240925153141416.htm