Budgeting for the education of children with disabilities varies considerably across the countries studied None of the case study countries has an integrated source of funding for all components of the system which are involved in educating this group of children
Brunei
In Brunei the Ministry of Education takes responsibility for the budget allocated to regular inclusive schools, which cater for the majority of children with disabilities, and are funded by the general education budget The Special Education Unit, which is responsible for support to children with disabilities in regular schools, and some aspects of training for teachers and head teachers from regular inclusive schools has a specially designated budget from within the ministry This is for administrative purposes, with access to a separate budget for special resources for use by children with special needs and the Special Educational Needs Teachers in the regular schools Schools can make requests from this budget
on an annual basis for equipment and additional teachers The Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports provides a budget for Centres which are attended by children with severe disabilities as well as by adults with disabilities These may be run by NGOs with funding support from the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports
Samoa
The Ministry of Education provides a budget for the inclusion of some children in Special Education Units attached to local primary schools This is a relatively new initiative The Ministry of Education budget incorporates expenses for additional special needs teachers within the standard allocations for teaching staff The Ministry of Education provides a separate special education budget to cover additional costs such as school visits and special teaching materials Budgeting for other Special Needs Education Units will be included in the future in the Corporate Services Division budget when the currently operating Special Needs Education Units are functioning well and others are opened Additional funds for accessibility will be included in the next ten-year plan School fees can also be used for this purpose The Ministry of Education provides support to NGO special schools by means of annual grants on the basis of the number of children enrolled
Thailand
Thailand spent 15 per cent of its national budget on education in 2002-3, and increased funding was approved for 2004-2006 The policy priority was to support and promote basic education, especially for
children in difficult circumstances and in inaccessible and disadvantaged groups. Within the Office of Basic
Education Commission (OBEC) there is a Special Education Division responsible for Special Schools, Special Education Centres and students with disabilities in regular schools in grades one-to-nine, and a Division for Disadvantaged Children which caters for children from poor families
The defined regular budget for the education of children with disabilities, allocated since 2000, comes from several sources The regular Ministry of Education budget supports Special Schools, Special Education Centres, and teachers and children with disabilities in regular schools A Special Government Lotteries Fund supplements the Ministry of Education allocation This fund covers the costs of Support teachers stationed at provincial Special Education Centres and the support needs, devices and materials identified for children who have been assessed and have an Individualized Education Plan developed either in a Special Education Centre, or in a regular school A coupon scheme entitles each child with an Individualized Education Plan to special support of 2,000 baht, five times the allocation given for each non-disabled child It is planned to extend this scheme throughout the country There is a budget allocation for special high-support programmes for children with severe disabilities A budget allocation to make schools accessible was awaiting ministerial regulation The NGO sector supports schools for the blind, deaf and intellectually impaired, and receives some Ministry of Education support
Viet Nam
The Central Ministry of Education and Training funding has no separate budgetary allocation for the education of children with disabilities in inclusive schools The majority, 70 per cent, of Ministry funding is decentralized and administered at provincial level, with delegation to districts and communes Eighty per cent of this budget is allocated for teacher’s salaries School fees were introduced in 1990, placing a heavy burden on many families Exemptions can be granted for poor families and families of children with disabilities Children with severe disabilities receive a 100 per cent reduction and other children with disabilities a 50 per cent reduction Fees are a strong disincentive for school attendance
Many children with disabilities are from poor families. In Vinc Tuong district near Hanoi it is estimated that 38 per cent of children with disabilities are from poor families, whereas only 2.7 per cent of all children are from poor families.
Viet Nam has received World Bank funding for the Fast Track Initiative established under the Dakar Framework for Action This does not include funding for disadvantaged children, or children with disabilities Additional sources of funding include NGO partnerships for pilot programmes on inclusive education, with international and regional partners such as Save the Children, Sweden, Plan International and others Community level funding consists of some small charities that provide protection for children with disabilities at commune level and pre-schools are financed at community level In July 2004 barrier-free access codes were included in legislation on accessibility There is no specific funding to make schools accessible but the law stipulates that newly built facilities should be built with accessible design
Recommendations for action by stakeholders
Government
Education policy for inclusive education should reflect an increased budget to include the actual costs of supporting the essential conditions which ensure quality education for all children This would include teacher training, staffing, maintenance and operational and support costs and accessibility
Ministries of education should identify inclusive education as a priority activity and it should be included in submissions to government for funding There should be an increased budgetary allocation when the education system is committed to progressively including all out of school children, including children with disabilities
Ministries of education should have a specific budget to address the needs of children with disabilities as a priority area, possibly under a broader budget for inclusive education generally
Governments should define essential budgetary requirements for the education of children with disabilities A budget should be allocated for making schools accessible for children with all kinds of disabilities, for teaching and learning aids, and for pre- and in-service training and on the job support Budget allocation should be based on accurate data on the number of children with disabilities, taking into account the type and severity of disability, and implications for the necessary support resources Financial support from the ministry to support the education of children with disabilities could be in coupon form for equipment and materials for each individual child
The Ministry of Education budget should be formulated in coordination with the budget for the Ministry of Higher Education, to ensure adequate resources for teacher education and training
Ministries of education and the relevant ministry concerned with finance should acknowledge qualifications in the area of special needs, inclusive education and education for children with disabilities for the purposes of promotion and financial remuneration
Governments and ministries of education must work to ensure that teachers are paid an adequate salary Ministries of education must work to address the basic personal and professional needs of teachers, thereby enabling them to focus adequately on the significant task of being a teacher of an inclusive class
The government should provide sponsorship and or scholarships to increase the number of teacher trainees to undertake specialist study to provide special needs support and education
Governments in countries with international donor engagement in education should negotiate with donors to include funding to make projects disability-friendly and disability inclusive Donor activities should be coordinated with educational priorities and governments should advocate for funding for the inclusion of children with disabilities
Government policy should include funds to ensure new school construction is in accordance with building codes on accessibility
A coordinated approach to resource allocation is needed, where funding comes from more than one source or multiple ministry budget lines
School
Schools should form close links with the community and encourage community participation in school and classroom activities