Special Education in Australia and China

曾智

摘要：This thesis attempts to explore the policies and development of special education in both Australia and China including the progress achieved so far and the problems encountered. It introduces the history of special education in Australia and China. In addition， the relevant legislation and policy reforms that are relevant to people with disabilities are provided.

關(guān)鍵詞：Special Education; Australia; China

I.Special Education in Australia

The origins of special education in Australia could be traced back to 1811 when the first public institution for people with intellectual disability was established in New Norfolk in Tasmania. The institution later became part of the Royal Derwent Hospital. It took another 70 years before the first special school was opened for students with disabilities in 1880.

There are three educational systems within each jurisdiction that provide educational services to students with disability in Australia. These are public， Catholic， and independent school systems. In 2009， 66% of all students attended public schools. Most jurisdictions use a two-stage system of determining how students with disabilities be funded. At the first stage， it is determined whether a student is eligible to receive funding under the state disability programs. A categorical approach is used in determining the eligibility （e.g.， students with intellectual disability， visual impairment）. At the second stage， the extent of support required for the student is determined based on the educational needs of the student.

There are slight variations in each of the federal states with regard to eligibility for funding under state disability programs. In the state of Victoria， seven categories of disability are funded and these are： intellectual disability， hearing impairment， vision impairment， mobility impairment， autism spectrum disorder， language and communication impairment， and social emotional impairment.

Australia ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities （CRPD） in 2008. The strategy will play an important role in protecting， promoting and realizing the human rights of persons with disabilities. It will help ensure that the principles that underpin the Convention are incorporated into policies and programmes that affect persons with disabilities and their families and caregivers. It will help Australia to assume reporting responsibility under the Convention.

The Strategy covers six policy areas：

· Inclusive and accessible communities

· Rights protection， justice and legislation

· Economic security

· Personal and community support

· Learning and skills

An essential part of this ten year Strategy is the engagement of people with disability in the further development， implementation and monitoring of progress. In particular， the first year of the Strategy will provide opportunities for people with disability， their families and carers， policy makers， service providers， unions， business and community members to work together on the best ways to implement the Strategy and work towards the 2020 vision.

II.Special Education in China

Those who understand China's special education use the foundation of the Republic of China in 1949 as the beginning of special education services in the country. At that time， the School of the Blind and Deaf was established. However， it was not until 1980 that teacher training for special educators began， and until the 1990s when teacher training institutions were required to offer special education courses. Despite this late start in special education compared with many western nations， China does have a history with regard to the acknowledgement of people with disabilities.

There are some important laws that have influenced the development of special education in China. In 1982， the newly revised Chinese Constitution stipulated the state's responsibility for the education of disabled people. Until the National People's Congress passed the 1986 Compulsory Education Law of the People's Republic of China， all children are obliged to enjoy nine years of free public education - six years of primary education and three years of secondary education. Special schools are organized for children with vision， hearing and mental disorders. In 1990， the Law on the Protection of Persons with Disabilities emphasized that families， work units and community organizations must share responsibility for caring for persons with disabilities. In 1994， the Regulations on the Education of Persons with Disabilities reinforced the law， which required a qualification system for special education teachers. Furthermore， the Teachers’ Law of the People’s Republic of China and the Education Law of the People’s Republic of China both call for offering educational undertakings for individuals with disabilities.

As a result of the previously mentioned laws， and the obvious western influence over time， the face of special education is much different today. China is attempting to do much more in the way of educating children with disabilities. China now recognizes six classes of disability： visual， hearing， intellectual， psychiatric and multiple impairments. At present， three categories of disability are being served in the regular education setting： visually impaired， hearing impaired， and mental retardation.

A much larger challenge that Australia and China are facing may be the lack of instructional quality and accountability with regard to students with exceptional needs. In essence both Australia and China need to recognize that improved educational services and supports for people with disabilities are ultimately going to benefit Australia as a whole not just people with disabilities.