Experts discuss improving special education
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AN INTERNATIONAL conference in Bangkok concluded yesterday with the hope that it has established links among Asean academics and created innovative methods to meet the needs of students.
A report, produced jointly by the World Health Organisation (WHO), suggests that more than a billion people or over 15 per cent of the world population suffer some sort of disability.
“It is also estimated that some 16.5 million people or about 2.64 per cent of the population in Southeast Asia have some sort of disability,” Education Minister Narong Pipatanasai said at the conference’s opening ceremony on Wednesday.
The event, launched by Deputy Prime Minister Yongyuth Yutthawong and held at the Vayupak Convention Centre, attracted more than 1,700 representatives from 30 countries, including the 10 Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organisation (SEAMEO).
The theme of the conference was “Innovation to Enhance Learning Initiatives and Practices”.
The conference, jointly organised by SEAMEO, the SEAMEO Regional Centre for Special Education (SEMEO SEN) and the Office of Basic Education Commission, aimed to raise awareness regarding challenges faced by children with special needs in the learning environment of the Kingdom.
“The conference aims to respond to the need to provide education that addresses the rise and sustainability of the Asean region in order to strengthen human-resource development efforts, promote people’s mobility and prepare our children to become a skilled workforce for the future,” Yongyuth said.
The deputy prime minister added that the government was committed to reducing social inequality and promoting sustainability in order to move towards a better society, while he encouraged future collaborations to help contribute to the sustainable development of society.
Narong, meanwhile, pointed to WHO’s recent warning that the number of people with disabilities would rise in the next decade. He said available reports suggest that persons with disabilities tend to be neglected and lack many opportunities, including equal rights to education.
“This event aims to promote collaboration among Asean countries on providing equal opportunity to quality education, especially for students with special needs, in an inclusive, barrier-free and right-based society,” he said.
