Factors impacting on social inclusion of children with disabilities in school settings: Research in the Vietnamese context

kham 8:00 AM

This abstract has been submitted to and approved by HDR forum in UniSA. My presentation will be delivered from 10:00AM to 10:30AM, 6 August 2011 in H Building, Magill Campus.

Abstract:

Social inclusion has been a significant process acknowledged in most legal documents and social movements in Vietnam. It creates more chances for supporting people with disabilities (PWD) in general, and children with disabilities (CWD) in particular in their daily life (Ministry of Labors, Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA) 2004; Le Bach Duong, Khuat Thu Hong & Nguyen Duc Vinh 2008).

A number of specific measures have been applied in order to realise the goal of social inclusion. These include special and mainstream policies on education, health care, financial supports, increasing social attitudes and practice toward CWD. However, CWD still face many barriers, from social attitudes to environmental restrictions, from their own negative attitudes for the future inclusion as well as self-discrimination. They experience such difficulties daily, not only at home but also in school and in communities (MOLISA 2004; The United Nation on Children Funds (UNICEF) & MOLISA 2005, 2009; UNICEF & MOLISA 2011). An understanding of such factors is critical for promoting social inclusion of CWD in their life.

From surveys, interviews and observations in five primary and secondary mainstream schools in Hanoi, Vietnam, it is found that the impacting factors originated from CWD themselves, teachers, children with non-disabilities (CWND) and school systems. These factors are: (i) Teachers lack knowledge and skills on teaching and working with CWD and CWND; (ii) CWND normally stated that they have an open mind on playing with CWD, but in practice there is significant gap between CWD and CWND playing together, as well as on supporting and making relationships; (iii) School systems have been changed positively but there is limited investment for accessible spaces, facilities and professional supports for CWD in learning and in-academic activities; and (iv) CWD find it hard to overcome their difficulties and become self-isolated within their groups in both learning and out-of-school activities.

Following an identification of these factors, suggestions are made for changing policies on education and support, on attitudes to disability and on promoting more professional supports (school social working, counselling and living skills) for CWD in order to deal with such barriers in schools.

Key words: Social inclusion, Vietnam, disability,children with disabilities, inclusive education

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