PUNJAB SPECIAL EDUCATION POLICY 2020

PUNJAB SPECIAL EDUCATION POLICY ?2020

SPECIAL EDUCATION DEPARTMENT GOVERNMENT OF THE PUNJAB

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Table of Contents

Abbreviations and Acronyms .................................................................................... 4 Executive Summary .................................................................................................... 5 Section 1: Introduction ............................................................................................... 7 Section 2: Vision, Mission and Core Values ............................................................. 9 Section 3: Policy Objectives, Commitments and Scope ........................................ 10

3.1 Policy objectives ........................................................................................... 10 3.2 Commitments................................................................................................ 10 3.3 Scope of the policy ....................................................................................... 10 Section 4: Situation Analysis ................................................................................... 11 4.1 Background ....................................................................................................... 11

4.1.1 Data on Special Educational Needs and Disabilities .............................. 12 4.1.2 Enrolment .............................................................................................. 13 4.1.3 Gender .................................................................................................. 14 4.2 Current structure and services ...................................................................... 14 4.3 Budgetary constraints ................................................................................... 17 4.3.1 Budgetary allocations .................................................................................. 17 Section 5: National and International Obligations .................................................. 20 5.1Special education in Constitution, Provincial legislation, and National Policies ... 20 5.1.1 The Constitutional and legal space ........................................................ 20 5.1.2 National Education Policies ................................................................... 20 5.2 International Obligations ............................................................................... 21 UNCRPD................................................................................................................. 22 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)........................................................... 22 Section 6: Special Education Policy: The three pillars .......................................... 24 6.1 Definitions and classification of disabilities .................................................... 24 6.2 Policy shift .................................................................................................... 24 6.3 Pillar one: Strengthening Governance and Institutional Capacity of SpED......... 25 6.3.1 Issues and constraints ........................................................................... 25 6.3.2 Policy actions......................................................................................... 26 6.4 Pillar two: Increasing Access of Children with SEND to Education................ 27 6.4.1 Issues and constraints ........................................................................... 27 6.4.2 Policy actions......................................................................................... 27 6.5 Pillar three: Improving Quality of Special Education ...................................... 29

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6.5.1 Issues and constraints ........................................................................... 29 6.5.2 Policy actions......................................................................................... 30 Section 7: Implementing the Policy ......................................................................... 32 7.1 Departmental resources to undertake implementation .................................. 32 7.1.1 Technical expertise available to SpED ................................................... 32 7.1.2 System strengthening ............................................................................ 32 7.2 Important stakeholders in government and non-governmental domain ......... 33 7.3 Implementation framework............................................................................ 33 7.4 Timeframe .................................................................................................... 34 Annex 1: Details of Budget by District (2018-2019) ................................................ 35

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Abbreviations and Acronyms

ADP ASER CBO CRC GEM M&E MICS MIS MPDD NGO NSER PMIU PVTC PWDs SED SEND SDGs SpED TEVTA UC UN UNCRPD WASH

Annual Development Plan Annual Status of Education Report Community Based Organisations Convention on the Rights of Child Global Education Monitoring Monitoring and Evaluation Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey Management Information System Management and Professional Development Department Non-Governmental Organisation National Socio-Economic Registry Programme Monitoring and Implementation Unit Punjab Vocational Training Council Persons with Disabilities School Education Department Special Educational Needs and Disability Sustainable Development Goals Special Education Department Technical Education and Vocational Training Authority Union Council United Nations UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Water, Sanitation and Hygiene

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Executive Summary

For a long time, disability has been conceived of as a stigma and people have thought of psychological, physiological and anatomical disorders as an individual pathology. This Policy is a paradigm shift from a medical model to a social model of disability. It emphasises on the social inclusion, rehabilitation and economic empowerment of persons with disabilities (PWDs) to make them productive and respected citizens. PWDs are often one of the most marginalised groups within society and experience discrimination at all levels. This is not a unique phenomenon to Pakistan as PWDs experience exclusion in almost all societies. PWDs make up 13.4 %1 of the total population of Pakistan, accounting for approximately 28 million people. According to the Punjab Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) 17.9 percent of all children between the ages of 5 to17 in the province have one or more functional disabilities.2 Therefore, provision of high-quality education for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) is a challenge for the Special Education Department (SpED). To address this challenge, SpED has formulated its first ever policy.

SpED is responsible for imparting education to children with SEND. It provides educational, psychological and rehabilitative services to children with disabilities in an enabling environment. In 1983-84, the Directorate of Special Education was established as attached department of the Education Department. SpED was established as an independent department in 2003. Prior to the establishment of SpED, there were 51 special education institutions catering to 4,265 students. Since the establishment of SpED, the number of institutions has risen to 294, catering to over 32,345 students. The increased number of institutions and students under SpED's mandate has made it imperative to formulate this Policy to ensure that the educational needs of children with SEND are fully met.

The policy has been formulated on the basis of detailed research, a series of consultative sessions with teachers, parents, students, officials of line departments, and civil society organisations working on the education of children with SEND. The purpose of the policy is to ensure that all children with SEND have access to quality education which meets their specific needs, maximises their strengths and abilities, and provides them with the best preparation for adult life.

The initiatives described in this policy address immediate challenges of access, equity, quality, stigma, discrimination, skills, environment and poverty faced by PWDs. A special emphasis has been made to understand the concept of SEND, classification of disabilities and their functionality in the socio-economic environment of the Punjab. The classification of disabilities provides a guiding framework for stakeholders to categorise disabilities into four : i) Mild, ii) Moderate, iii) Severe and iv) Profound. The policy outlines the role of SpED in meeting the needs of children with severe and profound disabilities. Integration of children with mild to moderate disabilities is the responsibility of School Education Department (Inclusive Education).

The policy contains three pillars: a) Strengthening Governance and Institutional Capacity of SpED; b) Increasing access of children with SEND to education; and, c) Improving Quality of Special Education. Under each Policy objective, SpED commits to reassess, improve, upgrade and deliver quality education and skills to children and youth with SEND. Policy actions under each of the above pillars will promote the fundamental right to education for

1World Health Organisation (2011). World report on disability 2011. 2 Bureau of Statistics Planning and Development Board Government of the Punjab Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 2017-18. UNICEF, UNICEF

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