Disability Day: The Dilemma of Choosing Special Schools Amidst Inclusive Education

On April 20, Disability Day, challenges faced by some parents considering special schools emerge, even in an era emphasizing 'inclusive education' where all students learn together. The choice of a special school can create situations where parents receive advice to stop their child's medication or starve them, due to pressure to prove the extent of their child's disability. Some parents even move near schools or resort to circumventing rules. Baek Hye-jin, mother of Siha, who suffers from schizencephaly, states that she has no choice but to consider special schools due to concerns about social discrimination in the current reality.

The number of students requiring special education is projected to increase by approximately 23%, from 98,154 in 2021 to 120,735 in 2025, widening the gap between schools and students. There are currently 196 special schools operating nationwide.

Current inclusive education is criticized for focusing too much on physical integration. There is anxiety that children with disabilities are not adequately protected due to educational programs and school operations that are relatively student-centered for those without disabilities. While Joo Eun-sun, a lawyer at the public interest law firm Duru, states that inclusive education is the direction society should move towards, she points out that inclusive education in Korea is closer to simply bringing students together physically, making it difficult to respond when problems arise.

Consequently, parents have begun demanding the establishment of more special schools. Lee Eun-sun, head of the Special School Association at the Seoul Association of Parents with Disabilities, stated that absolutely increasing the number of special schools is not the answer, and that it is urgent to establish mechanisms for inclusive education for persons with disabilities within an exam-oriented educational environment.

The UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities recommends that countries phase out special schools. Baek Seon-young, who is raising a child with an intellectual disability, commented that simply increasing special schools without considering the alternatives or properly implementing inclusive education means abandoning efforts to improve inclusive education. She added that a fundamental question needs to be asked about why inclusive education is not being properly implemented in practice.