Reforming Special Education Policy in China: Prospects and Possibilities

The benefits to society of inclusion are well documented for students with disabilities and those who do not have a learning difference. Strong friendships, an appreciation and acceptance of those who are different, and learning to help others succeed are among the reasons inclusion is required by law in most western countries. This paper is concerned primarily with assessing the feasibility of increasing access to education for primary and secondary students in China with special needs. China’s special education system has made tremendous strides since 1949 but still lags behind the west in terms of access to education for students with disabilities. While there are many studies on the benefits of special education, we know little on how China could move to such a system.  Research examining how a policy shift would be implemented at the “street-level” within Chinese schools and what barriers this process would face is needed.