"Students with Disabilities in an Equal Classroom"…Lee Yong-chang, Incheon City Council Member, Passes Ordinance to Strengthen 'Inclusive Education'

The institutional framework for guaranteeing the right to education for students with special educational needs in the Incheon area is expected to become more robust. This is because the support system for 'inclusive education', which allows students with disabilities to interact with their peers in regular schools without discrimination, has been concretised.

According to the Incheon City Council's Education Committee on the 29th, the 'Partial Amendment to the Incheon Metropolitan City Office of Education Special Education Promotion Ordinance', proposed by Council Member Lee Yong-chang (People Power Party, Seo-gu 2), passed the relevant standing committee's review as originally drafted.

The core of this amendment is to solidify 'inclusive education' so that special education recipients are not isolated in regular school settings.

Firstly, the ordinance clearly defines the roles of the education superintendent and school principals in relation to inclusive education. Additionally, it mandates that the basic plan for promoting special education must include measures for the smooth operation of inclusive education, the operation of special education support centres, and support measures for special education recipients and their families, thereby enhancing its enforceability.

Beyond simple policy formulation, a basis for practical environmental improvements has also been established. It specifies that the education superintendent can promote facility enhancement projects for the mobility of special education recipients and expand related service support initiatives.

The passage of this ordinance is seen as a result of Council Member Lee's emphasis on 'field-centred governance'. He has been directly listening to the difficulties faced in the field, such as promising to strengthen support for students with disabilities during his visit to Seohui School, a special school, last March.

Lee Yong-chang stated, "We must minimise the inconveniences faced by students with special educational needs in school settings and create an environment where they can receive education tailored to their individual characteristics and needs," adding, "I hope this ordinance amendment serves as a stepping stone to elevate the conditions for special education in Incheon."

He further stated, "I will continue to do my utmost to ensure institutional improvements to make Incheon a city of education where students with disabilities and their parents can feel safe and want to stay."