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Education for all has been and continues to be a priority for Bhutan. Recognizing a gap in special education, the Bhutan Foundation works in collaboration with the Ministry of Education’s Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) and Special Education Needs (SEN) Division to enhance educational opportunities for children with special needs. The program supports 12 public schools across Bhutan, mainly in building capacity for teachers and providing teaching/learning materials and resources to enable children with disabilities to succeed in the classroom. This program focuses on the largest percentage of students requiring help, which is the group of students with mild-to-moderate learning difficulties.
Supporting Schools that Provide Access to Education for Children with Special Needs
The Bhutan Foundation’s Special Education Program started in 2008 in collaboration with the Ministry of Education. Over the last seven years, the program has increased the capacity of Bhutanese teachers to provide assistance to children with special needs, 12 schools have been identified by the Ministry of Education to provide these services throughout the country, a US Special Education Advisory Committee has been established, and the Ministry of Education has drafted a National Special Education Policy for the country. These accomplishments have been possible through the support and hard work of our partners on the ground, the Ministry of Education, and supporters and donors of the program who have provided pro-bono technical assistance and advice for the project. As the program continues to grow for Bhutan with more children identified and increased awareness, more challenges lay ahead to address the children’s needs.
September 7, 2023
June 21, 2023
May 8, 2023
We support a full set of materials for schools with the SEN program.
We are working with fifteen youth with disabilities in imparting multimedia skills
Four local CSOs provide services for individuals with disabilities.
The Bhutan Foundation works with local and international partners to create awareness and improve the lives of individuals with disabilities in Bhutan through our programs in educational services in public schools and transition. The success of our programs would not be possible without the support of our international partners and, in particular, our partners on the ground who are implementing the programs. Our international partners include Perkins International and Anderson Center for Autism, and our local partners include the Ministry of Education, ECCD and Special Education Division, Draktsho Vocational Training Center for Special Children and Youth, Ability Bhutan Society, Disabled Persons' Association of Bhutan, and Phensem Parent Support Group.
The Bhutan Foundation seeks support for education for children with disabilities to succeed in their schools and then to transition to live an independent life. All donations will go toward training teachers and social workers, assisting students with disabilities to learn in the most effective ways, and providing assistive devices and teaching resources for the local public schools. Please help us improve the quality and access to education for children with disabilities in Bhutan.