INCLUSION
3. Laws, Plans, Policies and Programmes
6. Teachers and Support Personnel
Inclusive education
Despite the use of the expression, an explicit definition has not been found.
Special education needs
Despite the use of the expression, an explicit definition has not been found.
Education for persons with disabilities occurs in special education. Special education needs institutions, such as therapeutic pedagogic kindergartens and special schools, have been reported to have led to segregation and exclusion of girls and boys with disabilities. At present, there are six special schools located in the capital city Ulaanbaatar: four for children with mental disabilities, one for children with visual impairments, and one for children with hearing impairments. Special schools for the Blind and the Deaf accommodate learners from rural areas; however, many families decide to not send their young children to the capital city, Ulaanbaatar, and separate the children from their social environment.
Domestic migration has created overload in the main cities. This made necessary to provide education in different shift. Furthermore, children who are defined as non-belonging to and out of enrolment district cannot attend schools, and dropouts have increased.
For children from herding families, who move across the vast territory of Mongolia, dormitories have been considered a valid solution. In the 2012-2013 school year, there were 502 dormitories, out of which over 90 percent were children of herding families.
In 2017, a project financed by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has planned to construct or expand five schools and 12 kindergartens in low-income and poorly served districts of Ulaanbaatar, namely Bayanzurkh and Songinokhairkhan, the main destinations of internal rural migrants. Other schools are expected to be built in the districts of Bayangol, Chingeltei, Khan-Uul, Nalaikh, and Sukhbaatar and in aimag centers of Altai, Darkhan, Sainshand, and Sumber, which have large classes and are forced to implement up to three-shift classes. The project supported by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Science and Sports (MECSS) targets about 11,000 primary and secondary students and 4,500 pre-primary students enrolled in the newly constructed or expanded schools and kindergartens.
The 1992 Constitution of Mongolia, as amended in 2001, prohibits any form of discrimination on the basis of ethnic origin, language, race, age, sex, social origin and status, property, occupation and position, religion, opinion and education (art. 14.2) and lays down the right to education to every citizens (art. 16.7). The right to obtain education at all levels and to receive free general education is reiterated in the 2002 Law on Education, last amended in 2012 (art.6). The Law states that education must be free, accessible and variable adjusted to the individual and development needs (art. 5.1.3).
Within this legal framework, the Policy on Education 2014-2024 intends to establish a comprehensive education system to support all citizens in education, encouraging lifelong learning based on national common values. The Master Plan to Develop Education in Mongolia 2006-2015, approved by the decision No.192 of 2006, clearly states its intention to make education provision accessible and inclusive at all levels and territories by creating the same opportunities for rural and socially disadvantaged groups. More recently, in 2018, the Government of Mongolia, the Government of Japan and Save the Children signed a Memorandum of Understanding to implement a project, aiming at promoting inclusive education and focusing on the children left behind. Among its objectives, the project intends to create an Inclusive education system in regular schools, to strengthen the structure and capacity of lifelong learning centers, reach out to out-of-school children and to institutionalize successful practices of inclusive education by enhancing inclusive education coordination mechanism
Disability
The 2006 Law on social security of persons with disabilities defined the services for and rights of the group, including access to education and vocational skill trainings, and prohibited the denial of enrollment in any educational and vocational institutions because of disabilities. After the ratification of UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) in 2009, the 2016 Law on the Human Rights of Persons with Disabilities expands the education rights of the persons with disabilities, providing them with the opportunity to obtain education with their peers (art.14.1) and the possibility to be included in regular education institutions at all levels (art.14.3.1). Informed by the principles of non-discrimination, and full and equal participation, it further mandates the national central authorities to provide inclusive education for children and youth with disabilities, “regardless of gender, location, social and economic background” and to align the national curriculum to their needs (art.14.3.2).
In education, the 2002 Law on Education, last amended in 2012, reaffirms the right of persons with disabilities to have equal education opportunities, while the 2008 Law on Preschool education allows children with mild disability to be enrolled in regular kindergartens, up to two children per group (art. 9.10). In order to create favorable conditions, higher education fees are covered by the state. The 2002 Law on Higher Education encourages the enrollment of students with disabilities through distance and part-time attendance.
As a matter of policy, the 2004 Child-friendly School Policy was adopted with the aim to increase the quality and efficacy of education provision for needs of children with disabilities by providing, among other, opportunities for equal learning through special support and assistance. Learning modules were developed at school level and national training organized focusing on equal opportunity and learning-friendly environment at school.
The Master Plan to Develop Education in Mongolia 2006-2015 outlines, among its activities, specific actions for children with disabilities in order to provide them with comprehensive inclusive education, such as early and ongoing needs assessment, additional learning support and assistance for professionals. At primary and secondary education, it reiterates the intention to enroll children and youth with disabilities in regular schools, while at early childhood education level, it aims to formulate specialized policy. More recently, the Action Plan of the Government of Mongolia for 2016-2020 calls for the creation of adequate conditions to enable children with disabilities to study together with their peers. Within this policy framework, the 2017/A/321 programme to support the rights, participation and development of persons with disabilities was approved by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Science and Sports (MECSS), the Ministry of Health (MH) and the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare (MLSW).
To support the priorities set out in the Mongolia Sustainable Development Vision 2030 and Action Program for 2016–2020 for the education sector, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) financed a project in 2017 aims to provide equal, inclusive, and practical educational services, allowing every child in urban areas to enroll in a kindergarten. It further intends to address the issue of over-enrollment and eliminate three shifts in schools and has planned to introduce a system of quality management at all levels of education.
Gender
The 2011 Law on Promotion of Gender Equality (LPGE) lays legal foundations for equal gender rights. It ensures equal rights also in the sphere of education and culture, in particular in terms of receiving equal opportunities to obtain pre-school, primary, secondary, vocational, and higher education, to be enrolled in a professional training and re-training, and to receive a scholarship, and technical counseling (art.12.1). Gender discrimination is not admitted but differentiations are made in the case of education provision designed to cater for the specific needs of one particular sex (art. 6.5.1) and for the recruitment of certain workers, such as in pre-school education institutions (art.6.5.6). To implement the LGPE, a Mid-Term Strategy and Action Plan on the Implementation of the Law of Mongolia on Promotion of Gender Equality 2013-2016 aims to mainstream gender across sectoral policies.
Ethnic and linguistic groups
According to art. 8 of the Constitution of Mongolia, national minorities have the right to use their native languages to learn and communicate. The 2002 Law on Education, as amended in 2006, permits the use of the local language for communicating in the school environment (art. 30.1.12). In Mongolia, Kazakh and Tuvan people are considered ethnic minorities. They have the right to free access pre-primary and primary education in their mother tongue. Special quotas are reserved to Tuvan students to access higher education in national higher education institutions.
The 2017 ADB project includes activities that promote education among indigenous people, for instance, by improving textbooks and other teaching and learning materials in Kazakh language, developing standards and gender and ethnic diversity sensitive criteria and by providing tailored training programmes for the education of managers and teachers.
People living in rural or remote areas
Urban and rural, downtown and outskirt districts report disparity in terms of access to primary and secondary education. The ESP 2006-2015 is committed to addressing these disparities occurring in conditions and possibilities to obtain education services by creating multi-optional services for children in rural areas and children from very poor families, for instance, family-centered, mobile and seasonal early childhood education service in rural areas.
Rural to urban migration has brought along overcrowded schools in the city suburbs hampering education access and challenging the quality of education provision. Domestic migration is expected to be taken into consideration in educational policy and planning.
Poverty
Since 2000, several measures have been undertaken by the country to reduce the burden of education expenses on poor households. The costs of dormitories, the distribution of textbooks, and the provision of school uniforms and learning tools have been covered. As stated by the 2002 Law on Education, residing in school dormitories in secondary and vocational training centers is free of charge (art.43.2).
Starting from 2004, the Child Money programme, for example, has issued monthly education grant for poor households with more than three children. A School Lunch programme has been implemented since 2006 as incentive to reduce absenteeism and school dropout in primary school. The ESP 2006-2015 intends to expand the programmes, in particular to support rural and peripheral areas.
In 2003, an Inclusive Education Unit was set up under the Ministry of Education, Culture, Science and Sports (MECSS). A committee was established to enhance collaboration with the Ministries of Health and the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare (MLSW) for promoting inclusive education initially at the pre-school level, later extended to primary level.
As regards gender, the National Committee on Gender Equality (NCGE) was established in 2005 under the Prime Minister’s leadership to coordinate the gender equality policies across ministries at the national level. With the adoption and implementation of the 2011 Law on Promotion of Gender Equality, its roles and responsibilities were redefined to strengthen inter-sectoral coordination.
Run by the MECSS, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and the MLSW, the implementation of the National Programme on Inclusive Education for Children with Disabilities 2003-2008 has marked a shift in the approach towards inclusive education, involving multiple actors, from international non-governmental organization, such as Save the Children UK, and schools and communities, including the Association of Parents with Disabled Children (APDC). A bilateral cooperation with Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA) followed in 2006-2012. Currently, UNICEF Mongolia is collaborating with the MECSS on an inclusive education policy document with the goal to expand the provision of quality education for children with disabilities in regular schools.
Infrastructure
According to the standards BD 31-04 on planning building, design standards for persons with disabilities are required. The Law on Construction reiterates the commitment to take into account the special needs of persons with disabilities (art. 9.1.3 and art.10.1.3). The Law on Education also states that building and construction, technical tools and equipment of education institutions must meet specific requirements in order to cater for the special needs of all learners.
Curriculum and learning materials
A curriculum for special needs education was approved in 2005, implemented starting from the 2005-2006 academic year. It takes into account the needs of children with disabilities, adopting a more flexible approach.
Special curricula have been developed according to the type of disability. For example, in 2013, a curriculum of schools for mentally disabled children, a curriculum of schools for children with hearing impairment and a curriculum of schools for children with visual impairments were developed. In 2018, a correctional and rehabilitation programme was developed, followed by the adoption of a methodology for designing individual lessons (A/155).
In collaboration with the Ethnic Minority Children’s Unit of the Education Institute and local teachers, UNICEF Mongolia developed textbooks and guidelines specifically for ethnic minority children. In 2013, the curriculum for primary schools was translated in Kazakh and Tuvan languages. In 2018, the curriculum of mother tongue and culture for the children overseas was developed.
As regards gender, gender content, methodology and evaluation are required to be incorporated in education standards and curriculum. Textbooks, learning materials and aides used in general education schools and other educational institutions need to respect gender equality.
In conformity with UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) guidelines, a regulation on Professional Trainings for Teachers and Staff of Primary and Secondary Education Institutions was adopted. Yet, systematic inclusive teacher trainings and available inclusive education teaching staff have been reported to be missing.
The ESP 2006-2015 aimed to train teacher to work with children with development disabilities both at early childhood education level and at primary and secondary levels. As main pre-service teacher training university, the School of Education Studies and School of Teachers of the Mongolian State University of Education have recently introduced different curricula for training pre-school and primary teachers in inclusive education for children with special needs. Yet, although the Mongolian Sign Language is formally recognized by law, neither systems to train sign language teachers or steps to promote professional training and accreditation of sign language interpreters are available. Braille can only be learned in special schools and teaching materials are prepared and provided to an insufficient extent, only produced by the Mongolian National Federation of the Blind mostly with the support of donors. Mongolian teachers receive training on sign language outside the country.
Specific initiatives have been implemented over time. For example, a course on Special Needs education was introduced in 2004 as part of in-service training and basic sign language training was organized in some provinces also for teachers. To a larger scale, teachers of primary and pre-primary schools received training on needs identification, on special needs education concept, inclusive education for children with disabilities, with support from the UN Child fund, ADB, Save the Children UK.
According to the latest amendments of the 2002 Law on Education, respectively in 2013 and 2016, professional physicians, nurses, assistant teachers, rehabilitation worker and psychologists are supposed to be recruited in regular secondary schools and in special secondary schools in order to deliver rehabilitation, recreational and basic medical services to children with disabilities.
Teachers are entitled to receive additional benefits or assistance when deployed in remote areas. Legal and economic encouragement mechanism are encouraged to contribute to the supply of teachers in rural areas.
MECSS organized teacher training on teaching in Kazakh and Tuvan in 2019.
The MECSS is responsible for collecting data on the number of children with disabilities studying in preschool and secondary educational institutions, while the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare (MLSW) on the number of persons with disabilities receiving education services, by age cohorts.
The ADB project includes several indicators to be computed for its monitoring and evaluation.
