Indicator 3(A): Do people with mental disabilities get access to mainstream education? Is it inclusive and responsive to their individual needs?
Conclusion:
Although the right to inclusive education is enshrined in law, many children with intellectual disabilities continue to be educated in special or segregated educational environments.
Explanation:
Under Bulgarian law, children with disabilities have the right to attend mainstream schools.[63] These schools have an obligation to accept children with disabilities as their students.[64] Special schools for children with disabilities are open to students where mainstream education options are exhausted.[65] In the 2012/2013 academic year there were 49 special schools – of which 28 were residential and 21 were non-residential.[66] The total number of students attending residential special schools was 1,980.[67] Only 64 children with intellectual disabilities who finished 8th grade in special schools continued to pursue vocational training.[68]
[63] Article 27 para 1 of the National Education Act, available in Bulgarian at http://lex.bg/bg/laws/ldoc/2132585473 (last accessed: 23 September 2014).
[64] Article 27 para 2 of the National Education Act.
[65] Article 17 paras 3 and 4 of the National Education Act.
[66] There has been a decrease in the number of special schools recently: in the academic year 2003/2004 there were 76 special schools. Letter from the Ministry of Education and Science No. 94-21499 of 14 November 2012.
[67] Ibid.
[68] Ibid.