The Ministry of Education has invested 6.3 billion won in support programs for disabled preschoolers, yet no additional special education teachers have been assigned to childcare centers. There is a nationwide shortage of over 1,700 special education teachers, raising concerns about ensuring educational rights for disabled children.
According to data submitted by Kang Kyung-sook, a member of the National Assembly from the Justice Party, the Ministry allocated 6.3 billion won to a pilot program for supporting disabled preschoolers last year. This initiative provided diagnostic and evaluation services to 7,097 disabled children, therapy support to 1,334, and transportation subsidies to 362. However, not a single new special education teacher was assigned to childcare facilities through this program.
Kang, a former special education teacher, criticized the Ministry for focusing solely on diagnosis, treatment, and care, arguing that appropriate early education for disabled preschoolers requires individualized instruction that considers their disabilities and developmental levels.
The current Special Education Act mandates that individualized education be provided based on the specific disabilities and educational needs of special education recipients. To achieve this, an individualized education support team must be formed, involving parents, special education teachers, and general education teachers, and an individualized education plan must be established each semester outlining educational goals, methods, and evaluation plans.
However, there is a significant shortage of special education teachers to fulfill these requirements. Currently, there are 16,993 disabled preschoolers aged 0 to 5 who require special education. According to legal placement standards, 4,249 special education teachers are needed to educate them, but the actual number of teachers available is only 2,494.
Furthermore, the current enforcement decree of the Special Education Act stipulates that one special education teacher should be assigned for every four special education recipients. While placement standards can be adjusted based on regional educational conditions, this calculation reveals a shortfall of 1,755 teachers. The teacher retention rate compared to legal standards is approximately 58.7%, indicating that over 40% of the required personnel are missing.
During the ongoing process of integrating early childhood education and care systems, known as 'integrated early childhood education,' it has also been revealed that there is a lack of participation from experts in special education. This integration aims to provide quality education and care for young children, regardless of the institution they attend.
However, the committee overseeing this integration, chaired by the Minister of Education, has no representatives from academia specializing in early childhood special education or special education among its 28 members. As the shortage of qualified personnel continues, the absence of relevant experts in policy discussions raises concerns about the support system for disabled preschool education.
Kang stated, "Pursuing integrated early childhood education without including even a single expert in special education is clear evidence that the Ministry is completely ignoring the educational rights of disabled children," and called for a comprehensive review of the special education teacher training system.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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