The National Human Rights Commission of Korea(Chairperson Lee Sungho) hosted a presentation and panel discussion on the right to education of infants with disabilities on 18 February, 2016 at the 11th floor of the Commission building.
The Commission, from October to November, 2015, conducted a survey and in-depth interview on 1215 people including teachers and management personnel working in related education institutions including kindergarten, special school, regular day care center and care center for babies with needs, and parents of infants with disabilities, in a bid to identify current status of right to education of infants with disabilities.
286 of the respondent answered that they have witnessed human rights infringements or discrimination against infants with disabilities for at least once: 231 experienced human rights infringements and 114 experienced discrimination based on disabilities.
Human rights infringement cases against infants with disabilities include beating(violence, 7.5%), harrassment(teasing, 6.2%), punishment(5.6%) and bullying(4.9%). Discrimination based on disabilities include denial of provision of assistant(4.0%), denial of support for commute to kindergarten or day care center(3.1%), exclusion from outdoor activities(3.0%), denial of admission(2.6%) and exclusion from school activities(2.4%)
Among human rights infringements and discriminations, beating, verbal abuse and harrassment were mostly done by other infants; infringements upon privacy and negligence by parents and teachers; discrimination regarding right to education by teachers; and denial of provision of reasonable accommodation by management personnel.
In regards to how those education institutions guarantee infants' right to life, protection, development and participation, 13.9% of the respondent answered that in more than one area, the right of infants with disabilities is not guaranteed. In particular, it turned out that infants with disabilities are less guaranteed with their right to participation through which they can argue for their opinion, stance or hope.
The Commission plans to identify the role of institution, family and local communities to promote human rights of infants with disabilities based on the result of the survey. It also plans to discuss diverse policy measures to guarantee the right to education of infants with disabilities including establishment of a system for early diagnose of disabilities, expansion of education opportunity, and improvement of treatment for teachers and creation of an environment for provision of reasonable accommodation.
