Cheng Kai, chairman of the China Disabled Persons' Federation (CDPF), attended a conference on promoting high-quality development of Beijing's special education on Dec 3, the 33rd International Day of Persons with Disabilities.
During the conference, Cheng extended greetings to people with disabilities nationwide and emphasized the importance of improving the quality of special education to empower individuals with disabilities. He also called for accelerating the modernization of special education as part of the broader national effort to build an education powerhouse.
In his speech, Cheng highlighted the remarkable progress China has made in education and services for people with disabilities in recent years. He noted that advancing toward becoming an education powerhouse has set higher expectations for special education. Cheng called for embracing modern educational values that prioritize equality, inclusion, and shared development, fostering a new generation of individuals with disabilities who can contribute to Chinese modernization. He also emphasized the need to expand the scope of special education to cover all age groups, creating a seamless 15-year education system, and establishing lifelong learning pathways for individuals with disabilities. In addition, he advocated for modernizing curricula and teaching materials to support the holistic development of students and urged the acceleration of legislative research and improvement of resource allocation mechanisms to strengthen institutional support.
Wang Jiayi, vice-minister of education, commended Beijing for its pioneering efforts and encouraged the city to explore a high-quality development model for special education with distinctive capital city characteristics. Wang emphasized the need to expand access to quality resources, deepen the integration of inclusive education, and enhance support systems to create a new ecosystem for the development of special education that aligns with evolving societal needs.
Ma Jun, vice-mayor of Beijing, reaffirmed the city's commitment to implementing the directives of key national educational strategies. He emphasized the importance of steering special education in the capital in the right direction and working toward a balanced and high-quality public service system. Ma stressed the need to transform Beijing’s strengths in special education into unique development advantages, ensuring that every child with disabilities has access to quality education and equal opportunities to succeed.
The meeting was held at the Beijing School for the Blind, which boasts a 150-year legacy. Before the meeting, Cheng, Wang and Ma exchanged views on advancing the quality of special education. They also toured the school’s history museum and achievements exhibition, where they talked with visually impaired students. Officials of the department of education and employment of the CDPF, the department of basic education of the Ministry of Education, the Beijing Disabled Persons' Federation, and the Beijing Municipal Education Commission also participated in the visits.
The event brought together over 300 participants, including experts, scholars, and representatives from special and general education schools across more than 20 provincial-level regions.