Hainan to enhance construction of special education schools

The Hainan Provincial Department of Education recently issued an implementation plan for Hainan's special education development and improvement during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-25).

According to the plan, Hainan will achieve full coverage of special education schools in all cities and counties of the province by 2025. Cities and counties with a population of more than 500,000 should build two special education schools in each place.

The province will arrange special education schools for autistic children, and give priority to supporting Haikou in building special education schools for autistic children.

It will also accelerate the extension of the special education system to preschool, senior high school, and higher education. By the end of 2023, Haikou, Sanya, and Danzhou will have built one to two special kindergartens specifically for disabled children, while all cities and counties in the province will have built special education kindergartens by 2025.

Hainan will also support cities and counties to set up secondary vocational schools for the disabled, encourage colleges to add relevant majors suitable for disabled students, as well as support colleges and open universities to provide continuing education programs for the disabled.