Children with disabilities must get state-support so they can participate in all spheres of life
27 January 2023
More
than half of children with disabilities in Bangladesh are not enrolled
in any formal education. The findings come from the recently-published
National Survey on Persons with Disabilities (NSPD) 2021. The survey
reveals that among children with disabilities (aged 5-17 years), 65 per
cent are enrolled in primary school and only 35 per cent are enrolled in
secondary school. In total, 60 percent of children with disabilities
aged 5-17 years are not in education.
The survey also found that
children with disabilities who do attend formal education lag behind
academically by over two years for their age on average. The findings
will support the Government to formulate policies and initiatives to
ensure the rights of persons with disabilities in Bangladesh. According
to the survey, 1.7 per cent of children in Bangladesh live with one of
the twelve types of disability defined in the Persons with Disability
Rights and Protection Act 2013, while 3.6 per cent of children face
functional difficulty in at least one of the domains of seeing, hearing,
walking, fine motor skills, communication, learning, playing or
controlling behaviour.
The new data highlights just how many children
with disabilities in Bangladesh are losing out on education. Experts
said we need to provide the support and services they need, and we need
to create an inclusive environment where they can thrive. Only one-third
of persons with disabilities of working age are employed, with women
with disabilities far more likely to be unemployed compared to men. And
while 90 per cent of persons with disabilities who are registered with
the Government receive disability allowances, the vast majority of them -
about 65 per cent - remain unregistered.
Early identification and
management of childhood disabilities are critical to maximising the
potential of children. It is also critical to create an inclusive
environment where families and service providers can support children
with disabilities to participate actively in all spheres of life.
