Inclusive Education in Bangladesh

Abstract

This article reports on inclusive education in Bangladesh for children with special needs. Bangladesh is not behind other developed countries in enacting laws and declarations in favour of inclusive education, but a lack of resources is the main barrier in implementing inclusive education. Special education and integrated education models exist in Bangladesh. The difference is that almost all school age children with disabilities in developed countries such as Australia are in education, whereas, 89% of children with disabilities are not in education in Bangladesh. New initiatives for Bangladesh are described, and further initiatives are suggested, such as link programmes between regular and special schools, dual placement provisions, development of special units in regular schools, initiation of model schools for others to follow and inter‐ministerial and inter‐agency collaborations to improve inclusive education practices.