Requirements for Inclusion of Children with Disabilities in Public Education in Egypt

There is no doubt that paying attention to children with special needs has greatly increased in the recent years. The declaration of human rights in 1948 stressed the right of all individuals to education. The United Nations Program for people with special educational needs stated that the member states should adopt a policy that recognizes the rights of people with special educational needs, and their equal opportunities (article 120). The inclusion of children with special needs has developed since 1989 during the United Nations Conference on child rights. Egypt has recently been more interested in the inclusion of children with special needs in public education. This was clearly shown in speech delivered by the minister of education in the first conference on the inclusion of children with special needs in public schools held in Cairo in March 2002. The minister said that the MOE experimented inclusion in 270 schools at the national level with cooperation with the World Bank, the UNESCO, Save the Children (Britain), City Center and Caritas Egypt. It is hoped that it would be generalized in all Egyptian schools to achieve full inclusion. The MOE tries to provide education for the children with special needs whose number is approximately 7 millions. Consequently, a number of ministerial decrees were issued to apply inclusion of children with disabilities in all public schools at all stages. The children with special need Fund provides them with comprehensive care. For this project to succeed, good planning and determination of the whole requirements are very crucial. DOI: 10.5901/jesr.2014.v4n4p19