Reality and challenge in ensuring educational rights for children with disabilities in ethnic minority areas of China

This study aims to explore the realization of educational rights for children with disabilities in ethnic minority areas of China by evaluating the educational opportunities and conditions provided by the Chinese government. Statistical data from the Chinese Ministry of Education (MoE), the Chinese Disabled Person Federation (CDPF), the National Bureau of Statistics, and relevant government departments of China were collected and analyzed. It was found that the level of realization of education rights for them in ethnic minority areas shows a general upward trend, with increasing entrants and enrollments and continuously improving educational conditions year by year. However, the education for children with disabilities in ethnic minority areas is still the weakest in China, manifesting as a low enrollment rate, increased segregation and vague inclusion, relatively low level of per capital expenditure on education, poor condition of special schools, and problems of teaching team and management. The Chinese government should further guarantee the right to education for children with disabilities in minority areas, which is a way of balancing educational development in China and a crucial strategy and component of promoting their social inclusion.