MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 27th August, 2021) Human Rights Watch urged Brazil on Friday to repeal its segregated education policy for children with disabilities.
"Human Rights Watch has found that many children with disabilities who are institutionalized in Brazil receive little to no education, based on arbitrary classifications around the alleged severity of their disabilities," the statement read, urging Brazil's government to immediately repeal this policy and honor its obligations under the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
On August 23, Brazil's Supreme Court held a hearing on President Jair Bolsonaro's National Plan for Special Education, which provides for establishing a separate education system for people with disabilities, deemed "regressive policy" by the human rights watchdog. The plan's implementation would mean Brazil's 1.3 million physically challenged children, who are currently enrolled in inclusive education programs, will be sent to segregated settings.
In mid-August, Brazilian Minister of Education Milton Ribeiro said that children with disabilities "disturbed" other students and publicly opposed educational inclusiveness.
While elaborating the plan on education segregation, the government failed to consult the respective organizations protecting the rights of the physically challenged people, which violates the country's obligations under the international law. Human Rights Watch called on Brazil to respect its obligations and ensure that children with disabilities can attend mainstream schools.
