THE RIGHT TO EDUCATION FOR CHILDREN WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES – FOCUSING ON PRIMARY EDUCATION 10 (2) States Parties recognize the right of the disabled child to special care and shall encourage and ensure the extension, subject to available resources, to the eligible child and those responsible for his or her care, of assistance for which application is made and which is appropriate to the child’s condition and to the circumstances of the parents or others caring for the child. (3) Recognizing the special needs of a disabled child, assistance extended in accordance with paragraph 2 of the present article shall be provided free of charge, whenever possible, taking into account the financial resources of the parents or others caring for the child, and shall be designed to ensure that the disabled child has effective access to and receives education, training, health care services, rehabilitation services, preparation for employment and recreation opportunities in a manner conducive to the child’s achieving the fullest possible social integration and individual development, including his or her cultural and spiritual development. (4) States Parties shall promote, in the spirit of international cooperation, the exchange of appropriate information in the field of preventive health care and of medical, psychological and functional treatment of disabled children, including dissemination of and access to information concerning methods of rehabilitation, education and vocational services, with the aim of enabling States Parties to improve their capabilities and skills and to widen their experience in these areas. In this regard, particular account shall be taken of the needs of developing countries. 25. In 2006, the Committee on the Rights of the Child issued a General Comment7 on children with disabilities which stressed that inclusive education must be the goal of educating children with disabilities. 26. Article 2 of the CRC which is reserved by the Government, emphasises the principle of non-discrimination which requires the States to ensure that necessary steps are taken to eliminate discrimination and safeguard equality in areas including education. Arguably, children with disabilities, among others, are at a greater risk of being discriminated on basis of their disabilities. Barriers, be they infrastructures or other instrumentalities, that restrict their access to education violate the children with disabilities’ right to education. 27. However, while there is room for improvements, in general the Government has taken the necessary progressive measures to ensure that children with disabilities have equal access to education and are not discriminated against. Committee on the Rights of the Child, General Comment No 9 (2006): The Rights of Children with Disabilities. Available at http://tbinternet.ohchr.org/_layouts/treatybodyexternal/Download.aspx?sym bolno=CRC%2fC%2fGC%2f9&Lang=en 7

Select target paragraph3