Special Education

Education for all has been and continues to be a priority for Bhutan. Recognizing a gap in special education, the Bhutan Foundation works in collaboration with the Ministry of Education’s Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) and Special Education Needs (SEN) Division to enhance educational opportunities for children with special needs. The program supports 12 public schools across Bhutan, mainly in building capacity for teachers and providing teaching/learning materials and resources to enable children with disabilities to succeed in the classroom. This program focuses on the largest percentage of students requiring help, which is the group of students with mild-to-moderate learning difficulties.

Supporting Schools that Provide Access to Education for Children with Special Needs

The Bhutan Foundation’s Special Education Program started in 2008 in collaboration with the Ministry of Education. Over the years, the program has developed the capacity of Bhutanese teachers to provide assistance to children with special needs with the help of a US Special Education Advisory Committee.The Ministry of Education has also drafted a National Special Education Policy for the country.

As we extend our support to Tendruk Central School (which currently serves 75 children with various disabilities, of whom 69 have severe disabilities) we are reminded of the incredible dedication of the school and community in providing the children with the opportunity to learn. However, their resources are limited, and we urgently need your help to address the growing challenges our children face. With your support, we can provide better infrastructure, build teacher capacity, and provide learning materials for the school which caters to a significant population of children with disabilities.

70% of children with disabilities still remain out of school

Tendruk Central School currently serves 75 children with various disabilities, of whom 69 have severe disabilities.

Schools with special educational needs program in Bhutan, including 2 specialized institutes

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Children with special needs

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Teachers trained on special education

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People living with some form of disability in Bhutan

Did you Know?

We support a full set of learning and teaching materials for schools with the SEN program

Four local CSOs provide services for individuals with disabilities

Our Partners

The Bhutan Foundation works with local and international partners to create awareness and improve the lives of individuals with disabilities in Bhutan through our programs in educational services in public schools and transition. The success of our programs would not be possible without the support of our international partners and, in particular, our partners on the ground who are implementing the programs. Our international partners include Perkins International and Anderson Center for Autism, and our local partners include the Ministry of Education, SEN & ECCD Division, Draktsho Vocational Training Center for Special Children and Youth, Ability Bhutan Society, Disabled Persons’ Association of Bhutan, and Phensem Parent Support Group.

Photos from the Field

How You Can Help

The Bhutan Foundation seeks support for education for children with disabilities to succeed in their schools and then to transition to live an independent life. All donations will go toward training teachers and social workers, assisting students with disabilities to learn in the most effective ways, and providing assistive devices and teaching resources for the local public schools. Please help us improve the quality and access to education for children with disabilities in Bhutan.