Further submission from the Centre for
Studies on Inclusive Education (CSIE)
The Centre for Studies on Inclusive Education
(CSIE) has already entered a submission to the Joint Committee
on Human Rights for your meeting with the Minister for Disabled
People on Tuesday 18 November concerning ratification of the United
Nations Convention on the Rights of Disabled Persons.
We believe the following questions to be essential
concerning the DCSF's intention to issue interpretive declarations
or reservations on Article 24 in respect of disabled children's
inclusion in mainstream schools, and would ask for your support
in this matter.
Question 1. Policies of other government departments
and indeed cross-governmental policies concerning disabled adults
(e.g Improving the Life Chances of Disabled People; Valuing People;
Getting a Life) all insist explicitly on the right of "inclusion"
for disabled people in mainstream life and institutions. Does
the Minister not think that the inclusion of disabled children
(the disabled adults of the future) in local mainstream schools
will make their inclusion in adulthood easier to achieve?
Question 2. Setting the Convention on the
Rights of Disabled Persons alongside UN criticism of the UK for
failing "to develop a comprehensive national strategy for
the inclusion of children with disability in the society"
(53d of the UN's recommendations, 3 October 2008), does the Minister
not think that children come under the heading of "persons"
and schools under that of "the society"?
17 November 2008
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