Compulsory education for students with special needs will be expanded to include kindergarten and high school students starting in the upcoming semester.
According to the education ministry Monday, the relevant law has been revised to require students with disabilities to enter kindergarten and high school as part of their education.
Currently, whether they attend kindergarten or high school is left to the discretion of their parents.
The school principals will be empowered to classify students as having special needs rather than the current practice, where parents must apply for such classes.
To accommodate a rise in the number of such students, the ministry is planning to increase the number of special-needs classes across the nation and allow them to enroll in the schools of their choice.
In some high schools, special job-training courses will be offered to student with disabilities.
A ministry official said that the move will require students with special needs to attend school for 13 years, the longest among OCED member countries.