The United Nations Childrenâ€™s Fund works to protect the rights of every child. Some of its main functions include alleviating poverty, violence, diseases, and child discrimination. UNICEF is founded on the basis that nurturing and caring for children are essential for overall human progress. Currently, UNICEF is active in 190 countries across the world.
In line with UNICEFâ€™s mission to support the protection of all childrenâ€™s rights and ensure that their basic needs are met, the organization focuses on building an adequate education system for children with disabilities. UNICEF believes that, given the opportunity to flourish as others might, children with disabilities have the potential to lead fulfilling lives and to contribute to society. Major importance is given to meet the needs of women, children, and the disadvantaged in the areas of primary education, nonformal education, and special education. Similarly, UNICEF Bhutan supports special education in Bhutan by providing teaching and learning materials, basic educational supplies, and training of teachers in the field of special education. Currently, UNICEF is one of the major partners of the Royal Government of Bhutan, Ministry of Educationâ€™s â€œChild Friendly Schoolsâ€ program that has been initiated in the eight schools in Bhutan identified as pilot schools for the Bhutan Foundationâ€™s Special Education Program.
The Bhutan Foundationâ€™s Special Education Program has worked in partnership with UNICEF Bhutan to coordinate services and assist in the development of special education. UNICEF Bhutan has supported and collaborated with the US Special Education Advisory Committee in building awareness and providing trainings to assist the Ministry of Education. In partnership, they have supported the development a key group of stakeholders in the Special Education Program in Bhutan. Click here to learn more about UNICEFâ€™s program in Bhutan.