Nine-year schooling to be offered to more disabled kids

The move is part of a plan to ensure all children have equal access to education

More than 97 percent of China's disabled children will receive schooling from first to ninth grade by 2025, up from 95 percent last year, according to a new plan designed to ensure such students have equal access to education and the opportunity to shine.

The action plan for special education development for 2021-25, issued last month by the Ministry of Education and six other departments, aims to further expand the coverage of compulsory education for disabled children.

County-level governments should conduct comprehensive evaluations of school-aged disabled children and make sure they can receive compulsory education at regular schools, special education schools, social welfare organizations or through homeschooling, the plan said.