Paradigm and paradox: Education for All and the inclusion of children with disabilities in Cambodia

In keeping with international guidelines and to meet the target of Education for All (EFA) by 2015, the Cambodian government, with assistance from non-government and aid organisations, has instituted several initiatives towards including children with disabilities in the educational mainstream. This paper examines these efforts within the context of current socio-political development and the general educational system in Cambodia, and argues that the cultural traditions of elitism and social hierarchy and the uniquely post-Khmer Rouge context of severely limited human resources are paradoxical to the value of universal access and quality imbedded in EFA and inclusive education. It concludes that international guidelines for EFA and inclusive education can serve as much to circumscribe as to galvanise policy direction in developing countries.