A Study on the Future Direction through Reflective Thinking about the Past and Present of Special Education in Korea
Authors:   Asia-Europe Perspective Association, Kim Mi-Suk 
Published: June 2018

The disabled were around us since the dawn of human beings history. However the beginning of social and institutional support system including education is relatively recent event. The variety of support system for disabled people reflects the culture, religion and organization of a society.
In these change of process social, disabled people gradually changed from the subjects of maltreatment or sympathy to the subjects of active members of society and security of human rights as members of society. As this change of standpoint about disabled people, it came to be emphasized that they need variety of methods for education system and policy, and then practical place of special education felt the need to establish.
Reviewing the change history of the treatment of the disabled people and development history of special education receive some help to plan for a better future reflected in event of past and present. These days, we live in an information-oriented society, as we can internationally exchange information, we should be help to find appropriate way for the country to come up with the best.
Recently, special education has structurally evolved from separative education to integrate education and then finally to full integrate education. Such changes deliver the important message that no one should be a subject to discrimination and that everyone should get along each other on the ground that no one can interfere with the dignity of human beings.
Changes made on the special education so far originated from changes made on paradigms of social science and such changes made on paradigms of social science derived from the processes to solve social problems of human beings. Such transactions made on paradigms led education policies to be more open to public opinions and management methods for special education to focus more on enhancing qualities than ever. As a result, the position of special education evolved from being traditionally functional to being analytical and then finally to being humane. Moreover, the importance of educational support to discover and maximize potential abilities of individuals and allow everyone regardless of problems, whether it's mental or physical, has also been emphasized.
Special Education in Korea has been developed such as period of classical special education, transplantation of modern special education, establishment of special school, promotion of special education and full integration of special education. About 100 years ago, Mrs. Hall, American medical doctor and missionary taught how to read Braille points to the blinds. It was actually regarded as starting point of special education. Korea has gradually developed its own special education during comparatively short time, in coping with worldwide current tendency, ranging from boarding facilities and exclusive education to inclusive one.
Korea is now preparing for another change in its special education. It took only fifty years to achieve full integration of special education after it’s foundation of first special education school. These radical changes have brought about many problems. And low birth rate and an aging society require the changes of its support for disabled people. In other words, our understandings should be unleashed from facility-related term “special education” and expand our boundary of thought to serve people for better in itself life in society. It is the time to provide services to help people to live happy life from “cradle to the grave”.
With this expansion of boundary, we should consider about actualization of educational administration models, preparing legal basis and unification of certificates. And we should understand that isolated effort of one division is not sufficient to fulfill each individual’s different needs. We should try multi-disciplinary approach and to do this, it is urgent to devise institutional system to operate it smoothly.