Special education is to provide special conditions for uncommon children to study. It is designed to correct their behavior and train them by means of special methods and measures, so as to let them master knowledge, make up for any defects, cultivate ability and recover their health mentally and physically.

The development level of special education mirrors to what extent a country's educational cause develops. The Chinese government has brought the education for the blind, deaf-mute and mentally retarded into the plan of universal education. All localities have found ways to help the blind and deaf-mute children to go to schools through varying methods. There are either separate special schools for the blind and deaf-mute, or special classes for these children within ordinary schools, with either whole-day classes or part-work/part-study ones. These schools have opened vocational and technical training courses for the students. Some areas with better conditions have also opened vocational education classes or vocational middle schools specially for these children.

The education specially for the mentally disabled started in 1979 in Shanghai, and has since been promoted nationwide. There are several forms of education for the mentally retarded. For example, there are schools specially for the mentally retarded; there are special classes for these children within ordinary primary schools; and there are classes in ordinary primary schools, in which a number of the mentally retarded children whose problems are not serious study with other children. In addition, China has paid more attention to the issue of "early intervention" (discovery of the retardation syndrome in key stage of intelligence development, early treatment, early rectification and early educational training) and "intensifying teaching" for special children individually (rectification, treatment, training and guidance). Currently, there are 95,400 students studying in schools for the deaf-mute, 33,700 students in schools for the mentally retarded or in guidance classes, and 211,500 in ordinary schools.