10 Entitlement to the special education grant for children with disability is determined in accordance with Staff Rule
355. It is payable to internationally recruited and locally recruited general service, professional and higher categories of staff members to assist with special educational expenses which may be incurred in respect of a child with any physical or mental disability who is recognized as dependant under Staff Rule
310.5.2. Special educational expenses shall mean the cost of such teaching services and equipment as are necessary to provide an educational programme designed to meet the needs of the child with disability in order that they may attain the highest possible level of functional ability.
20 The grant is payable when the Organization determines, on the basis of medical evidence that the child is unable by reason of physical or mental disability to attend a normal educational institution and therefore requires special teaching or training to prepare the child for full integration into society, or that the child, while attending a normal educational institution, requires special teaching or training to assist them in overcoming the disability. The grant is payable from the date on which the special teaching or training is required and shall terminate at the end of the year in which the child reaches the age of twenty-eight (28).
Amount of the Grant
30 In cases where an education grant is payable to internationally recruited staff members under Staff Rule
350, normal educational expenses are reimbursed under the education grant and the total of the amounts payable under Staff Rules 350 and
355 shall not exceed the applicable maximum. The amount of the grant for each child with a disability shall be one hundred per cent (100%) of the admissible special educational expenses actually incurred subject to the overall global ceiling which is the upper limit of the top bracket of the global sliding scale plus the amount of USD 5000 equivalent to the boarding lump sum payable under the regular education grant scheme. See III.20 Annex 3.H (2018).
40
A boarding lump sum amount of USD 5000 may be granted to staff members assigned to category A to E duty stations whose child with disability attends school at the primary or secondary level outside the duty station. If such boarding is an integral part of a special educational programme, the actual boarding expenses will be reimbursed within the overall limit applicale to special education grant. In exceptional circumstances the Director-General may exercise discretionary authority to grant boarding assistance to staff members in category H duty stations subject to the limitations in paragraph 30.
50 In accordance with Staff Rule
355.3, the staff member must exhaust all other sources of benefits that may be available from State and local governments and from the Staff Health Insurance (SHI). In the computation of the special education grant, the amount of admissible educational expenses shall be reduced by the amount of any benefits that may be available from other sources.
60 The grant shall be computed on the basis of the calendar year where the child is unable to attend a regular educational institution. If the child is in full-time attendance at a regular educational institution while receiving special teaching or training, the grant shall be computed on the basis of the school year.
70 If either the period of the child's attendance at the educational institution(s) or the staff member's period of employment with the Organization is less than two-thirds of the scholastic year, the grant is proportionately reduced, except if the staff member dies while in service after the beginning of the school year, in accordance with Staff Rule
355.7. Similarly, periods of special leave without pay under
Staff Rule
650 of more than one-third of the school year are considered to reduce the "period of employment" referred to in Staff Rule
355.7, thus also resulting in the grant being proportionately reduced.
80 Expenses required to provide an educational programme designed to meet the needs of the child with a disability so that they may attain the highest level of functional ability may include:
- charges for teaching or training services;
- special equipment for educational purposes if not covered under the Staff Health Insurance;
- local transportation required for the child with disability;
- boarding outside the area of the duty station, with reimbursement of actual expenses when such boarding is an integral part of the special educational programme;
- In exceptional circumstances boarding assistance may be granted in the case of a child attending an educational institution at the duty station when such boarding is an integral part of the educational programme as stated in paragraphs 30 and 40 above.
85 The cost of recognised therapies to be implemented early such as behaviour and communication approaches including ABA therapy, are covered under the terms and conditions of SHI Rule
B.108.3. Consequently, requests for reimbursement of such therapies are primarily a matter of medical insurance and claims for reimbursement of such costs are submitted under SHI rules and procedures.
90 To claim the special education grant, through GSM self-service using the Education Grant module the staff member must first complete the pre-requisites by entering Education Institution Details and Enrolment Details (which form the “enrolment reference” for a specific year) for the child for whom a special education grant is claimed irrespective of whether the child will attend a specialized institution or not, if any costs are to be claimed under the special education grant, the staff member must select the “Special Education Grant” type and complete enrolment details. The special education grant enrolment details require that additional medical information is attached via the “Managed Attachments” button as stipulated below. The request will then be forwarded to SHW who will decide on the eligibility for and scope of items reimbursable under special education grant. All other items claimed will be considered under the normal education grant limits.
100 Supporting documentation justifying the request for special education grant must be submitted at the same time the Enrolment Details for Special Education Grant are completed. In order to assess what costs can be accepted as “special educational expenses” as per Staff Rule
355.3, the following must be attached:
- a recent medical report and/or psychological or other appropriate assessment, addressing also the need for the (special) teaching services/equipment the staff member asks to be covered as special educational expenses;
- a document from the institution or a duly qualified professional outlining the special teaching services/equipment provided by them.
Standard educational expenses included in the claim will be reimbursed at the relevant reimbursement rate. Global Human Resources (GHR)/Regional Human Resources Manager (RHRM) or the Staff Counsellor is available to provide assistance to staff members who are making their first special education grant request.
110 SHW receives notification of the special education grant enrolment through GSM and makes a determination on the request. If SHW considers that the request merits the application of the special education grant, SHW approves the enrolment details, indicating the period for which the special education grant is approved and when appropriate, indicates which specific costs are approved. The staff member receives a notification when the request has been approved.
120 After receiving SHW approval, the staff members on a continuing or fixed term appointment may then initiate an Education Grant Advance Request. HR Administrator GHR reviews the request and supporting document and approves or requests further information.
130 Eligible staff members may submit an Education Grant Final Payment Request at the end of the school year. However, a final payment request may only be submitted when at least two-thirds of the school year have been completed if the request is final and there will be no supplementary request for further payments. Final payment of the special education grant will be effected only when the staff member has submitted the final claim request in GSM along with scanned copies of paid invoices. The Education Grant Specialist, GHR processes the education grant payment.
140 Staff members must retain the original invoices for 5 years after submission of their claim for auditing and review purposes.
150 The Organization pays the travel expenses of those children of internationally recruited staff members for whom the special education grant is payable, in accordance with Staff Rules
825 and
355. The entitlement of a child with disability to travel is governed by the entitlement to the special education grant and subject to an entitlement to boarding assistance at the date of commencement of travel.
160 Payment of travel expenses for children in receipt of a special education grant shall be computed on the basis of the calendar year where the child is unable to attend a regular educational institution. If the child is in full-time attendance at a regular educational institution while receiving special teaching or training, the payment of special education travel shall be computed on the basis of the school year.
170 A one-way passage is paid from the duty station or elsewhere, to go for the first time to the place where the child is to receive special education and training. If the child has been resident with the staff member at the
duty
station, the cost to the Organization is limited to that of travel from the duty station to the staff member's recognized place of residence. If the child has not joined the staff member at the duty station, the cost to the Organization is limited to that of travel from the staff member's recognized place of residence to the duty station, Staff Rule
820.2.5.1.
180 One round trip each school year to the duty station may be paid (or a second round-trip each school year for those
duty stations so designated in
III.20 Annex 3.I ) may be paid between the place of study and the duty station or another place if:
- the duration of the child's visit to the parents is reasonable in relation to the amount of travel expenses borne by the Organization: seven (7) days is the minimum length of time that must be spent at the duty station or other place of reunion;
- the travel expenses to be borne by the Organization do not exceed the cost of round-trip travel between the duty station and the staff member's recognized place of residence or the actual travel destination whichever is less;
- the timing of the child's journey is reasonable in relation to other authorized travel of the staff member, spouse, or children (see
Education Grant Travel).
190 In very exceptional circumstances, Director, Human Resources Management (HRT) may authorize reimbursement of travel expenses for the person accompanying a child with disability who cannot travel alone due to their disability.
200 If a staff member chooses to travel under Staff Rule
810.5, any entitlement to the round trips for an eligible child referred to in this subsection is maintained.
210 Return travel on home leave from the place of special education and training to the place to which the staff member is authorized to travel under Staff Rule
640.5, may be paid (provided that the cost to the Organization does not exceed the cost of return travel between the place of study to the place where travel is authorized or between the staff member's duty station and the recognized place of residence, whichever is less), if:
- the travel coincides with the staff member's travel on home leave;
- the travel does not take place after the child ceases to qualify for special education grant; and
- the travel is reasonably timed in relation to other authorized travel under Staff Rule
820.
220 A final one-way passage either to join the staff member at the duty station or to travel to the country of the recognized place of residence or an authorized elsewhere destination may be paid if it is exercised within one year of ceasing to qualify for the special education grant. The travel expenses to be borne by the Organization may not exceed that of one-way travel between the staff members duty station and the recognized place of residence. However, when a child is entitled to a round trip under these provisions and the travel is not completed before the child ceases to qualify for the special education grant, this travel will not be authorized. In this case the staff member may exercise the final one-way passage provided that this is done within one year of ceasing to qualify for the education grant.
230 If a staff member assigned to the country of recognized place of residence is entitled to payment of the education grant for the balance of a school year relevant special education grant travel expenses may also be paid. The cost to the Organization is limited to that of travel between the previous duty station and the staff member's recognized place of residence.
240 For elements not specifically addressed in this section on special education grant, the general provisions contained under
Education Grant Travel apply also to special education grant travel.
250 If either the period of the child's attendance at the educational institution or the staff member's period of employment with the Organization is less than two-thirds of the school year, travel expenses are not paid or if already paid, they are recoverable, except if the staff member dies while in service after the beginning of the school year.
260 Periods of special
leave without pay under Staff Rule 650 of more than one-third of the school year are not considered as periods of employment. However, if the staff member is authorized to travel on home leave, the child's return travel on home leave under the education grant is also authorized.
