Transcript Inclusive Education and Disability

Inclusive Education and Disability
A View from the ENGAGE Project
Jerry Mindes, Project Director
Outline
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A Profile of Children with Disabilities
A definition of Inclusive Development
Education and Rights and Disability
A definition of Inclusive Education
The ENGAGE Project
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Purpose and its relationship to Inclusive
Education
ENGAGE in Pakistan
ENGAGE in Zambia
Children with Disabilities in Developing
Nations: A Profile
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2.5 percent of children aged 0-14 have selfevident moderate to severe levels of sensory,
physical, and intellectual impairments
An additional 8 percent have learning or
behavioral difficulties (Unicef, October 2007)
Survival rates are low. In some countries, less
than 90 percent don’t live to be 20; 90 percent of
children with intellectual disabilities don’t live past
age 5 (Unicef, April 2007)
“I’ve never seen an adult with Down’s Syndrome.”
Zambian disability leader
Children with Disabilities and
Education: A Profile
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At home, with no formal education, but
possible access to private group care
settings
At home, with public teacher tutoring
(Ukraine)
In segregated settings (boarding schools)
In “units” placed within “regular” schools
In inclusive settings
Inclusive Development: A definition
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“If development is about bringing
excluded people into society, then
disabled people belong in schools,
legislatures, at work, on buses, at
the theatre and everywhere else
that those who are not disabled
take for granted….
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…Unless disabled people are brought into
the development mainstream, it will be
impossible to…give every boy and girl the
chance to achieve a primary education by
the same date-goals agreed by more than
180 world leaders at the United Nations
Millennium Summit in September 2000.
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James Wolfensohn
To Advance Inclusive Education
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Acknowledge that all means all and that
EFA goals cannot be achieved without
children with disabilities
Recognize that International Conventions
enshrine these rights, and have raised
expectation and dialogue
Understand the social model of disability:
that the environment – and not the
disability – is the obstacle to participation
Inclusive Education Means:
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Attending the age-appropriate class
of the child’s local school, with
individually tailored support
Schools must change to
accommodate a wider range of
children
Inclusive Schools
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Pay attention to developing
appropriate methods of assessment
for all learners
Avoid unnecessary segregation
within the ordinary classroom
Prepare teachers with pedagogic
skills, curriculum, and training
Involve parents
Have leaders that embrace inclusion
The ENGAGE Project
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Demonstrate inclusive development
practices in three countries, focusing on
education, HIV/AIDS, and governance
sectors
Provide training and information to USAID
staff and their implementing partners
Position disabled persons organizations as
stakeholders of development
ENGAGE in Pakistan
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AIR’s Rise Program is training teachers in
the earthquake affected areas
With support from ENGAGE, AIR is this
week developing teacher training modules
in inclusive education
Next Steps: Take this to the school and
community level with tools to understand
prevalence, to enhance child assessment
skills, to support parents, and to target
teacher training to improve learning
outcomes
ENGAGE in ZAMBIA:
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Special Needs Education in Zambia is an
inch deep and a mile wide:
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A fragile bureaucratic infrastructure that is
growing: from 5 to 56 positions since 2004
Curriculum for diploma-certified special
educators: 150 per year
In-service training modules exist but don’t flow
down
Provincial coordinators with limited support
Nascent Parent advocacy organizations
University programs at undergraduate,
masters, and Ph.D. levels
What Zambia does not have:
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A national action plan and strategy
for special needs education
A donor that works with the Ministry
to advance special needs education
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Finland left in 2006
Resources to add substance to its
skeletal infrastructure
Political will?
What could a donor support?
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Strategic support and action that invests in homegrown ideas, that include:
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An action plan for inclusive education that involves
the Ministry, Parents, Teachers, and Experts, all of
which exist in country
Awareness raising to bring children out of the
shadows
Household surveys to understand prevalence
Master special education teachers at the subregional level to reinforce training and curriculum,
and engage the community
A Special Educators Division of the Teachers Union
Braille machines and paper
Trained sign language interpreters
Parent advocacy and parent involvement
A Strategic Dialogue toward Action
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Recognize that disability is a rights issue,
and that disability and difference exist in
every classroom
Engage in discussions with Ministries
Talk to disability leaders and experts
Incorporate inclusive education into
development work, i.e., when we do:
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Teacher training
Curriculum development
Gender and community participation