Education for All Blog http://www.educationforallblog.org A Voice for All Out-of-school Children around the World Fri, 18 May 2012 14:04:24 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 Education for All – Kids with Disabilities http://www.educationforallblog.org/issues/disability/education-for-all-kids-with-disabilities http://www.educationforallblog.org/issues/disability/education-for-all-kids-with-disabilities#comments Mon, 14 May 2012 19:11:09 +0000 Deepa Srikantaiah http://www.educationforallblog.org/?p=2987 In Burkina Faso just 40 percent of children with a physical impairment attend school, only slightly below overall national attendance rates.  Yet children reported as deaf, mute, blind, or living with a mental impairment are far less likely to be enrolled in school than those with other physical impairments not requiring adaptation in teaching. Children who are deaf or who have limited hearing have historically faced major problems, and it was only in 1984 that UNESCO recognized sign language as a valid medium of instruction for deaf and hard-of-hearing children. Only a handful of the more than 100 distinct sign languages in use around the world have actually been used in classrooms. The Education for All (EFA) movement is a worldwide effort to ensure that all children have access to a good, quality education. Although over the years the number of children who are out of school has decreased quite dramatically, from 100 million in 2000 to just over 60 million in recent years, nevertheless children with physical and mental disabilities are largely excluded from education.  In addition, some countries have policies of official discrimination against children with disabilities, administering labels such as “intellectual deficits” and/or “genetic factors.” To explore solutions to this problem, my colleagues, Bob Prouty and Koli Bank, and I wrote a chapter for Lessons in Educational Equality: Successful Solutions to Intractable Problems Around the World.  The book brings together evidence-based recommendations from leading innovators in education from around the world, offers a unique series of global case studies, and tackles the timely questions of how to increase equity at all levels of education and ensure successful transitions from one stage to another. Lessons in Educational Equality offers concrete solutions to educational barriers based on gender, income, disability, race, ethnicity, and language, and assesses how successful initiatives could be improved, expanded, and adapted to diverse contexts. In examining these themes, this volume brings together leading members of academia, national and global research organizations, and international organizations. Our chapter, Effective Approaches to Making Inclusive Education a Part of Education for All, addresses the challenges associated with increasing access to education for children with disabilities and presents what is being done internationally to address these challenges. Examples are given from countries with disability programs that are receiving support through the Global Partnership for Education. For example, in Lesotho’s recently revised education sector plan, one of its main objectives is to create durable gender- and disability-friendly classrooms for primary and kindergarten classes.  This is in line with the government policy of ensuring access to all children with disabilities.  The government will construct at least 1,000 new classrooms and additional facilities, particularly latrines, where necessary.]]> In Burkina Faso just 40 percent of children with a physical impairment attend school, only slightly below overall national attendance rates.  Yet children reported as deaf, mute, blind, or living with a mental impairment are far less likely to be enrolled in school than those with other physical impairments not requiring adaptation in teaching.

Children who are deaf or who have limited hearing have historically faced major problems, and it was only in 1984 that UNESCO recognized sign language as a valid medium of instruction for deaf and hard-of-hearing children. Only a handful of the more than 100 distinct sign languages in use around the world have actually been used in classrooms.

The Education for All (EFA) movement is a worldwide effort to ensure that all children have access to a good, quality education. Although over the years the number of children who are out of school has decreased quite dramatically, from 100 million in 2000 to just over 60 million in recent years, nevertheless children with physical and mental disabilities are largely excluded from education.  In addition, some countries have policies of official discrimination against children with disabilities, administering labels such as “intellectual deficits” and/or “genetic factors.”

To explore solutions to this problem, my colleagues, Bob Prouty and Koli Bank, and I wrote a chapter for Lessons in Educational Equality: Successful Solutions to Intractable Problems Around the World.  The book brings together evidence-based recommendations from leading innovators in education from around the world, offers a unique series of global case studies, and tackles the timely questions of how to increase equity at all levels of education and ensure successful transitions from one stage to another.

Lessons in Educational Equality offers concrete solutions to educational barriers based on gender, income, disability, race, ethnicity, and language, and assesses how successful initiatives could be improved, expanded, and adapted to diverse contexts. In examining these themes, this volume brings together leading members of academia, national and global research organizations, and international organizations.

Our chapter, Effective Approaches to Making Inclusive Education a Part of Education for All, addresses the challenges associated with increasing access to education for children with disabilities and presents what is being done internationally to address these challenges. Examples are given from countries with disability programs that are receiving support through the Global Partnership for Education.

For example, in Lesotho’s recently revised education sector plan, one of its main objectives is to create durable gender- and disability-friendly classrooms for primary and kindergarten classes.  This is in line with the government policy of ensuring access to all children with disabilities.  The government will construct at least 1,000 new classrooms and additional facilities, particularly latrines, where necessary.

]]> http://www.educationforallblog.org/issues/disability/education-for-all-kids-with-disabilities/feed 1 Picture of the Week: Reaching Out-of-School Children http://www.educationforallblog.org/issues/out-of-school-children/picture-of-the-week-reaching-out-of-school-children http://www.educationforallblog.org/issues/out-of-school-children/picture-of-the-week-reaching-out-of-school-children#comments Fri, 11 May 2012 16:31:25 +0000 Carolina Valenzuela http://www.educationforallblog.org/?p=2975 This picture was taken in the state of Karnataka, India and shows children who are currently not enrolled in school. Today, well over 60 million children are not attending school. Over 40% of these children currently live in conflict-affected or fragile states and are at higher risk of being marginalized. Around 43% of out-of-school children live in sub-Saharan Africa and another 27% in South and West Asia. Providing a quality education to out-of-school children is a priority for the Global Partnership and we help our developing country partners develop strong education sector plans to enroll and keep these children in school. Learn More Out-of-School Children web page]]> This picture was taken in the state of Karnataka, India and shows children who are currently not enrolled in school.

Today, well over 60 million children are not attending school. Over 40% of these children currently live in conflict-affected or fragile states and are at higher risk of being marginalized. Around 43% of out-of-school children live in sub-Saharan Africa and another 27% in South and West Asia.

Providing a quality education to out-of-school children is a priority for the Global Partnership and we help our developing country partners develop strong education sector plans to enroll and keep these children in school.

Learn More

Out-of-School Children web page

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