| Description of good practice: |
DISABILITY-INCLUSIVE SECTOR PLAN:
The Fourth Primary Education Development Program 2018–2023 (PEDP4)21 reinforces the
right of children with disabilities to education. The general aim of PEDP4 is to “provide quality education to all children through an efficient, inclusive and equitable educations system”.
It is designed to achieve targets set out in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 4 (Quality Education) and SDG 5 (Gender Equality), and aligned with NEP 2010, which guarantees “free and compulsory primary education for all children”.
Although inclusive education and/or disability were not explicitly defined in PEDP4, a section specific to analysing and planning for ‘children with special education needs and disability’ is included in the plan based on available disability data from a previous Annual Sector Performance Report.
PEDP4 aims to address the decreasing trend in enrolment of children with disabilities in primary education, from 91,000 in 2011 to 67,693 in 2016. Furthermore, the sector plan is a
response to the growing barriers to participation in education, including “limited facilities and inaccessible infrastructure, absence of accessible transportation, negative attitudes of the family, teachers and community”.
Included in PEDP4 is a Gender and Inclusive Education Action Plan where specific strategies
to advance disability inclusion are articulated. Key interventions include the review of existing curriculum and reforms to create a more inclusive curriculum that “promotes inter alia gender equality and the inclusion of linguistic minorities, of children with special education needs and disability or physical disabilities, and of children who are disadvantaged and/or at risk of discrimination or other forms of exclusion”.
The plan articulated funding for the development of inclusive textbooks, teaching and learning materials and a flexible assessment system, supporting teacher education. This included continuous professional development of materials on gender and inclusive education, expanding the use of information and communication technology (ICT), building needs-based infrastructure and facilities and improving linkages with specialized services, among other interventions.
The plan also acknowledged the critical role of parents and the need to strengthen relationships between school management committees, teachers and parents in creating inclusive schools. |
