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Disability-Inclusive Education Financing Newsletter
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It’s super exciting that with every edition we are moving closer towards our goal of more and better financing for disability-inclusive education. In this edition of our newsletter, we are focussing on East and Southern Africa, where several of the DFID focus countries of the Disability Summit reside.
 
The Global Disability Summit hosted by the UK government, the government of Kenya and the International Disability Alliance (IDA) holds great promise. In this newsletter, the article by Ian Attfield, from DFID, provides additional information on the Summit and encourages organisations to make ambitious commitments to speed-up progress on disability inclusion. These will be tracked one year on, ensuring that the legacy of the conference will bring about lasting change in the lives of persons with disabilities in low and middle-income countries and humanitarian crises.
 
We expect a landmark announcement, a payoff from our relentless advocacy which should ultimately pave the way for more investment in disability inclusive education. Again, this is only the beginning of something great, and we will need to come together and join forces to ensure that the resources ploughed into the ‘Partnership for Inclusive Education’ (final name to be announced), matches the high demand out there for technical expertise and data. IDDC’s inclusive education task group held a side-event at the Conference of State Parties (CoSP) for the UN CRPD to cultivate a greater understanding about the need to leverage article 32 on partnership to catalyse more investment and commitment from donors. Sabine Rehbichler’s article reports on this CoSP side-event, co-hosted by the International Disability Alliance (IDA) and the Global Campaign for Education (GCE). 
 
The articles from CBM and Humanity & Inclusion (former Handicap International) are shining examples of what is possible when we join forces. Unlike the Continental Education Strategy for Africa (CESA 2016-2025), which merely mentions the struggle of dealing with inequity in passing, the outcome document of the Pan-African Conference on Education (“Nairobi Declaration and Call for Action on Education”), includes several specific mentions of disability. It stresses the need for "implementing and adequately resourcing diversified and appropriate learning policies and programmes, inclusive and gender-responsive curriculum, promoting multilingual education, sign languages and Braille, to reach the unreached.” Please use this for similar regional consultations on SDG4 and to advocate with your governments which are developing national indicators on SDG4 and preparing reports for the High-level Political Forum in 2019.
 
The Global Partnership for Education stocktake gave us critical insight into the extensive work still needed at national level to ensure disability-inclusive education is taken-up and adequately funded. A meagre 12 out of 51 GPE developing country partners have education sector plans that are aligned with disability-inclusive education. The article by Eleni Papakosta from GPE explains more about the investment choices countries in East and Southern Africa are making.
 
We all know that “bums on seats” in a class is not enough. We need to ensure that children are learning, participating and benefiting from being in school. For this reason, we need to change the current status-quo where only 11 out of 75 education plans intend to track progression and completion rates in education from a disability perspective and tracking progress on learning for children with disabilities is not even on the radar (UNESCO, 2018).
 
Through quality data, we can advocate for more investment in the areas that bring about success in learning and life.
 
Yours in solidarity,
Nafisa Baboo
Senior Advisor on Inclusive Education, Light for the World
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Photo: CoSP panel

Leverage investment for Inclusive Education

-by Sabine Rehbichler (Light for the World)

If we want to achieve real change and scale for persons with disabilities we need to progress in inclusive education including its adequate financing - to give the millions of excluded children with disabilities in low and middle income countries (LMIC) access to their right to education - was the key message at the side event  on 12 June at the UN in New York City.
The event organised by IDDC together with the Permanent Mission of Austria to the UN with panellists from the disability and education movement (IDA, IDDC, GAATES, GCE),  Burkina Faso and Ethiopia representing the voice of LMIC as well as UK, Austria, GPE and UNICEF representing bilateral and multilateral partners. “Disability Inclusive Education needs to start with a transformation of the Education system” said Diane Richler representing the International Disability Alliance (IDA) Inclusive Education Task group. “12 years after the adoption of the CRPD, still 1 out of 3 children out of school is a child with a disability” Rosangela Berman-Bieler from UNICEF reminded the audience. Whenever we do robust studies, the number is even higher, reported Sabine Rehbichler IDDC/Light for the World. Camila Croso president of the Global Campaign for Education confirmed the need for better data collection and disaggregation. Both the Ethiopian and Burkinabé representatives reaffirmed their commitment to step up investment, but acknowledged their need of international support to progress to include children with disabilities and all others who have been neglected for so long. Jane Davies from the Global Partnership for Education and Richard Boden from DFID UK reaffirmed their commitment to increase funding for Inclusive Education. DFID announced the Partnership for Inclusive Education, which will be launched at the Global Disability Summit in the UK in July 2018 and called upon other donors to contribute. 
Photo: Madagascan children with CBM banner

Firaisan-kina for More Investment in Disability Inclusive Education in Madagascar

- By Ratsifandrihamanana, Lila (Country Director, CBM Madagascar); Randrianarivony, Rolland (Coordinator IE Platform, Madagascar);  Ramaroson, Satry (Programme Officer, Education, CBM Madagascar)

In Madagascar, only 11.3 per cent of children with disabilities are enrolled in schools (UNICEF, 2012). Discriminatory attitudes prevent many parents from enrolling their children with a disability in school, often fearing rejection.  Others do not consider it a worthwhile investment or prefer to enrol their child in one of the few special schools available. 

Inclusive education for girls and boys with disabilities has several challenges against the backdrop of a struggling education system with high drop-out and repetition rates. Many regular school buildings do not meet accessibility standards, class sizes average 50 pupils and teachers use traditional pedagogy. Most significantly, financial investment is insufficient. 


Action through financing

Despite many progressive IE policies, the implementation was stopped, due to funding cuts in the aftermath of the 2009 political crisis.

Upon the ratification of the UNCRPD in 2015, the MEN (Ministry of National Education), reactivated the Platform on IE of which CBM is a member along with other international development partners, national education institutions, relevant ministries, parents, DPOs and NGOs. The IE Platform advises and collaborates with the MEN. 

Through on-going advocacy related to disability inclusive financing, the MEN has this year:
a)    Ensured examination modifications for children with special educational needs
b)    Supported the development of the Education Sector Plan (ESP; 2018 – 2022) with set targets on disability - 30% increased enrolment and to reduce late enrolment. 

The GPE contributed 100 million USD towards the ESP.  The funds will be used to support the:
  • Regional IE platforms
  • Regular in-service teacher training
  • Effective decentralization, for financial, logistical and human resource management.


CBM working with the MEN on achieving the ESP

The MAHAY IE Project led  CBM  partners from the Reform and Lutheran church education departments supports the ambitious ESP in three regions..  Achievements, thus far, include training for 92 mainstream teachers in IE and the development of minimum standards for accessibility and reasonable accommodation.

Success on disability inclusive education finance can be attributed to the values of Madagascar society and the determination of stakeholders. 
          
Photo: In this classroom, some students with disabilities receive more personalized attention. Kisiwandui primary school. Tanzania, April 2017 Credit: GPE/Chantal Rigaud

Disability and Inclusive Education in East and Southern Africa

- By Eleni Papakosta, Equity, gender equality and inclusion consultant, Global Partnership for Education

The recent report on Disability and Inclusive Education published by GPE’s Secretariat aims to document developing country partners’ commitments and plans to address the needs of children with disabilities within their education systems, through the lens of education sector plans and GPE funded grants. In total 51 out of the 65 developing country partners were selected to be part of the study; fourteen of the countries are in East and South Africa. 

The focus in the region regarding quality of teaching is on investment in teaching and learning materials (Eritrea, Kenya, Mozambique, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe), and in-service training (Comoros, Eritrea, Rwanda, Tanzania and Zambia). Strategies to improve the quality of teaching to respond to diversity include equipping teachers with better teaching material - inclusive education toolkits and guidance material (Tanzania), instructional workbooks in braille - instructional aids like abacuses (Kenya) and books in braille (Mozambique). Quality of learning activities are also included in ESPs, the most common strategy is adapting the curriculum to respond to the diverse learning needs of students and allow teachers to adapt lesson plans for all students to participate (Rwanda, South Sudan, Uganda, Zambia). 

Regarding equity, Ethiopia, Tanzania and Zimbabwe plan to offer incentives to encourage education in the form of scholarships, to cover medical and rehabilitation expenses, cost of transportation, mobility aids and appliances, and in some cases stipends for individuals to cover the costs of books and learning materials, thus reducing or eliminating barriers caused by school fees and other school-related costs. Somalia plans to increase enrolment of girls with disabilities. Improving school access is a strategic priority with a strong focus on accessible school construction, building new schools as well as renovating existing schools (Burundi, Comoros, Mozambique, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe). 
 
Comoros, Tanzania, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Uganda and Zimbabwe have received grants (ESPIGs) from GPE with components or activities funding interventions for disadvantaged or marginalized populations, including children with disabilities. Most of the activities in Comoros and Tanzania aim to provide equipment and learning material for children with disabilities. Eritrea’s grant focuses on equipping teachers with additional skills, while in Ethiopia it focuses on increasing the allocation of resources as well as curriculum reform and implementation. Uganda’s grant provides equipment and instructional materials and learning materials for children with disabilities while in Zimbabwe the grant aims to provide in-service training to teachers and teaching and learning material.

The report documents the progress and highlights the need for partners to increase support to developing country partners around disability and inclusive education, by ensuring girls and boys with disabilities can become empowered to participate fully in society. 

Access the presentation here

Why a Global Disability Summit in London 2018?

- By Ian Attfield, DFID

To catalyse major lasting change, the UK will host a Global Disability Summit on 24th July at London’s Olympic Park. The Summit seeks to galvanise the global effort to address disability inclusion in the world’s poorest countries, it will:
 
• Raise global attention and focus on a long-neglected area;
• Bring in new voices and approaches to broaden engagement;
• Mobilise new global and national commitments on disability;
• Showcase best practice and evidence from across the world.
 
In line with the principle of nothing about us, without us, DFID is co-hosting the Summit with the International Disability Alliance (IDA). The IDDC members, UN agencies and a whole raft of international stakeholders are involved, from Presidents to Oscar winners.
 
One of the four core themes will be inclusive education and will be the focus of a major plenary session to the 600+ strong delegates. This will showcase what is meant by truly inclusive education, be led by people with disabilities and feature world leaders who pledge to transform education systems and to put inclusive education policy into practice.
 
There will also be sessions and announcements to achieve a step-change in access and affordability of assistive devices that can support disabled learners achieve their full potential and action to dramatically increasing the availability of digital media for children with ‘print blindness’ and cognitive disabilities.  Marketplace stalls and a range of entertainment suggests the Summit and the preceding Civil Society Forum day on the 23rd will be an amazing and inspiring event. 
 
The Summit team would love to hear from IDDC members about potential commitments around inclusive education: a form is available to directly feed in information: https://goo.gl/forms/xaViZAUK5Yu0XJlu2 .

Disability inclusive education on centre stage in Africa 

-by Julia McGeown (Humanity & Inclusion)

In April, the Pan-African High-Level Conference on Education (PACE), co-hosted by the Africa Union and UNESCO, was held in Nairobi. The Conference brought together Ministers of Education from 54 African countries, as well as UN agencies & NGOs to evaluate progress towards the SDG4 and Continental Education Strategy for Africa (CESA 2016-2025).  A number of representatives from IDDC, including Humanity & Inclusion, Light for the World, CBM, plus key partners, namely the Africa Network Campaign for Education for All (ANCEFA) and the West Africa Federation of the Disabled (WAFOD) made their voices heard.
 
Humanity & Inclusion highlighted one aspect of an inclusive education system that is critical for scale up: compulsory inclusive education pre-service teacher training drawing on experiences of Burkina Faso and Madagascar. Light for the World focused on the need for increased investment in disability inclusive education to ensure systemic reform and meeting the specific needs of girls and boys with disabilities. The presentation prompted some thought provoking responses. For example, the regional forum for albinism on the security of children with albinism, stigma and treatment for children with epilepsy and lack of adequate investment.  

These comments were taken-up in the outcome document – The Nairobi Declaration and Call for Action on Education - which has several specific mentions on disability in section four, eg. 

Ensuring that education sector planning effectively addresses… all forms of exclusion, including among others disabilities and albinism, and that data and indicator systems are adequately disaggregated…. (4c)

This is a fantastic achievement for the disability inclusive education community in Africa. 

Global Disability Summit Info

Upcoming Events

  • 23-24 July: UK Disability Summit in London
  • 6-7 August: C20 Summit, Buenos Aires City: The C20 Summit is the civil society engagement event linked to the G20. At the G20 aid to education and International Funding Facility on Education will be discussed. This the time that education is on the agenda at the G20. There is also an education working group to which CBM and Light for the World are giving input to. 
  • USAID is organising three webinars on Disability Inclusive Education in Africa Policy, Data & Evidence (September 4), Management Capacity Needs and Finance Systems (September 18) and Strengthening the service Delivery System (October 2). Click here to register: http://tinyurl.com/yaakbm2o

Must reads

Tools

  1. Findings from Disability Stocktake Study - Eastern and Southern Africa (by Global Partnership for Education)
We highly appreciate feedback on this newsletter and input for the next edition. Please send to: inclusive-education@light-for-the-world.org

Imprint

© 2018 IDDC and Light for the World
Responsible for the content: IDDC Inclusive Education Task Group (IE TG)
Editor: Nafisa Baboo (Light for the World - IE TG)
With support from: Sian Tesni (CBM – IE TG), Julia McGeown (Humanity & Inclusion - IE TG)
Supported in part by a grant from Open Society Foundations.
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