Education For All Fast Track Initiative (EFA FTI) and Children with Disabilities Why does Education for All have to be Inclusive Education? Education For All Fast Track Initiative (EFA FTI) and Children with Disabilities Natasha Graham Education Specialist, EFA-FTI Secretariat

Education For All Fast Track Initiative (EFA FTI) and Children with Disabilities 1. What is Education For All- Fast Track Initiative? 2. EFA-FTI and children with disabilities. 3. Education sector plans and the inclusion of children with disabilities 4. Global and Regional Activities Program (GRA) overview

What is the EFA FTI? The Education for All - Fast Track Initiative (EFA FTI) is a global partnership between donor and low-income partner countries, multilateral organizations and civil society to ensure quality basic education for all children. All low-income countries which demonstrate serious commitment to achieve universal primary completion can receive support from EFA FTI. EFA-FTI Partnership was established in EFA FTI has provided around US$ 2 billion in financial support (2004 – 2010).

FTI Partners FTI Partners fall into four categories: 1. Developing Country Partners with an endorsed education plan; 2. Donors; 3. Multilateral agencies; 4. CSOs, the private sector and private foundations and other stakeholders working in education and involved in the EFA FTI discussions.

Which countries are in the FTI Partnership? Countries in orange: Low-income partner countries Countries in blue: Donor countries

The following countries have joined the Fast-Track Initiative: Afghanistan Albania Benin Bhutan Burkina Faso Cambodia Cameroon Central African Republic Djibouti Ethiopia Gambia Georgia Ghana Guinea Guinea Bissau Guyana Haiti Honduras Kenya Kyrgyz Republic Lao People’s Democratic Republic Lesotho Liberia Madagascar Malawi Mali Mauritania Mongolia Mozambique Nepal Nicaragua Niger Papua New Guinea Republic of Moldova Rwanda Sao Tome and Principe Senegal Sierra Leone Tajikistan Timor-Leste Togo Uganda Viet Nam Yemen Zambia

What Support does EFA FTI Offer? Technical Support Financial Support Knowledge Sharing: EFA FTI provides a global platform for sharing experience on what works and what does not (regarding strategies, donor coordination, country processes, etc.) Capacity-Building Education Implementation Grants (EIGs) Education Plan Development Grants (EDGs) Program Development Grants (PDGs) Global and Regional Activities Grants (GRAs)

Accomplishments of FTI-endorsed countries 19.3 Million more children enrolled in primary school between 2002 and 2008 in FTI countries around the world. The number of children enrolled in African FTI countries went up 50%. In non-FTI countries the increase was 27%. More than 300,000 teachers were hired in FTI-endorsed countries between 2002 and 2008 with support from FTI’s main trust fund Between 2004 and 2010, FTI helped to build around 30,000 classrooms, provided more than 200 million textbooks and granted over two billion dollars in financial aid to developing countries EFA FTI is not only about financing: it helps donors and developing country partners work together to ensure that education aid is better coordinated and more effective, based on countries’ own education strategies.

EFA and Children with Disabilities or Who is being left behind? Estimates for the number of children living with disabilities range between 93 million and 150 million Many of these children are excluded from mainstream education Inclusive mainstream schools provide a cost effective way forward What is Inclusive Education?

Definitions: Inclusive Education 2 meanings behind the concept of “Inclusive Education” (1)Including all children in education (means ALL – 100% - not only those deemed educable (2) Developing mainstream schools so that they can provide relevant teaching for ALL children, that is “Inclusive Education”

Inclusive Education: an EFA Strategy for ALL Children Can’t reach EFA without children with disabilities Financially and practically impossible to create separate education system Inclusive education can provide better education for all

Debate around Inclusion or where do we stand? the exception rather than the rule. There is strong evidence that the inclusion of children with disabilities in mainstream schools advances universal primary education, is cost effective and contributes to the elimination of discrimination Effective policy to provide education for children with disabilities is the exception rather than the rule HOWEVER

Education Sector Plans and Children with Disabilities Establishment of SNE unit within MOE; Strategy and/or implementation plan; Center within school; Teacher training; Learning materials/equipment/curriculum; Access to school buildings/classrooms; Situation analysis; Disability data; Capacity building; Parents/community education, involvement and awareness.

Priorities with respect to disability in EFA-FTI Most of the 44 countries receiving support through the FTI partnership mention children with disabilities in their education sector plans either as a specific target group or in the context of educating children with special needs, disadvantaged, vulnerable or marginalized groups or children. Half of these countries presented mainstreaming or inclusion as a policy option for the provision of education to children with disabilities. Creation of databases on children with disabilities and special needs through surveys and screening was among the strategies most frequently mentioned in the education sector plans. Countries express the need to develop screening methodologies and systems at school, regional and national level as well as through specific studies to identify causes of low school participation.

No Data=No Policy or No Data Bad Policy Disability data Policy planning Monitoring Implementation Evaluation

Why measure disability? (1)Monitoring the level of functioning in a population (understanding the scope, evaluating interventions) (2)Strategically designing service provision (i.e. designing a program for children with vision problems – need to know how many are blind, how many with limited vision, how many with correctable problems) --ESPs and children with disabilities (3)Assessing the equalization of opportunity (barriers to participation- employment, education, etc.)

Children with disabilities and EFA  A number of system-wide interventions are needed, including legislation, policy, national plans, funding, as well as school and community interventions  Despite the production of a multitude of guides and studies globally, the commitment, resources, guidance and support to adapt these into operational, national strategies are insufficient

Many countries=Similar Problems No data=No Policy -Lack of data for Policy and Program planning Kenya: “lack of clear guidelines on the implementation of an all inclusive education policy, lack of reliable data on children with special needs, inadequate tools and skills in identification and assessment, and curriculum that is not tailored to learners with special needs” LAO PDR: “lack of reliable and relevant disability data prevent the Ministry of Education from making rational decisions on education development, planning, budgeting and management.”

Global and Regional Activities (GRA) Program GRA is a new program designed to finance global and regional activities through EFA Fund. The program is organized to address 3 thematic areas: – Learning Outcomes – Out of School children - >Disability – Education Financing GRA will contribute to knowledge and good practice sharing among EFA-FTI partners

EFA-FTI Partnership Case study of collaboration in the area of inclusion of children with disabilities in EFA Cambodia Methodology development for disability data collection and service provision (FTI, UNICEF, HIB) Disability Partnership Operational support to UNICEF (disability expertise) UNICEF/Child Friendly Schools Develop and pilot inclusive education module as part of CFS in a select number of countries UNICEF/MICS - Pilot (scale up)methodolog y in 5 countries -Develop guidelines - training manuals -Develop capacity to -scale up as part of MICS 5 UNICEF/MICS - Pilot (scale up)methodolog y in 5 countries -Develop guidelines - training manuals -Develop capacity to -scale up as part of MICS 5 GRA Global Good Practice Team (FTI Secretariat) UNICEF/UIS Out of School Initiative Disability chapter and methodology in the global report on out of school children UNICEF/UIS Out of School Initiative Disability chapter and methodology in the global report on out of school children

EFA and Children with Disabilities Goal of parent: – A child with disability will attend the same school as his/her siblings – Be included in age appropriate regular classes – With non-disabled peers Desired indicators: – Every child will be welcomed at the neighborhood school – Every child will benefit from the social and academic stimulation of education with her/her peers – Every school will develop strategies of support to make this approach successful.

Inclusive Education: an EFA Strategy for ALL Children THANK YOU FOR HELPING TO GET ALL CHILDREN IN SCHOOL & LEARN For more information: