Inclusive Education : Policy paper - Hiproweb.org

Importance, context and definitions
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In terms of achieving inclusion in education
for children with disabilities, the three texts
elaborated below are currently the most
influential at international level. National
level policy frameworks are largely guided by
these and Handicap International’s inclusive
education work must also correspond to
their frameworks and goals.
The International Convention on the
Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)
The International Convention on the Rights
of Persons with Disabilities, and in particular
article 24 12 , is a key document for Handicap
International’s education work in terms of
advocacy and good practice on the inclusion
of children with disabilities in education.
Article 24 sets out five clear statements
referring to equal and non-discriminatory
opportunities to life-long learning, social
development and participation within the
community for learners with disabilities, to
which governments (should they sign and
ratify the Convention) are legally committed.
The Millennium Development Goals
The second and third Millennium
Development Goals 13 are to ‘[e]nsure that,
by 2015, children everywhere, boys and girls
alike, will be able to complete a full course
of primary schooling’ and to [e]liminate
gender disparity in primary and secondary
education, preferably by 2005, and in all
levels of education no later than 2015’. Most
international agencies are focussing heavily
on these important targets, especially given
the approaching deadline of 2015. Given
its narrow focus on Universal Primary
Education, there appears to be a growing
commitment to the Education for All goals
which take a more holistic view on education
from early years education through to
adulthood studies.
The Education For All goals
The six EFA goals 14 are
1. Expand early childhood care and
education
2. Provide free and compulsory primary
education for all
3. Promote learning and life skills for young
people and adults
4. Increase adult literacy by 50%
5. Achieve gender parity by 2005 and
gender equality by 2015
6. Improve the quality of education.
Handicap International’s work towards
the inclusion of children with disabilities
in education contributes to the
implementation of the International
Convention on the Rights of Persons with
Disabilities, the achievement of the second
and third Millennium Development Goals
(MDG) of Universal Primary Education
and gender parity, and the broader goals
stipulated by the Education for All (EFA)
plans.
Through advocacy and collaboration at
international, national and field levels,
Handicap International is currently
promoting the adherence to an inclusive
approach to the MDG and EFA goals.