What is Inclusive Education?

Source: Julien Harneis

Inclusive Education (IE) is a continually evolving concept. Since the beginning of the 21st century, UNESCO defines inclusive education as “a process of addressing and responding to the diversity of needs of all learners through increasing participation in learning, cultures and communities, and reducing exclusion within and from education”. This means education systems should strive to educate all children equally according to their needs and abilities, to provide them with equal opportunities. It requires a common vision for all children, and a conviction that it is the responsibility of the regular system to educate all children, regardless of their abilities. This view of education involves changes and modifications in content, approaches, structures and strategies.

Previously, IE was simply understood as the sum of initiatives and efforts in favour of specific groups or targeted categories (e.g. girls; migrants; children with special needs; the poor; ethnic, linguistic, social, and religious minorities). Particularly, IE was often closely associated with special needs education – the focus was primarily on integration, not inclusion. Many countries still struggle to move away from this association and towards the progressive understanding of inclusive education as the provision of quality learning opportunities for all learners. For example, this understanding persists in parts of Europe, where the approaches and responses given to students’ needs are mostly remedial and corrective.  In North America, IE still frequently refers to processes of including students with disabilities in mainstream schools.

In 2008, at UNESCO’s 48th International Conference on Education (ICE), inclusive education was agreed upon as a way to achieve quality, equitable learning opportunities for all learners, providing a holistic approach to the design, implementation, monitoring and assessment of educational policies for achieving Education for All (EFA). As such, the ICE outcomes have broadened the conceptualisation of inclusive education to “a general guiding principle to strengthen education for sustainable development, lifelong learning for all and equal access of all levels of society to learning opportunities”.

This broadened vision was emphasised as a way to overcome a narrow conceptualisation and implementation of EFA that focused on access to primary school education and considering equity and quality as separate dimensions of education, when in fact they go hand-in-hand. Moreover, this broadened understanding is grounded in the belief that education is a fundamental human right. This process involves learning how to engage with and value diversity, and how diversity can foster learning, as well as strengthen education systems and communities to attain more inclusive societies.

Thus, inclusive education is now seen as a principle to guide all educational policies and practices, intertwining different dimensions (access, processes, participation and learning outcomes), levels (formal, non-formal, adult education) and units (national frameworks, curricula, schools, classrooms, teachers and learners).  Based on the belief that education is a fundamental human right and the foundation for a more just society, inclusive education can be seen as a process of strengthening the capacity of an education system to reach out to all learners, recognising and engaging them as participants in communities and society.

To learn more about Inclusive Education, here are a few articles and websites you may be interested in checking out:

• UNESCO, Guidelines for inclusion. Ensuring Access to Education for All. Paris, UNESCO, 2009.
• UNESCO-IBE – 48th session of the International Conference on Education website
• UNESCO-IBE – Inclusive Education website
• Inclusive Education in Action project
• 10 Questions about Inclusive Education – UNESCO

For our younger readers:

• Kids Together Inc. – Benefits of Inclusive Education

If you have any questions or thoughts about Inclusive Education and what it means, don’t hesitate to share or ask us in the comments!

Understanding UNESCO’s 4 Pillars of Education

Source: The Advocacy Project

In 1990, the World Conference on Education for All (Jomtien, Thailand) launched the “Education for All” movement, a precursor to the Education for All goals set in 2000. One of the most important outcomes of this meeting was the notion of lifelong learning, to be supported by four pillars of knowledge:

1. Learning to know, by combining broad general knowledge with the opportunity to work in depth on a small number of subjects. This also means learning to learn, to benefit from the opportunities education provides throughout life. It aims to provide individuals with the cognitive tools required to better comprehend the world and its complexities, and an adequate foundation for future learning.

2. Learning to be, to develop one’s personality and act with greater autonomy, judgement and personal responsibility. The aim is to provide individuals with the self analytical and social skills to develop to their fullest potential. Accordingly, education must not disregard any aspect of a person’s potential, including memory, reasoning, aesthetic sense, physical capacities and communication skills.

3. Learning to do, to acquire not only occupational skills but also, more broadly, the competence to deal with many situations and work in teams. It also means learning to do in the context of young people’s various social and work experiences. These can be informal, as a result of the local or national context, or formal, involving courses, alternating study and work. This pillar aims to provide individuals with the skills to effectively participate in the global economy and society.

4. Learning to live together, by developing an understanding of other people and an appreciation of interdependence – carrying out joint projects and learning to manage conflicts – with respect for the values of pluralism, mutual understanding and peace. This exposes individuals to the values implicit within human rights, democratic principles, intercultural understanding and respect, and peace in society and human relationships. It enables individuals and societies to live harmoniously.

Lifelong learning is central to these four pillars of knowledge; they cannot be anchored solely in one phase in a person’s life or in a single place. When and what to teach should be complementary and interrelated in such a way that all people can get the most out of their specific educational environment throughout their lives. Unfortunately, many education systems around the world still emphasize the acquisition of knowledge over other types of learning. As promoted by UNESCO and many others, a more holistic approach to education is needed to enable each and every person to become a lifelong learner.

To learn more about the 4 pillars of education, check out the following resources:

• The 4 Pillars of Education – UNESCO
• Four ‘Pillars of Learning’ for the Reorientation and Reorganization of Curriculum: Reflections and Discussions

Do you agree with these 4 pillars of education? Would you add or change anything? Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

World AIDS Day – the importance of HIV/AIDS education

December 1st celebrates World AIDS day. The aim is to bring people together, raise awareness about HIV/AIDS and demonstrate international solidarity in the face of this pandemic. Between 2011-2015, World AIDS Days will have the theme of “Getting to zero: zero new HIV infections. Zero discrimination. Zero AIDS related deaths”. The campaign’s focus on “Zero AIDS related deaths” signifies a push towards greater access to treatment for all and a call for governments to act now.

The AIDS epidemic has been around for 30 years, and education remains one of the main ways to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS. Nelson Mandela once said: “Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world. It is also a weapon that the world cannot do without in the fight against AIDS. Education saves lives.” The effectiveness of education as an HIV prevention strategy, which the World Bank calls the “window of hope”, rests upon two key components:

1. greater access to schooling; and
2. using schools as a natural place to reach young people with AIDS education and life skills training – practical tools that help them stay safe.

UNAIDS, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, claims that if every child received a complete primary education, at least 7 million new cases of HIV could be prevented in a decade. Recognising the vital role of the education sector in the national response to AIDS, the UNAIDS Committee of Cosponsoring Organizations launched EDUCAIDS in March 2004. It seeks to promote, develop and support comprehensive education sector responses to HIV and AIDS.

EDUCAIDS has two primary goals: to prevent the spread of HIV through education; and to protect the core functions of the education system from the worst effects of the epidemic. EDUCAIDS has also been designated by UNESCO’s Executive Board as one of three core UNESCO initiatives to achieve Education for All (EFA).

What has worked? The most successful strategy for increasing access to education and lowering HIV vulnerability, particularly for girls, has been the elimination of school fees, which otherwise put education out of reach for many families. In Tanzania, the removal of school fees more than doubled primary school enrollment. Kenya saw enrollment jump by 22% in the first week alone with their abolition. In Uganda, girls’ school enrollment leapt by over 30% when school fees were dropped, including a near doubling for the poorest economic fifth of girls.

Many useful tools exist to incorporate HIV/AIDS education into school curricula. For example, UNESCO-IBE has developed a manual with the goal to improve teaching and learning on HIV & AIDS in official basic education curricula. It provides a set of tools to support the development and adaptation of quality teaching and learning material for HIV & AIDS education, as well as teacher training. UNAIDS also promotes the need to mainstream HIV and AIDS in the education sector to ensure that addressing HIV and AIDS is not an add-on or a separate activity but an integral part of education sector policies, strategies and actions – but this remains a challenge in many countries.

To learn more about HIV/AIDS education and how education can help in the battle against HIV/AIDS, visit the following links:

• UNAIDS website
• About EDUCAIDS
• UNESCO: HIV and AIDS Education (points of interest: tools and good practices)
• UNESCO-IBE: Programme for HIV & AIDS education
• UNAIDS publication: Educate Girls – Fight AIDS

Did your school provide any HIV/AIDS education? Who do you think has the primary responsibility for educating people about HIV/AIDS? Thanks for sharing your thoughts in the comments!

Happy World AIDS day and remember – education saves lives!

UNESCO funding cuts – highlighting internal inefficiencies

On October 31, 2011, UNESCO voted to grant full membership to Palestine. As a response, the United States and Canada immediately cut funding, while Israel froze it’s funding a few days later. That’s nearly a quarter of UNESCO’s funds! According to UNESCO’s Director-General, the withholding of the US contribution for 2011 alone means a funding shortfall of $65 million.

On a side note, it is interesting to see that many news agencies referred to UNESCO as “the UN cultural organisation”. This way of describing UNESCO demonstrates how many people do not really know all that UNESCO does or stands for. Like this reference, many people associate UNESCO with its cultural heritage sites – a much more visible side of the organization.

But this is not where funding cuts are most likely to have the biggest impact. UNESCO officials said the cuts would principally hit new undertakings and ongoing running costs such as travel, publications and communications. But it will also affect staff and programme funding, leaving fewer people to do more work. This is not new as funding cuts have taken place recently due to the recession. What these cuts are highlighting, however, is the inefficiency that emerges from politics and bureaucracy. Just like the decision of the US to cut funding was highly political (and partially legal as well – American law bars contributions to organizations that grant membership to territories that are not internationally recognized as states), so are many decisions within the UN. Just like in government, political appointees are there because they know the right people, not because they know the right stuff.

Unfortunately, this leads to tensions and internal inefficiency, which in turn affects an organization’s ability to carry out its mandate and meet its objectives. Did you know that sometimes organizations don’t use all of their funding? There is certainly not a lack of work to do; rather, it is just managed too inefficiently. Too often, dedicated professionals are hindered by inefficient management. In turn, this leads donors to cut their funding; why give when the money is not being used?

Membership dues paid by the US alone account for about a fifth of UNESCO’s annual budget. So how do such cuts affect educational programmes? UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova said “the announced withholding of U.S. dues owed for 2011 will immediately affect our ability to deliver programmes in critical areas: achieving universal education, supporting new democracies and fighting extremism”.

According to the academic community, less funding will have the dual effect of locking out and driving away millions of children from school. For example, in Sub-Saharan Africa, funds to be channelled to arid and semi-arid lands and nomadic regions to sustain the feeding programs will be limited due to these funding cuts. The harsh choice for many disadvantaged groups will be to withdraw children from school to supplement household income. The potential consequences for the Education for All goals and Millennium Development Goals are dire.

For more information about the funding cuts and their effects on educational programmes, you may be interested in reading the following articles:

• The Global Economic Crisis: Setbacks to Educational Agenda for the Minority in Sub-Saharan Africa
• Programmes will suffer from U.S. funds cut – UNESCO
• US cuts UNESCO funds over vote for Palestinian seat
• Canada: UNESCO Funding Cut
• Israel freezes UNESCO funding
• CNN – The irony of America cutting UNESCO funds

Given the current economic situation, funding is not likely to increase any time soon. What suggestions do you have for organizations such as UNESCO to better utilize their limited funds or to seek new sources of funding? Thanks for sharing your thoughts and ideas in the Comments.

Addressing the gender gap in the teaching profession

Source: Amanda Lasik, 2011 Peace Fellow for BERDO

Teaching has historically been viewed as a “woman’s job” – a perception that still dominates the profession today. This ‘feminization’  has resulted in a significant, and growing, gender gap in the teaching profession. Data from the UNESCO Institute of Statistics (UIS) indicates that the proportion of women in the teaching profession has grown globally, from 56% to 62% since 1990. This widening gap is a global issue, afflicting developed countries as much as developing countries.

But these statistics only show a global picture and leave out many details; different gender issues affect different levels of education, as well as different countries and regions. The gender gap usually refers to a lack of male teachers, which is predominantly the case in early childhood and primary education due to the historical perception that women are the primary caregivers. However, it’s interesting to note that in many developing countries, there is a shortage of female teachers, particularly at secondary and tertiary levels and in subjects such as science and maths. For example, in sub-Saharan Africa, only 42% of teachers are women (UIS). A shortage of female teachers is more often the case in societies that are more conservative about women’s rights (e.g. in the Middle East). A shortage of female teachers in particular subjects can be explained by the historical perception of these (e.g. science, math, etc) as ‘male subjects’.

One would expect that because the profession is largely dominated by women, the system would be in their favour. However, gender inequality remains a critical issue in many areas, particularly concerning pay equity, benefits, opportunities, violence against teachers and discrimination. Even if measures to ensure gender equality are enshrined into the policies and constitutions of many states, for millions of female teachers, the goals remain unfulfilled.

Why is a gender-balanced teaching staff necessary? One reason is because it’s important for learners to have both male and female role models to look up to. But the challenge is more than one of numbers. The quality of teachers and teaching is also essential to good learning outcomes. This implies an education system that attracts and retains a well-trained, motivated, effective and gender-balanced teaching staff.

And how is the UN involved in this issue? For example, UNESCO works to support gender equity in education, in terms of access and achievement, through:

• partnership with key organizations;
• research; and
• production of guidelines and policy briefs (e.g.: The ILO/UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers).

Capacity development and awareness-raising are also essential to empower both men and women teachers to be both effective practitioners and gender advocates. Another example is that UNESCO uses World Teachers’ Day on October 5th to raise awareness about issues that face the teaching profession, such as gender equality.

To learn more about the gender gap in the teaching profession, check out the following resources:

• Global Education Digest 2010 – Focus on Gender
• Teachers and Educational Quality: Monitoring Global Needs for 2015
• Percentage of Female Teachers
• Speaking out about the teacher shortage and what to do about it in Africa (radio)

Do you, or did you, have primarily female teachers or male teachers? What kind of impact do you think this has/had on your education? Share your thoughts in the comments!

How the United Nations contributes to raising teachers’ status

Source: Ramadian Bachtiar/CIFOR

Teaching has long been, and still remains today, a primarily female-dominated profession. This can be linked to two main reasons:

1. in most traditional societies, caring for, educating and raising children, has usually been the responsibility of the mother, resulting in the feminization of the teaching profession;
2. the teaching profession has been, and is sometimes still, associated with a lower status, which can be linked to low salaries, poor working conditions and many other issues.

In some societies, those two reasons can sometimes create a vicious cycle, e.g. where women have a perceived inferior status, and as teachers are predominantly women, the teaching profession is subjected to the same misperception as being of inferior status. Yet, in other societies, while the teaching profession is held in high esteem, it is still often seen as a ‘woman’s job’.

What does the UN have to do with this issue? Among its top priorities, UNESCO works to raise the status of teachers, specifically through the promotion and dissemination of the two UNESCO and International Labour Organization (ILO) normative instruments concerning the status of teaching personnel (1966 and 1997). The Joint ILO/UNESCO Committee of Experts on the Application of the Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers (CEART) monitors the implementation of these Recommendations. But ‘recommendations’ are all these are – they are not legally binding or enforceable.

So how can they influence change? Well, all Member States of the ILO and UNESCO, whether or not they voted for the Recommendations or approved them, are obliged to be familiar with their provisions and have been invited to apply them in their respective countries. So a Recommendation may have a persuasive effect.

In fact, some people consider that the UNESCO-ILO Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers adopted in 1966 has essentially served as a “charter of rights” for teachers worldwide! This is so significant that the 5th of October, the anniversary of its signing, became the date chosen for World Teachers’ Day.

But what exactly do these organizations do? For example, UNESCO and ILO support the Recommendations by

• organizing seminars at all levels (e.g. local, regional, national, international) in which representatives of government, teachers’ organizations and private school employers agree on strategies for concrete action to improve the conditions of teachers;
• undertaking case studies and statistical studies which highlight current issues and practice; and
• providing information and technical advice to countries’ educational authorities and teachers’ organizations on changes in laws, regulations, and practices affecting teachers.

You can learn more about what UNESCO and ILO do to raise the status of teachers here:

• http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0016/001604/160495e.pdf
• http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0015/001509/150949e.pdf

But recommendations can only take us so far. While it is a foundation on which to build, all of the work the United Nations does can only take us part of the way. Change has to come from within each system, within each country.

Teachers face diverse challenges, and addressing those challenges with the appropriate support requires that the status of the teaching profession be elevated. The vital role of teachers and the teaching profession, and their potential for improving societies and individuals’ well-being must be acknowledged. That acknowledgement and understanding must then be turned into action.

Would you consider being a teacher? How would any of the issues mentioned play a role in your decision? What would you do to elevate the teaching profession to its rightful status? Share your thoughts and suggestions in the comments!

UNESCO World Teacher’s Day

Source: Charles Pieters

What does World Teacher’s Day tell us about the United Nations?

On October 5th, we’ll be celebrating World Teacher’s Day! According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), this day provides awareness, understanding and appreciation of teachers and the important work they do every day. Teachers around the world are often undervalued, underpaid and under-appreciated. Yet, teachers can play a big part in creating the kind of inclusive society we aspire to, and many deserve praise for striving for inclusion and quality in education without asking anything in return.

Did you know that over 100 countries observe World Teachers’ Day? Yet, if we ask anyone on the street today, or even on October 5th, most would not know about it unless they were somehow involved or very interested in education-related matters. After all, almost every other day is a World “something” Day or an International Day of “something”! (How many of you knew that October 2nd celebrates “International Day of Non-Violence”, October 15th is the “International Day of Rural Women”, and October 16th is “World Food Day”?)

So does it mean anything? Does it make a difference? And who actually knows about this? This is one of the main problems with the United Nations in relation to public awareness: their activities sound so broad, ‘international’ and ‘important’, and often they are! But typically, the only people who truly know what the United Nations is doing are those directly involved in, or affected by, its development and implementation. From the outside, it can look like a massive bureaucracy that loves to discuss issues but doesn’t often meet its grand, well-meaning objectives (or only very watered down versions of them). There are many reasons for this perception; for example, the large number of members and stakeholders involved, all with different opinions and very ambitious goals.

This lack of public awareness about UN activities, particularly in education, is one of the main reasons we decided to start this blog, and we aim to explore more of this. However, for now, let’s turn the focus back on Teachers, because, as mentioned, they do need to be recognized, and preferably not only once a year on October 5th!

This year, UNESCO focuses on Gender Equality, divided into two main themes:

1. the issue of gender distribution in the teaching profession (i.e. the much higher percentage of female teachers); and
2. the (very important) role of teachers in promoting gender equality in education and society.

Leading up to World Teacher’s Day, UNESCO is hosting an online forum to share experiences and good practices on these issues. Anyone can join the forum, share and read contributions and learn more about how education systems and teachers address gender equality and the gender-related issues that permeate education systems around the world.

The United Nations is a great source for exploring these issues, and there is an abundance of information and resources that can easily be accessed – if you know where to look. Today, you can start by checking out http://www.worldteachersday.org/int/ and http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/education-building-blocks/teacher-education/world-teachers-day/ to see what UNESCO does for World Teacher’s Day.

Education is a main building block for life and success and, teachers are the primary ‘builders’. They are the ones – whether consciously or unconsciously – who decide how and what knowledge, values, attitudes and skills to teach future generations. Quality inclusive teaching will have a positive impact no matter what environment or resources are available. Of course, there is no denying that the more support and resources are available, the more good a teacher can do, and the more impact quality inclusive education can have. However, gratitude does not cost anything and we can always show our appreciation for teachers.

These sites can start you off with some ideas of easy and free/affordable ways to show your gratitude, like hosting a “Thank you Breakfast” for a teacher:

• http://listplanit.com/2011/05/list-of-ways-to-show-teacher-appreciation/
• http://www.educationworld.com/a_admin/admin/admin308.shtml

What could YOU do to show a teacher that you appreciate his/her efforts? Share your suggestions in the comments!

Happy World Teacher’s Day!