Objective III of the Draft Program of Action: Education

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Objective III of the Draft Program of Action
Education

• Comments by
• Diane Richler
• President,
• Inclusion International

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Draft Program of Action Objective Re Education

• To guarantee for persons with disabilities an
  inclusive education of quality, as well as the
  technical and professional training to allow
  their incorporation into productive activity

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Specific Measures Re Education

•  
• a.      To incorporate children and young people
  with special educational needs into the
  mainstream educational system.
• b.      To provide inclusive educational
  institutions with the necessary resources to meet
  the special educational needs of their students.

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Specific Measures Re Education

• c.      To bring about the eradication of
  physical barriers that hinder access to all
  levels of education for students with special
  needs associated with their disabilities, as a
  requirement for conducting inclusive educational
  activities.
• d.      To promote ongoing, specialized training,
  both on-site and through distance learning
  arrangements, of teachers at all educational
  levels to encourage the development of inclusion
  policies.

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Specific Measures Re Education

• e.      To develop specific curricular
  adaptations, by type of disability, for an
  effective response to the special educational
  needs of students with disabilities.
• f.        To design and execute educational
  programs using new information and communications
  technologies to meet the special educational
  needs associated with disability.
• g.      To ensure the inclusion of curriculum
  content on disability issues that promotes
  respect for diversity, equality, and
  nondiscrimination.

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United Nations Convention on the Rights of
Persons with Disabilities

• Will be adopted by UN General Assembly December
  13, 2006
• And will guarantee

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• The right of persons with disabilities to
  education
• That persons with disabilities are not excluded
  from the general education system on the basis of
  disability
• That persons with disabilities can access an
  inclusive, quality and free primary education and
  secondary education

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• In order to help ensure the realization of this
  right, States Parties shall take appropriate
  measures to employ teachers, including teachers
  with disabilities, who are qualified in sign
  language and/or Braille, and to train
  professionals and staff who work at all levels of
  education

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• States Parties shall ensure that persons with
  disabilities are able to access general tertiary
  education, vocational training, adult education
  and lifelong learning

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Implications of the UN Convention for the
Decade of the Americas for People with
Disabilities

• Eliminate legislative or constitutional barriers
  to children with disabilities being included in
  the regular education system.

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This may mean

• i. Introducing a constitutional guarantee
  of free and compulsory basic education to all
  children
• ii. Introducing legislation aimed at
  ensuring the rights of people with disabilities
• iii.Ensuring that legislation prohibiting
  discrimination in employment is adopted and
  enforced. This will enable children with
  disabilities to become teachers

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• 2. Ensure that one Ministry is responsible for
  the education of all children

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This may mean

•    i. Amending legislation so that the Ministry
  of Education is responsible for all children and
  that children with a disability are not the
  responsibility of another Ministry or agency

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• 3. Ensure that one school system is responsible
  for the education of all children in their region

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This may mean

•  
•  i. Amalgamating budgets and administration of
  special education and regular education within a
  geographical area
• ii. Adopting legislation and policy to promote
  inclusion of all students in the regular
  education system

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• 4. Transform existing special education
  resources special schools or classes into
  resources to assist the regular system

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This may mean

•  
• i.  Training special educators to serve as
  resources to regular teachers
• ii. Transferring students from special
  programs to regular classes supported by the
  resource staff
• iii.  Revising testing methods to ensure
  that accommodation is made for students with
  disabilities
•  

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• 5. Provide pre-service and in-service training to
  teachers so that they can respond to diversity in
  the classroom.

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This may mean

•  
• i.Training teachers in classroom techniques
  such as differentiated instruction and
  cooperative learning
•  

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• 6. Provide training to educational
  administrators and support staff on how to
  respond to individual student needs

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This may mean

•  
• i. i. Providing models of practice that provide
  support such as school-based support teams and
  other such approaches
• i.      ii. Regular access to new knowledge on
  school and classroom best practices
•  

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• 7. Ensure that conditions that constrain
  teachers to teach inclusively are addressed.

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This may mean

• i.  Addressing class size
• ii.  Revising and adapting curriculum content
• iii. Ensuring school buildings and materials are
  accessible to children with disabilities

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•                                                   
                         8. Invest in inclusive
  early childhood care and education (ECCE)
  programmes, which can lay the foundation for
  lifelong inclusion of children with disabilities
  in both education and society.

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This may mean

• i. Including ECCE in key government resource
  documents such as national budgets, sector plans

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Implications for Governments

• Create a planning process involving regular
  education system, special education system and
  representatives of DPOs and family organization
• Establish clear priorities and timelines
• Support participation by DPOs and family
  organizations

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Implications for OAS Institutions

• Support Ministers of Education by developing
  mechanisms for sharing information about progress
  and best practice in different countries
• Develop a mechanism to provide for civil society
  participation in regional processes

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Implications for Organizations of People with
Disabilities and Family Organizations

• Develop capacity in participation in education
  system
• Provide support to families on how to collaborate
  with the education system
• Collaborate with governments and OAS to share
  best practice