Globally 240 million children have a disability. Compared to children without disabilities, children with disabilities are: 42% less likely to have foundational reading and numeracy skills; 49% more likely to have never attended school; 51% more likely to feel unhappy; 41% more likely to feel discriminated against; and 32% more likely to experience severe corporal punishment (UNICEF). Children with disabilities also face intersectional challenges with girls, the very poor, orphans and the geographically isolated being additionally discriminated against.
Despite widespread agreement on the importance of education for all, children with disabilities still miss out. They face persistent and systematic barriers to attending, progressing and learning in school preventing them from reaching their potential. They face stigma and discrimination with higher risks of bullying and violence. In addition, assessment methods can be alienating and inefficient resulting in poor and inaccurate data.
In Malawi, children with disabilities are less likely to enroll, more likely to drop out, and rarely receive the assistive devices they need to participate fully in school. Only 1.9% of children with disabilities report having access to assistive technology (UNICEF).
In Rwanda only 64.2% of children with disabilities are currently attending school.
In Zambia, less than 25% of children with disabilities access early education, and only 12% go on to complete secondary education.
The holistic nature of RISE addresses multiple areas of discrimination to give ALL children the best chance to access education and thrive in school.
1. Identification, screening and assessment - Children in school are assessed by trained teachers and local government staff. Some children are recognised as needing additional support in the classroom. Children that require further assessment are referred to hospitals for medical attention where trained volunteers support parents to navigate complex processes. Where necessary, devices are supplied and parents learn basic maintenance.
2. Teacher and school leader capacity strengthening - master trainers from Teacher Training Colleges deliver Inclusive Education training using government validated modules in topics such as identifying needs, individual education plans, and developing adjusted teaching and learning materials. Social emotional learning, gender responsiveness, positive reinforcement and safeguarding awareness are embedded within the training. Using locally-based master trainers embeds skills and knowledge into the system and practices are based on local context and resource availability.
3. Community engagement - raising awareness of the rights of children with disabilities, offering care and support for parents of children with disabilities, providing school governance training in inclusive education means communities are more sensitised and discrimination against all people with disabilities decreases.
Learning has spread in multiple ways across a variety of audiences:
Community level: community meetings, school open days and assemblies and participation in local sensitisation campaigns has increased awareness on the rights of people with disabilities.
National: participation in national campaigns e.g. 'Championing Disability Rights through Reporting and Action' campaign in Malawi; TV talk shows on inclusive education in collaboration with government and the National Council of Persons with Disabilities; Radio panel discussions on the rights of children with disabilities; Participation in national government workshops and technical working groups on inclusive education; Sharing of progress and learning at quarterly steering committee meetings with government staff.
International: Presentation by government officers at the Global Disability Summit; discussions with bilateral funders such as the World Bank; Social media posts and project blogs on LinkedIn, Facebook and websites; South-to-South study visits between programme staff and relevant government officers has led to improved skills and knowledge in assessment and identification of children with disabilities, and strategic engagements with policymakers, educators, learners and communities providing valuable insights to inform policy and practice.
RISE was created to improve access in mainstream schools for children with disabilities, particularly girls. RISE needed to be holistic to ensure schools were prepared, children were supported and communities were mobilised. The challenge is huge and we soon realised modifications were required.
School-based initial assessment - this screening, performed by trained teachers and supported by district inclusive education staff, established which children required further assessment at a specialist centre. The advantages of conducting the screening in schools included avoidance of a lengthy and expensive trip to a hospital for some, ownership by school staff of the process increasing their engagement and understanding of the children in their school that need additional support, and assessment in a familiar environment that is more comfortable for the children.
Hospital-based volunteers – the assessment process in hospitals is complex with a lack of information for parents in what it involves. Hospital volunteers, mostly nurses who also have relevant experience such as knowing sign language, have been recruited to support the parents to navigate the system ensuring they get the best care for their children.
When we reviewed the teacher training materials for inclusive education, we noticed that gender, social emotional learning and safeguarding were absent. As well as improving inclusive education pedagogy, we embedded these elements throughout the training.
Firstly, find out which ministry or department within your government supports education for children with disabilities – it is not always just the ministry of education. Identify with government what already exists for these children and where there are gaps that you may be able to fill. Sign an MoU and agree with government on where you will work.
Next, in the specified location, identify local organisations of people with disabilities and relevant government officers to help undertake a participatory needs assessment which will help map the prevalence of children with disabilities; the local screening and assessment capabilities; device availability such as spectacles, hearing aids and mobility aids; location of specialist centres; knowledge and skills of teachers and school leaders in inclusive education; audit of disability-friendly school infrastructure; and any community-level disability support groups.
Use this information to co-design with government staff and local disability experts a locally relevant holistic programme that supports children with disabilities back into mainstream school with a focus on girls. Ensure government staff are involved in project monitoring and adaptations to ensure relevance and promote ownership.
