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Key Text Making Schools Inclusive: How Change Can Happen

Author: Helen Pinnock et. al.
Date: 2008
Size: 64 pages (4.1 MB)

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Summary

What can NGOs do to promote inclusiveness in the school systems of developing countries? This book uses the experience of Save the Children UK and its partners to identify what changes are needed for school systems to become inclusive of all children, and how these can be leveraged. The experience of national education teams working for Save the Children provides insight into the approaches that have worked best.

Cases from 14 developing and transition countries describe programmes that:

target specific groups of vulnerable children
build inclusive school communities
promote change throughout the basic education system
address financial barriers to inclusive education.

The book considers experience from participatory school development tools; working with teachers; public campaigning and coalition building; and building the capacity of education officials. Exclusion factors include disabled children's access to education, barriers facing ethnic and linguistic minorities, gender issues and poverty.

Even when funding levels are low, strategic work on a policy level has been effective when accompanied by demonstrations of practical, grassroots reform possibilities. Findings include the following:

Targeted provisions are needed to facilitate education for some groups of children. These should always be adopted in parallel with moves towards more flexible and welcoming schools for all children.
A child rights approach provides a ready and politically neutral framework, and links inclusiveness reforms to international commitments which many governments have already made.
Involving parents and community members, especially children, in education planning and management is key to developing schools which respond to the needs of all children.
With the right support, parents' groups and networks have become long-term forces for educational change, particularly where disabled children are excluded from good-quality schooling. Rapid evidence of success, however small, is often important in motivating parents.
Small grants for school development can jump-start efforts to get excluded children engaged in education, boosting community motivation. Yet government must ultimately provide ongoing resources to deliver longer term change.
Flexible and devolved models of school financing can contribute to inclusiveness and quality of education. More evidence and investigation is needed in this area.

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Source: Helen Pinnock et. al., 2008, 'Making Schools Inclusive: How Change Can Happen', Save the Children UK, London
Author: Helen Pinnock , h.pinnock[at]savethechildren.org.uk
Organisation: Save the Children, UK (SCUK), http://www.savethechildren.org.uk/