The Inclusive Education in Action website now presents a collection of important and interesting case studies from different areas of the world. These case studies can be a resource for international policy makers who are working to develop equity and equal opportunities within education systems globally.
The case studies available on the IEA website come from different regions of the world and describe diverse policy approaches taken to develop inclusive education systems.
The case study about implementing inclusive education and community-based rehabilitation, from Embu Diocese in Kenya, describes a pilot project organised with the aim of developing inclusive education in 30 schools. A key feature of the programme was the full involvement of local communities in the inclusion of all children. This meant that the inclusion policy was developed at the level of the school communities. Different groups defined their roles and worked to develop their own policies which complemented national policies.
The Waterfall Model for Providing Professional Development for Primary School Teachersfrom the Democratic Republic of Congo (DCR) aims to improve the quality of primary teaching and its relevance by adapting the content to the local socio-economic context. This initiative is rooted in an African reform movement that favours the development of competencies, as prescribed by the Basic Education in Africa Programme. This programme recommends moving from a knowledge-based approach to learning towards a competency-based approach.
A policy of inclusive education, aimed at Reaching the hard-to-reach, has become the entry point for child-friendly education in Lao People’s Democratic Republic. The system and individual schools focus on greater sensitivity to each learner’s needs, more concern for getting the fundamentals of learning ‘right’ and greater attention to the often difficult transition from one level of schooling to the next. This policy, involving a systematic programme of advocacy, situation analyses and pilot projects, has led to the development of national standards and sector development plans based on UNICEF's Child-Friendly Education (CFE). It has fostered strong partnerships that have helped CFE principles and dimensions become internalised throughout the education system.
Case studies are added regularly to the Inclusive Education in Action website. There is now an open call for case studies on the site. New case studies from all regions and countries presenting material on key policy development in the move towards inclusive education are welcomed for consideration.