About EENET
An Introduction to EENET
Introduction
EENET was initiated by Save the Children UK, in partnership with UK and international
non-governmental organisations, and research institutions. It is based in Educational
Support and Inclusion, School of Education, University of Manchester and was
funded initially by Atlas Alliance (Norway), Save the Children Sweden, Save
the Children UK and the Associazione Italiana Amici di Raoul Follereau (AIFO).
The UK Department for International Development (DfID) has also funded an EENET
research and dissemination project, which began in 2001 and will run until early
2005.
EENET provides access to a unique and broad-based body of expertise and experience
in the practice of inclusive education world wide. It is committed to prioritising
the needs of countries/organisations/individuals who have limited access to
basic information and resources. It recognises that education is much broader
than schooling. EENET is contributing to the development of inclusive and sustainable
education policy and practice by sharing relevant information and expericence.
Rationale
The following issues and concerns are being addressed:
- Integrated/Inclusive Education (IE) practitioners risk developing
their work in a vacuum, particularly in the South.
- Appropriate and locally-produced resource materials are urgently
needed in the South.
- Innovative work in the South has much to contribute to practice and
thinking internationally, but current structures prevent this from happening.
- Existing research, literature and conferences are often culturally
inappropriate and unaffordable.
- South-South and South-North information networks would help redress
the current imbalance in the flow of information from North to South.
- Major international donors are investing heavily in long-term
education/disability programmes in the South and there is very little debate
about the appropriateness of their interventions.
- There is a need to take a more comprehensive approach to the issues of exclusion/inclusion
such as gender, disability, poverty, HIV, emergencies, etc.
Objectives
- To disseminate appropriate documentation to teachers, marginalised groups,
parents, children, policy-makers, practitioners
- To promote South-South and South-North information flows.
- To establish a regular newsletter and to contribute to existing
newsletters.
- To strengthen local, national and regional resource and information
services
- To promote action research.
- To initiate seminars which aim to share experience and improve
practice in inclusive education.
- To promote the development of appropriate and quality international
training courses.
- To act as a broker for proposals by EENET members to develop
materials and publish articles.
Activities
- Production of an annual newsletter.
- Development of a comprehensive website.
- Analytical documentation of little known, but exciting programmes generated
through a process of action research.
- Production of a publication of case studies on the contributions of parents'
groups in IE.
- Information provision and advice service.
- Production/dissemination of innovative South-originated training materials.
Our vision is...
accessible information about inclusion in education is produced
and shared worldwide by those commited to promoting the education of all marginalised
groups and to combating exclusion
Our mission is...
to promote the sharing of information about the inclusion
of marginalised people in education worldwide.
Our values...
- we believe in the equal rights and dignity of all children, acknowledge
diversity across cultures and believe that inclusive education should respond
to this diversity;
- we recognise that education is much broader than schooling;
- we prioritise the needs of countries which have limited access to basic
information and resources;
- we seek to develop partnerships in all parts of the world.
In conducting our work...
- we adhere to the principles of the Salamanca Statement;
- we believe that access to education is a fundamental right;
- we recogise the intrinsic value of indigenous forms of education.
We are commited to...
- encouraging the effective participation of key stakeholders in
inclusive education;
- engaging with the difficulties caused by the global imbalance of
power;
- encouraging a critical and discerning response to all information and
materials circulated.
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Definition of Inclusive Education (IE)
Inclusive Education:
- Acknowledges that all children can learn;
- Acknowledges and respects differences in children: age, gender,
ethnicity, language, disability, HIV and TB status etc.;
- Enables education structures, systems and methodologies to meet
the needs of all children;
- Is part of a wider strategy to promote an inclusive
society;
- Is a dynamic process which is constantly evolving;
- Need not be restricted by large class sizes or a shortage of
material resources.
Definition developed for the IDDC seminar on IE,
Agra, 1998 |
About EENET
07/04/2004
