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In Northern Uganda, girls aspire to secure livelihoods and economic independence. Yet, many girls drop out of school or complete their education without the practical skills and confidence to fulfil these aspirations.

The current education systems remain largely exam-oriented and insufficiently responsive to the lived realities of girls. This disconnect raises critical questions about how education systems can better support girls’ aspirations, strengthen their agency, and promote livelihood pathways in Northern Uganda.

The author argues that justice-oriented education would move beyond helping girls stay in school to ensuring learning that equips them with the skills, dignity, and opportunities needed to shape their own futures.

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Recent Echidna Global Scholar research in Zimbabwe found that training is the strongest predictor of whether teachers can actually put gender-responsive pedagogy (GPR) into practice, not teacher gender, years of experience, or school location. When teachers internalized GRP as part of their professional identity, inclusive routines were described as the norm rather than the exception. The challenge is not teacher motivation or willingness, but the availability of structured, ongoing support systems. In the absence of guidance, mentoring, and follow-up support, teachers reported reverting to traditional classroom dynamics that privilege more vocal or confident learners and reinforce stereotypical roles.

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With support from the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL), through a project funded by the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), Chad is embarking on an ambitious reform aimed at strengthening and expanding learning opportunities for young people and adults who are excluded from the formal education system. An important milestone has been reached with the completion of two national assessments. One message emerged clearly from the consultations: existing literacy and non-formal education programmes must evolve to better respond to learners’ needs while strengthening the capacities of those responsible for delivering quality education.

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In this blog, Isabella Kempf, Director of the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning, reflects on an Oxfam report from 2026:

“Oxfam asserts that we are moving towards an ‘era of global oligarchy’ marked by unprecedented concentrations of economic power. While Oxfam’s analysis focuses on the implications of oligarchic power for global health, taxation and international cooperation, these dynamics are also deeply connected to global trends in education: cuts of funding for education in international cooperation; growing inequality driven by the expansion of private education; and the declining prioritization of education as a human right and public good.”

Mrs Kempf also writes: “Another major trend reinforcing educational inequality is the privatization of education. ..In low- and middle-income countries, children from the richest 20% of households are 10 times more likely to attend private school than the poorest 20%, raising serious concerns about equitable access to quality education and the financial burden placed on low-income families. Closely related is the rapid expansion of shadow education in the form of private tutoring, often driven by neoliberal education policies. In countries such as Greece, Mauritius and Myanmar, over 70% of students across all grades reportedly participate in private tutoring.”

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For many children with disabilities in Malawi, going to school is only the first step. The greater challenge lies in whether the school environment is equipped to support their learning, participation and overall well-being. While inclusive education has gained momentum in recent years, many schools in Malawi still lack adequate adaptive resources, leaving learners to face barriers that prevent them from enjoying their right to education, contributing to national development and inspiring future generations.

In the blog from Link Education, the authors show the successes of the RISE project (Realising Inclusive and Safe Education Project). So far, the RISE Project has distributed 708 assistive devices to learners with disabilities, enabling them to participate more effectively in classroom activities and reducing obstacles to learning. In addition, the project has supported the operationalisation of 20 resource rooms in selected schools, equipping them with furniture, mattresses, toys and stationery to create safe, welcoming and supportive learning environments. These interventions particularly benefit girls with disabilities, who often face multiple layers of exclusion.

The authors note: “Achieving truly inclusive education, however, requires sustained commitment from everyone.”

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In the North West and South West regions of Cameroon, many children with different forms of disabilities have been unable to attend school for years due to insecurity, displacement, stigma, and the lack of adapted learning environments. In response, UNICEF, in partnership with the Cameroon Baptist Convention Health Services and the Presbyterian Community Rehabilitation Services, is working across affected communities to restore access to education through inclusive approaches.

Beyond access to learning spaces, the project focuses on creating an enabling environment, strengthening family and community support, and improving service delivery. Over 3,000 children have been screened in schools and Temporary Learning Spaces to identify disabilities and determine the specific support each child needs to learn. UNICEF has trained more than 82 teachers and facilitators working in schools and Temporary Learning Spaces on inclusive education practices, including Universal Design for Learning, basic Braille and sign language, and psychosocial support for children affected by conflict and trauma. While progress has been made, the needs remain immense. Less than half of children with disabilities are currently accessing the services they require, particularly in crisis-affected settings.

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In China at least five million children have a disability. Significant numbers of children with disabilities continue to learn in separate special education facilities, and the vast majority of abandoned children living in institutions have a disability.

The campaign aims to challenge stigma, increase public understanding of disability, and create more inclusive environments for children in schools, health centres and communities. The campaign therefore calls for children with disabilities to live with families and study in mainstream schools, wherever possible.

UNICEF youth representative Zhao Chen led an interactive session highlighting the shift from accessibility to inclusion.

“Every child, with or without disabilities, deserves equal access to learning, social participation and the chance to fulfil their potential”, he said, “While kindness matters, real inclusion requires us to set aside bias, so that everyone can live with mutual respect and participate in society equally.”

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In Rwanda, as in many under-resourced countries, deaf people are often left isolated, unable to communicate beyond their immediate family. World Jewish Relief encountered this reality during recruitment for people with disabilities for a livelihoods-focused agricultural project in Rwanda’s Eastern Province. The local partner, Farm Master Services, identified 12 individuals with profound hearing impairment. Most were unemployed or working as day labourers earning around 80 pence a day.

World Jewish Relief began planning how to include them in farm cooperative groups. However, the individuals were using different signs they had developed with their families. They first had to learn Rwandan Sign Language. But there was little material to teach it, instructions were not available. A dictionary was printed in 2009 but copies hard to find. And even when the author of the dictionary published the dictionary in digital format, it was based on written instructions, which the project participants couldn’t read. Overcoming all these obstacles was timeconsuming but worthwhile. The participants have begun forming a community – meeting peers, spending time together and experiencing something many had not known before: a sense of belonging, built through a common language.

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At a time when nearly 133 million girls remain out of school and millions more face harmful gender norms that limit their learning, support for girls’ education is receding. Whilst this is often explained by shrinking aid budgets, funding tells only part of the story.

The decline of girls’ education is the result of deeper political, symbolic and discursive shifts, which have coincided with, and have often resulted in, reduced funding. These powerful forces once propelled girls’ education to the forefront of international development, but now as they recede, they are pushing it off the agenda at a remarkable speed. There has been a reduction in financial commitment but also what the author calls a “symbolic retreat”.

Dedicated girls’ education departments have been reduced or absorbed into broader portfolios. High-profile leadership positions have been discontinued. Perhaps the most significant shift is occurring in the realm of ideas and narratives. Recently, a growing backlash has emerged against girls’ education. Much of this debate begins with the question, “What about the boys?” Yet this question often rests on misunderstandings about both the purpose of girls’ education and the nature of educational disadvantage. The author shows how support for girl’s education can be realised under current circumstances.

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The author explains an updated position paper that builds on established approaches. A language-responsive perspective reflects that wider recognition of the centrality of language to learning. It does not advise which language(s) any particular country should use within their education system, and it does not offer any one universal model. It offers a way of thinking that is pragmatic and context-sensitive through encouraging decision-makers and education stakeholders to ask questions about what kinds of language support are needed across core components of the education system, how different approaches can work together and what support the students within the education system need in order to have equitable access to learning.

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