Inclusion International published tools for driving inclusive education. Inclusion International is the network of people with intellectual disabilities and their families. To support the families in the Inclusion International network, they developed two toolkits, available in English, French, Spanish, and Swahili. One toolkit is about strengthening family advocacy, the second toolkit is about strengthening local family-based advocacy. The toolkits aim to help families and local organisations and partners that collaborate with them.
Blog
[Resource] UNICEF Digital Education Strategy 2025-2030 Beyond digital as usual: An equity-driven, human-centered digital and AI strategy for learning
UNICEF has published its new Digital Education Strategy. The purpose of the new Digital Education Strategy is to dramatically accelerate results for learning and the global impact of UNICEF’s work on learning gains and skills acquisition. To achieve major global progress, all the digital education work of UNICEF will move to a focus on improving learning outcomes through evidence-based approaches, in alignment with UNICEF’s education strategy – Every Child Learns. It will have a particular focus on bridging digital divides, including gender, disability and linguistic digital divides, and on children both in and out of school. Multiple transformative shifts are required to address these challenges and close the learning and skills gap. It is imperative to implement innovative and cost-effective approaches to expand access to quality education and ensure equitable learning opportunities.
[Blog] Rwanda: Improving the quality and inclusivity of basic education
This blog describes how funding used for a resource room in a school has led to practical changes. The room is used for guidance and counselling, it also helps students who need additional assistance. It is where 14 students with hearing impairments receive daily sign language instruction, and 23 students with intellectual disabilities benefit from tailored teaching adapted to their pace and needs.
For many refugee students, the resource room provides additional language support as they adjust to learning in Kinyarwanda, English and French. Building on these results, the government plans to expand the model by constructing resource rooms in more than 1,500 schools across the country.
[Blog] The sound of equity: Teachers’ school journeys captured through soundscapes
A group of researches under the University of Cambridge UK’s Cambridge Network for Disability and Education Research used soundscapes to better understand experiences of teachers with disabilities and their journey to school in India. It recorded teachers’ negotiating prices for transport, walking with a cane, negotiating obstacles on the way.
“These recordings reveal a sobering reality that pedagogical labour is compounded by the physical struggle of the commute for these teachers. While interviews focused on teachers’ classroom practice, the soundscapes exposed the other half of the struggle – the gruelling negotiation of simply reaching school.”
Blog] Equal access in education and the digital divide in India
Post-Covid, the challenge in India is achieving an equal access to education for all, where the word ‘access’ seems a heightened concern. Looking at the previous statistics from the country, it is noted that the digital access in terms of a device (computer/laptop), teacher (who is proficient of taking an online class), and digitally-prepared individual (a student with digital preparedness) was only 9 per cent. With only four years to reach the 2030 Agenda, it is an uphill challenge to meet the SDG 4 goals with regards to quality education in India. The pandemic has further worsened the progress towards quality education. The pandemic highlighted significant socio-economic and gender disparities that influenced access to and quality of education. These disparities were more pronounced in economically-weaker sections and among female students, affecting their ability to participate in and benefit from digital education.
[Blog] Inclusive education: the missing piece of the climate resilience puzzle
While the climate crisis affects every child, its impact is not felt equally. For the millions of learners with disabilities living in climate-vulnerable regions, a single extreme weather event – a flood, a cyclone, or a prolonged heatwave – can mean more than just a temporary break in schooling. It often marks the permanent end of their education. The data highlights a harsh reality: people with disabilities are disproportionately affected by climate change. This is not due to their impairments, but due to systemic failures in how we design our societies. The blog talks about a SightSavers pilot project in Bangaldesh and how it tackles this issue.
[Blog] Supporting adolescents’ learning in Nairobi’s informal settlements: Lessons from a community-based education intervention
In Kenya, adolescents growing up in informal settlements, such as Korogocho and Viwandani, face multiple barriers that affect their educational outcomes. These barriers include unstable household incomes, limited parental support for learning, and overcrowded schools.
For girls, the challenges are often compounded by gender norms, safety concerns and expectations around domestic responsibilities. As a result, many girls struggle to maintain consistent academic performance during the transition from primary to secondary school.
This blog talks about a change programme and its evaluation. It concludes: “Community-based interventions confirm that when programmes combine academic support, mentorship and parental engagement, they can make a meaningful difference in adolescents’ lives.”
[Blog] Beyond Infrastructure: What Kenya’s Arid and Semi-Arid Land’s Learners Teach Us About Emotion, Trauma, and Inclusion
Many children are not leaving school just because of material or structural gaps. Even when those needs are met, some still cannot stay because they are surrounded by hunger, the threat of early marriage, conflict, grief, and pressure to provide for their families. These realities travel with them into the classroom.
If the goal is to retain children in school, serious attention must be paid to what pushes them out. Many are labelled “disruptive” when they are simply grieving or scared. These challenges go beyond poverty or infrastructure. They reflect emotional neglect in systems that prioritize performance over presence.
[Blog] Why Education System Resilience Matters: Insights from GPE Partner Countries in Africa
In this blog, the authors share key insights from a desk review report that examined how GPE partner countries in Africa understand and operationalize education system resilience, the types of disruptions they face, and the strategies they use to sustain learning.
“Resilience is often framed in terms of systems, policies, infrastructure, and planning. However, the study makes it clear that resilience is also about considering who gets left behind. Gender inequality, poverty, and marginalization consistently shape who can continue learning during disruptions. Girls face increased risks of early marriage and dropout. Children from poorer households struggle with access to remote learning, while learners with disabilities are often excluded.”
[Video] Teach For India alumnus Ashish is helping students in conflict zones build positive childhood experiences
What does it take for a child to truly thrive? Ashish, a Teach For India alumnus and co-founder of Shiksharth Trust, reflects on how children growing up in adversity experience the world and what it means to create environments where they feel safe, loved, and able to learn.
Drawing from his experience teaching in a municipal school and working with children affected by conflict, poverty, and crisis, Ashish shares a powerful perspective on Positive Childhood Experiences (PCEs) and their role in shaping individuals who can contribute meaningfully to society.