Blog

A GPE youth leader gives insights from her experience of inclusive education in a Caribbean context. She gives an example from her own life:

“The most challenging subject for me in school was mathematics where visual representations were critical but rarely accessible. I often felt excluded during geometry lessons where teachers would point to shapes on the chalkboard saying ‘this angle here’ without verbal descriptions. These experiences taught me that inclusion requires thoughtful communication, not just physical presence in a classroom.”

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This blog tells the story of one boy who had dropped out of school to explain Mongolia’s strides in inclusive education. Thanks to a teacher who was trained in inclusive education the boy was encouraged to return to school. The boy received counselling sessions, too, to gain confidence. The boy’s progress “reflects Mongolia’s expanding system-wide investment in inclusive education – ensuring that schools are equipped with appropriate teaching and learning tools for children with disabilities, awareness-raising activities among peers, active engagement of parents, and targeted training for mainstream teachers.”

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“With less than half of children in South Sudan currently in school, inclusive education isn’t optional – it’s essential,” this blog states.

It describes a programme by Education Cannot Wait in South-Sudan that promotes inclusion, in this case teacher training in sign-language and braille. There are other initiatives within this programme like providing assistive devices.

“Despite these investments and the dedication of implementing partners and educators, education continues to be one of the most underfunded sectors in South Sudan.”

The blog ends on a positive note: “When Beatrice [a teacher who learned sign language] returns to her community, she’ll be more than a teacher – she’ll be an advocate, helping children who’ve long been excluded enter the classroom and create a future beyond it.”

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“Failure to limit global heating to 1.5°C would condemn nearly a third of today’s five-year-olds to unprecedented levels of dangerous heat during their lifetimes.”

The figures, released by Save the Children and Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) map out the scale of climate extremes children will face at different levels of warming. Save the Children added:

“While we need a rapid and equitable phase-out of the use,  subsidy and financing of fossil fuels to stick to the 1.5°C target, we must not lose sight of solutions. The report highlights initiatives like increased climate finance, child-centred and locally led adaptation and increasing the participation of children in shaping climate action. “

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In this commentary, the authors share some of the lessons on family, school, and community engagement from their collective work, and a workshop plan for school educators, education leaders, and organizations striving to identify barriers to and opportunities for stronger family, school, and community partnerships.

“In recent research conducted by CUE in collaboration with schools and community organizations on six contents, participants across countries and demographics noted a blame game between families and educators. Educators often felt that families were not sufficiently motivated and interested in their child’s education, while families felt that educators often blamed them for challenges to their children’s learning and development. Naming and breaking the blame game, and using approaches to build relational trust between families and educators, is critical to supporting all children, especially children with disabilities.”

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In this blog – ‘Co-creation of innovations for education systems transformation: Insights from CAMFED Zambia participation at the 3rd KIX Continental Research Symposium’ – Namenda Malupande, Executive Director of CAMFED Zambia, writes about her impressions from the third KIX Africa Continental Symposium.

“I found the sessions that addressed inclusive education practices for vulnerable children in Africa particularly enriching. They highlighted innovative approaches from across the continent, such as the use of tools designed to contextualize life skills assessments and initiatives aimed at breaking barriers.”

Namenda then focuses on the importance of role models, and the importance co-creation.

“This collaborative model ensures that initiatives are sustainable, scalable and responsive to context, addressing barriers to education while promoting long-term impact within government systems and community structures.”

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Every child has a right to quality education. But for millions of children with disabilities, this right is still out of reach. Across many countries, children with disabilities face systemic exclusion from school — not because they can’t learn, but because the systems aren’t built to include them.

That’s why the Inclusive Futures consortium — including Sightsavers, Humanity & Inclusion UK, International Disability Alliance, Light for the World, Sense International, and ADD International — and grassroots disability leaders from Africa and Asia are demanding real change.

They have released a joint statement and an open letter calling on world leaders, donors, and education stakeholders to act now to deliver inclusive, equitable, and quality education for all. Sign the letter. Raise your voice. Be part of the solution.

Read more details and take action now.

The theme for this year’s Comparative and International Education Society (CIES) conference was ‘Envisioning Education in a Digital Society’. Although many examples of positive and innovative uses of digital technology were presented, strategies for reaching the most marginalised learners, including children with disabilities, were rarely discussed.

This blog shares highlights from five presentations that Sightsavers was involved in, focusing on disability inclusion and digital education covering everything from early years learning to data to gender-based violence.

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