This article has been published in Enabling Education 4
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Reference:

Link: https://www.eenet.org.uk/enabling-education-review/enabling-education-4/newsletter-4/4-2/

EENET News Update

Regionalisation

EENET’s intention is to remain as small as possible in administrative terms, but to continue to reach out to as many people as possible in all the regions of the world. The only way we can do this is by regionalising our activities. Already the newsletter is translated and produced in Portuguese thanks to the Institute of Educational Innovation in Portugal, and can be found on our web site. In the long-term we hope to have a link with a Brazilian NGO which will help to disseminate the Portuguese edition to a much larger audience.

In November 1999 we wrote to a small number of regional agencies inviting them to enter into a partnership with EENET. In December we had a very positive response from the Institute of Education in Hong Kong. We hope to sign an agreement very soon and look forward to seeing greater partcipation in EENET by Chinese colleagues.

In January 2000 we received a letter from an Italian NGO, AIFO, saying that they would like to set up EENET services for South Asia, based in India. We look forward to further discussion on this issue.

As we go to print with this issue we are hoping to have a French edition ready for the meeting in Senegal. We’ll also have a Spanish edition, if our budget can stretch that far! We look forward to the time when regional agencies take responsibility for translation and when the contents of the newsletter more accurately reflect regional concerns.

Family Involvement in Inclusive Education

We have collected stories from parents’ groups in Lesotho, South Africa, India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Romania and Australia. These stories are currently being edited and will form part of an EENET publication which will be completed later this year. It is not too late if a parents’ group would like to send us their story of how they have influenced the development of more inclusive practices in education. Please don’t hesitate to contact us.

International Special Education Congress – ISEC 2000

EENET will be running a symposium at ISEC, July, in Manchester entitled “Overcoming Resource Barriers”. We will also be running a one-day pre-congress workshop on presentation skills. Please contact Susie Miles EENET for more details.

EENET’S UNDERLYING VALUES AND PRINCIPLES
EENET:

  • believes in the equal rights and dignity of all children;
  • prioritises the needs of countries which have limited access to basic information and financial resources;
  • recognises that education is much broader than schooling;
  • acknowledges diversity across cultures and believes that inclusive education should respond to this diversity;
  • seeks to develop partnerships in all parts of the world.
 In conducting its work EENET:

  • Adheres to the principles of the Salamanca Statement;
  • Believes that access to education is a fundamental right;
  • Recogises the intrinsic value of indigenous forms of education.

EENET IS COMMITTED TO:

  • encouraging the effective participation of key stakeholders in education;
  • engaging with the difficulties caused by the global imbalance of power;
  • encouraging a critical and discerning response to all information and materials circulated.
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, India, 1998