Equity and Inclusion Guide
Equity and Inclusion Guide
Equity and Inclusion Guide
April 2010
This work is a joint product of the UN Girls Education Initiative, the UNAIDS Inter-Agency Task Team on Education, the Global Task Force on Child Labour and EFA, the EFA Flagship on the Right to Education for Persons with Disabilities, and the EFA FTI Secretariat. The guide was developed and refined with the expertise of consultants, the late Hazel Bines and David Clarke. Graphic Design: Critical Stages, LLC
Table of Contents
Purpose Focus on Equity and Inclusion Using the Guide The Equity and Inclusion Guide 3 4 4 6
A. Baseline data on enrollment and completion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 B. Barriers to equity and inclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 C. Policies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 D. Strategies to promote equity and inclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 E. Institutional arrangements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 F. Schools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 G. Parental and community participation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 H. Teachers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 I. Curriculum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 J. Budgets and unit costs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Annex 1: Additional Resources Annex 2: User Survey 16 17
Equity requires securing all childrens rights to education, and their rights within and through education to realize their potential and
aspirations.3 It also requires implementing and institutionalizing arrangements that help ensure all children can achieve these aims.
Inclusion requires responding to the diversity of needs among all learners, through increasing participation in learning, cultures, and
communities, and reducing exclusion from and within education. It involves changes in content, approaches, structures, and strategies, driven by a common vision that covers all children and the conviction that it is the responsibility of the regular system to educate all of them.
Wilson, D. 2003. Human Rights: Promoting Gender Equality In and Through Education. Background paper for EFA Global Monitoring Report 2003/4. Paris. UNESCO. 2005. Guidelines for Inclusion. Ensuring Access to Education for All. Paris. UNESCO. 2010. Reaching the Marginalized EFA Global Monitoring Report 2010. Paris.
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Purpose
This guide was developed to support the integration of equity and inclusion issues in education sector plans while they are developed, revised or appraised. It promotes a more comprehensive and evidence-based approach to providing equitable education, which is at the heart of Education for All. This guide is designed primarily for use by local education groups, specifically governments. It can also be used to foster dialogue and the planning process among other stakeholders, including civil society organizations (CSOs) and communities. The guide complements existing knowledge products from the Education for All Fast Track Initiative (EFA FTI) (annex 1) but focuses on disadvantaged children in society and their right to education. The development of this guide was spearheaded by the UN Girls Education Initiative, the UNAIDS Inter-Agency Task Team on Education, the Global Task Force on Child Labor and EFA, the EFA Flagship on the Right to Education for Persons with Disabilities, and the EFA FTI Secretariat. In 2009, the guide was piloted in Kyrgyzstan, Lesotho, and Malawi.4 This first edition is based on the feedback from these countries and aims at guiding more FTI partner or FTI-eligible countries to prepare, revise, and appraise more equitable education sector plans. EFA FTI will solicit feedback (annex 2) from April through to September 2010 from users in government, development agencies, and CSOs. This first edition will be reviewed and revised in the light of the findings.
In Kyrgyzstan, the pilot exercise was conducted by representatives of the Ministry of Education, development partners and national stakeholders working in the fields of girls education, children with disabilities and other vulnerable children. The exercise helped raise the profile of the issues involved and facilitated cooperation between different agencies in the education sector as well as across sectors. The tool helped shape education policy and strategy and inform planning processes in addressing issues of equity and inclusion. In Lesotho, the pilot exercise was conducted by representatives from the various departments of the Ministry of Education and Training and development partners like the World Food Program, Irish Aid, the World Bank, UNICEF and the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA). The exercise clearly revealed that the government had not had a mechanism for undertaking such a crosscutting analysis before. Many participants asked why they did not have access to the tool earlier. The tool enabled dialogue on issues such as gender-based violence and sexual abuse at school and the adequacy of the HIV prevention education curriculum. Malawi participated in the pilot exercise during the national process of preparing its National Education Sector Plan (NESP) for appraisal at the country level. The exercise took place in the context of a two-day workshop and was provided with consultancy assistance to pilot the equity and inclusion tool. The tool was well received by the Ministry of Education. Civil society organizations took part in the exercise and gave positive feedback on the use of the tool. Since Malawi had already finalized its NESP, the tool could not be integrated into the planning cycle early on and benefits were limited.
Source: EFA FTI. 2010. Education for All Fast Track Initiative 2009 Annual Report. Washington, DC.
WHAT
3-step approach guide is intended to facilitate the gathering and The analysis of data on equity and inclusion in the education sector, particularly at the primary school level.
Step 1 highlights key questions to investigate the status of inequity and exclusion. Step 2 proposes more specific questions for an assessment of the focus area regarding equity and inclusion. Step 3 suggests how to prepare and revise the education sector plan around access, quality and management.
Clarke, D. 2009. EFA FTI Equity and Inclusion Tool Report of the Piloting Process. UNGEI. New York.
Ask the right questions guide is organized around ten focus areas: baseline The data on enrollment and completion, barriers to equity and inclusion, policies, strategies to promote equity and inclusion, institutional arrangements, schools, parental and community participation, teachers, curriculum and budgets and unit costs. 3-step approach suggests assessing equity and The inclusion with targeted questions addressing education statistics; cultural, social, and economic barriers; enabling policies and effective strategies; institutional capacity and management; school level practices and support; parental and community participation; teacher preparation, supervision, and support; the curriculum and monitoring and evaluation. Strengthen the understanding of equity and inclusion outcomes of the assessment will inform policy and The strategy development based on evidence, including setting objectives, prioritizing target populations, and selecting appropriate interventions. local education group can at any time during The the process of developing, revising, or appraising the education sector plan decide to take the suggested approach.
working group should help strengthening the interThe ministerial dialogue on issues of equity and inclusion and invite officials from line ministries such as Ministry of Social Affairs, Family or Labor, etc. working group needs to review the guide and The consider adapting it to the local context as necessary. Early in the process the group should discuss a work plan, timeframe, scope, costs, responsibilities, and division of labor to do this exercise. Hold consultation workshops Convene a workshop with all relevant partners to introduce the guide and the envisioned use in the country to create a common understanding. This is an opportunity for government and CSO representatives working with marginalized groups, to advise on data collection and identifying strategies for inclusion. Reach out to stakeholders at the central and local levels (government authorities, principals, teachers, social workers, teachers unions, local interest groups, representatives from the communities, and so on) through workshops, consultations, or questionnaires. This will be important to collect information on target groups and identify their specific educational needs. Broad-based consultations will strengthen the process. After the consultation process, the working group will be responsible for assessing the data and present its findings in a report to the local education group along with recommended interventions. part of the FTI appraisal process of a national As education sector plan, countries need to demonstrate that they have given equity and inclusion sufficient consideration. The report will complement the documentation for the FTI appraisal process.5 It should also serve to facilitate policy dialogue among the partners of the local education group.
HOW
Set up a working group Interested partners of the local education group agree to work together in a group according to their interest, areas of engagement, and capacity to assess and respond to issues of equity and inclusion. group should be chaired by a representative The from the Ministry of Education (MoE) and should include representatives from key MoE departments, donor partners ideally with representation from the coordinating agency, and international NGOs as well as national CSOs. MoE possibly with support from the coordinating The agency or a donor or CSO partner will take the lead in organizing, planning, and reporting on the exercise.
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Appraisal Steps 1 and 2; Tables 1, 2A and 2B: EFA FTI Secretariat. March 2006. Guidelines for Appraisal of the Primary Education Component of an Education Sector Plan. Washington, DC.
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Guidance
To find answers to key questions, you may need to ask additional probing questions such as:
How many children are currently out of primary school (disaggregated by gender)? Are data on attendance available? What are the main patterns of attendance? Which groups of children are excluded from enrolling, attending, and completing primary education? Consider factors such as gender, ethnicity, disability, migration, HIV, urban or rural locations, child labor or poverty. What are the enrollment and completion rates for children with disabilities and special educational needs? How many are served by general schools and how many by special schools? Are disaggregated data available on learning outcomes? In which regions of the country are enrollment and completion rates comparatively low?
Use available data on enrollment, retention, and completion. Key sources of data include Education Management Information System (EMIS), Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS), and household surveys. Other potential sources of information are survey data on: Children living with and affected by HIV Child labor Children with disabilities Girls education Analysis of data should identify: Children currently excluded from school Attrition and dropout rates Children most at risk of not enrolling, attending or completing Student flow rates Key trends and patterns Information gaps Data should be presented and analyzed for both national and decentralized levels of the sector. Data should be disaggregated by age, gender, rural/urban, and by region/ district, etc. Street children Minorities Migrant families
Questions to consider
Access
Are costed strategies required to address the situation of any groups of excluded children (e.g., girls, children with disability, ethnic minorities, children affected by HIV, etc.)? Are there any excluded groups that would benefit or already benefit from targeted interventions that need to be scaled up? Are there any knowledge gaps in relation to equitable access? What changes are required in the current approach in order to increase equity and inclusion?
Quality
How equitable is the quality of education?
Management
Does the EMIS need to be adjusted to collect more data on different groups of children? Is there a need to develop additional technical capacity to address the needs of excluded or disadvantaged groups (e.g., children with disabilities)?
Infrastructural factors
Lack of transportation, distance to school, lack of water and sanitation at school Poor condition of school facilities Seasonal factors such as rains/ flooding Remoteness and lack of rural development
Guidance
To find answers to key questions, you may need to ask additional probing questions such as:
Have barriers in relation to both the demand for and the supply of education been analyzed? If so what were the results? How are school attendance and drop-out rates monitored? What are the main causes of dropping out? What are the main barriers to school completion? What are the underlying causes of unequal participation?
Poverty, and financial barriers, including direct, indirect, and opportunity costs of schooling Gender Biases e.g., toward girls, children living with or affected by HIV, children with disabilities, ethnic minorities Lack of identification documents/birth certificate Migration and mobility Prevalence of child labor on plantations, in industry, or the informal economy Health and nutritional status of children Conflict
Quality
What are the key factors that undermine the equitable delivery of quality education? What are their root causes? Are policy changes required? Is MoE institutional capacity adequate to address issues of equity and inclusion? What changes are required in the current approach to increasing equity and inclusion? Supply-side strategies may include: Pre- and in-service teacher training in knowledge and skills relating to inclusive schools/ inclusive education Improving school facilities Developing child-friendly schools and classrooms
Management
Are objectives and targets being set to improve equity? Are these fully appropriate? What changes are required in the current approach to increasing equity and inclusion? What capacity building or strengthening measures are needed in educational management? Consider including these measures in a capacity building plan.
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C. PoLICIES
Enabling environment
1. What policies are currently in place in relation to equity and inclusion in education? 2. How are policies disseminated and implemented?
Guidance
Are there clearly defined education sector policies or legislation on: The right to education Inclusive education Gender and education Children living with or affected by HIV, and HIV in the workplace Children with disabilities Education and child labor Minorities and the language of instruction Map any gaps in policy provision. How do policies reflect international commitments e.g., UN conventions on child rights, gender, disability, and child labor? How are these policies reflected in national education sector strategies? What mechanisms are in place to ensure that policies are fully implemented as intended? Are the policies equitable? Describe how policies are disseminated (and to whom). Are policies available and communicated at school and community level? How is policy implementation reviewed? How often? Are the policies working? If not, what needs to be done? Early childhood care and education (ECCE) and vulnerable and disadvantaged children Children from extremely poor households School health and nutrition School safety, sexual harassment, and violence HIV workplace policy Teacher/staff codes of conduct
To find answers to key questions, you may need to ask additional probing questions such as:
What are the main commitments of existing policies on equity and inclusion in the education sector? Are there mandatory and enabling policies that support inclusion and allow for decentralized decision making?
Identify where new policies are required or existing policies need to be better disseminated
What were the main findings of the stock-taking exercise on policies? Are there any significant gaps in policy formulation, dissemination, or implementation? Do the following need to be considered? An overall policy on equity and inclusion; Addressing gaps in existing policies.
Access
Policy development on the education of girls/boys, children with disabilities, ethnic minorities, children affected by HIV, children disadvantaged by poverty, remoteness, etc.
Quality
Policy dissemination; Training and awareness raising on policies.
Management
Monitoring policy implementation.
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Guidance
To find answers to key questions, you may need to ask additional probing questions such as:
How effective are current strategies in increasing equity and inclusion? Which strategies are working? Which strategies are not working well and need to be revised? What quantitative and qualitative evidence is available to assess the effectiveness of strategies? What are the coverage rates of targeted interventions? Have any objectives or targets been set to increase educational equity and inclusion? Are these appropriate? To what extent are the current strategies supported by clearly defined policy?
Map and assess the current range of strategies/interventions aimed at increasing equity and inclusion. How effective is the response to the problems identified in the situation assessment? Current strategies may include:
Access
Early childhood care
Universal measures such as abolishing Creation of an inclusive curriculum school fees and reducing class size Local content included in the curriculum Flexibility in the school calendar School construction and refurbishment Targeted interventions such as scholarships for girls, social protection Increasing female participation in teaching and school management tools such as income supplements for child-headed households, etc. Teacher education on equity issues and inclusive education Incentives for teachers to work in rural/ remote areas
Management
Quality
Reviews of the curriculum, textbooks, and teachers guides to consider how gender, disability, HIV,
Teacher deployment incentives for rural areas Community mobilization/participation in school management
Access
Abolishing school fees and reducing class size School construction and refurbishment Targeted interventions such as scholarships for girls, social protection tools such as income supplements for child-headed households, etc. Expansion of ECCE for particularly vulnerable children Second-chance opportunities
Creation of an inclusive curriculum School health and feeding/nutrition programs Teacher education on equity issues, gender, and inclusive education
Management
Teacher incentives in rural areas Increasing female participation in teaching and school management Targeted resources/teacher deployment incentives for disadvantaged/remote schools Community awareness raising on gender issues Community mobilization/ participation in school management
Quality
Reviews of the curriculum, textbooks, and teachers guides to consider how gender, disability, HIV, and other issues relevant to equity and inclusion are addressed and to eliminate bias
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E. INSTITUTIoNAL ARRANGEMENTS
Capacity issues
1. What are the institutional arrangements to promote equity and inclusion in education? 2. How are issues such as gender and HIV mainstreamed in the Ministry of Education? 3. How is educational equity monitored?
Guidance
To find answers to key questions, you may need to ask additional probing questions such as:
Has any capacity assessment of the Ministry of Education been undertaken in regard to equity and inclusion? What arrangements are in place to coordinate and collaborate with other government ministries such as Health, Gender, Family and Social Welfare, Labor, and so on? Are these arrangements effective? What school health or counselling services or both are available to the education system? What training is available to planners and education managers on equity and inclusion issues? Consider private as well as public education providers.
This should assess the effectiveness of current institutional arrangements to address equity and inclusion issues at: a) central, and b) decentralized levels of the sector. Map which departments are responsible for ensuring educational equity and inclusion. How is this reflected in their terms of reference/mandates? How is progress in education equity and inclusion reported to Ministers? Identify any critical gaps in capacity to address equity and inclusion, including in institutional arrangements and technical areas (gender, disability, ethnicity, HIV, school health, etc.). Who is responsible for managing equity and inclusion strategies at central and decentralized levels? Assess current institutional arrangements for monitoring equity and inclusion. Where do these exist, are they effective? Assess how effectively children/young people, parents, and communities (particularly representatives of excluded groups) are involved in monitoring and evaluation. Consider how equity and inclusion issues are included in education statistics. What indicators are used? How adequate are they? How is equity included in monitoring and evaluation for the sector? Are there any interdepartmental committees, specialized units, focal points, or coordinating mechanisms to enable work across departments on crosscutting issues such as gender, HIV, school health, etc. What are their functions? Are they effective?
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F. SCHooLS
School management
1. How are schools managed to ensure that they are child friendly or girl-friendly? 2. How welcoming and safe are schools for girls, children with disabilities, disadvantaged children, or in vulnerable settings? 3. How are staff involved in school management trained in equity and inclusion issues? What ongoing support and supervision do they receive?
Guidance
Undertake an assessment of the current situation of schools, both public and private
What local support is provided to schools to help them become more equitable and inclusive? How adequate is existing support to schools? What gaps in support for equity and inclusion exist at school level? How are school administrators trained in equity and inclusion issues? How are schools monitored/supervised for their performance in promoting equity and inclusion? Current interventions to support the equitable and inclusive development of schools may include: Grants to improve/maintain facilities Guidelines/handbooks on school management Training of school principals Provision of electricity Establishment of resource centers Counselling services School health and feeding/ nutrition services Water and sanitation Teacher training Resources for children with disabilities Adequate supply of teaching and learning materials Community-based school management Student associations and clubs Standards for child-friendly schools Conditional cash transfers for vulnerable children/families Support from business/public foundations/NGOs
To find answers to key questions, you may need to ask additional probing questions such as:
How are schools managed so that they are able to include vulnerable and disadvantaged children? Are current arrangements effective? What needs to be changed or improved? Is school management an issue in remote schools? What additional measures are required? Is gender-based violence or corporal punishment prevalent? How can these be prevented? Are measures in place and working? Do school improvement plans include attention to issues of equity and inclusion?
Access
Conditional cash transfers for vulnerable children/families
Student associations and clubs Targeted interventions for schools in disadvantaged areas e.g., urban slums, remote communities, disaster-affected communities, etc.
Quality
Grants to improve/maintain facilities Provision of electricity Establishment of resource centers Counselling services School health and feeding/nutrition services Water and sanitation Teacher training Resources for children with disabilities Adequate supply of teaching and learning materials
Management
Guidelines/handbooks on school management Training of school Community-based school management Standards for Child-Friendly Schools Support from business/public foundations/NGOs
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Guidance
To find answers to key questions, you may need to ask additional probing questions such as:
How are parents and communities involved in Parent Teacher Associations (PTAs) and School Management Committees (SMCs)? Do parents take an active part in running schools? Has there been any systematic community awareness raising about equity and inclusion? Are parents and communities made aware of education issues such as children with disabilities, HIV, child labor, health and nutrition, and so on? Do SMCs include children and adults from marginalized communities? (Are there gender issues to be considered?) How do school clubs, co-curricular or extra-curricular activities promote equity and inclusion?
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H. TEACHERS
Undertake an assessment
Guidance
Consider recruitment, deployment, and promotion patterns. Assess the status of professional development interventions to promote equity. Analyze both pre- and in-service teacher training provisions in terms of needs, processes, and outcomes. Identify and assess any specific training which teachers, school administrators, and other education sector staff receive on: Gender HIV Equity and inclusion Disability Sexual harassment Are teachers encouraged to: Work together at school, e.g., in teams Cooperate with parents Teach interactively Cater their teaching to the needs of all learners Ensure safe and welcoming learning environments What support do school administrators and other education sector staff provide to teachers to improve inclusive teaching?
To find answers to key questions, you may need to ask additional probing questions such as:
Who becomes a teacher and why? Assess recruitment modalities and professional career pathways. Is there equitable participation by women and men, by people with disabilities, people living with HIV, and so on in the teaching profession? What are the trends? Is teacher deployment an equity issue? What disparities affect the teaching profession, e.g., rural versus urban, trained versus untrained? What percentage of the teachers, school administrators, and other education staff are male? Female?
Management
Consider any changes needed in school management/support for teachers. Is any action required to boost the number of female teachers? What incentive package is required to improve teacher deployment in remote areas?
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I. CURRICULUM
Guidance
Consider if the curriculum includes: Health and nutrition education HIV prevention education Life skills education Human rights education Education about gender and relationships Visions/goals of economic and social development Sustainable development Do instructional materials meet the learning needs of students with disabilities, e.g., visual impairment? Is the curriculum sufficiently inclusive? Are any groups underrepresented or omitted? How do co-curricular activities support equity and inclusion? Are issues of equity and inclusion included in educational standards? How are learning outcomes monitored?
To find answers to key questions, you may need to ask additional probing questions such as:
Is the curriculum sensitive to gender, cultural identity, and diversity? Review the curriculum to identify selected equity and inclusion issues such as gender and ethnic stereotyping. How does the curriculum promote tolerance and human rights? Is the content of the curriculum relevant to the needs and future of all children? Does the curriculum allow variation for local needs? How are special needs addressed?
Plan specific strategies to make changes in the curriculum to enhance equity and inclusion.
Interventions may include:
Quality
Curriculum revision (e.g., to address gender, HIV, etc.) Guidelines on local adaptation and flexibility of the national curriculum Textbook revision Supplementary materials Instructional materials/visual aids in alternative formats Equipment for students with special needs Adoption of standards for equity and inclusion Improvements in learning assessment methods
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Guidance
Assess whether the strategies are cost-effective/sustainable. Information on costs may be available in specific budget lines (e.g., cash transfers to households, grants to schools, or teacher training). Analysis should cover factors such as the costs of small schools in rural areas; providing textbooks in minority languages; increasing teacher supply to reduce class size; necessary adaptations for children with disabilities, etc. Have expenditures been implemented as planned? If not, why not? Have the additional costs of including children currently not in school, including remedial education, been accounted and budgeted for? What funding gaps exist? What additional financial resources are required?
To find answers to key questions, you may need to ask additional probing questions such as:
What information is available on unit costs? Is gender analysis of budgeting possible? Is there a budget for capacity building in relation to equity and inclusion? Do current budget allocations support equity and inclusion?
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HIV
UNAIDS IATT on Education. 2008. A strategic approach to HIV and AIDS and Education. UNAIDS IATT on Education. 2008. Toolkit for mainstreaming HIV and AIDS in the education sector: Guidelines for development cooperation agencies.
Inclusive Education
UNESCO. 2005. Guidelines for inclusion: Ensuring access to education for all. UNESCO. Paris. UNICEF. 2006. Assessing child-friendly schools: A guide for programme managers in East Asia and the Pacific. UNICEF. Bangkok.
Capacity Development
EFA Fast Track Initiative (2008). Guidelines for capacity development in the education sector within the Education for All Fast Track Initiative Framework. EFA FTI. Washington, D.C.
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EFA FTI Secretariat c/o World Bank MSN P6-600 1818 H Street NW Washington, DC 20433 USA Web site: www.educationfasttrack.org Email: [email protected]