Å·ÃÀÈÕb´óƬ

Inclusive education means creating systems and environments that enable all students to have equal access to education and learning.

Why Inclusive Education Matters

All children deserve the opportunity to be in school and learn so they acquire the skills and knowledge to thrive¡ªregardless of their diverse educational needs. Despite a global focus on inclusive education, many of the most marginalized learners, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), remain left behind. For these learners, disadvantages may be compounded through intersecting variables such as gender, poverty and disability. A girl with disability living in poverty-stricken rural area can face greater challenges in accessing quality education.

The Magnitude of the Problem

• 244 million children and youth between ages 6 and 18 years are not in school today, and many marginalized children face barriers to learning even when they are in school.
• Over 40 percent of students who enroll in primary education do not make it to upper secondary school by the age they are expected to reach this level of schooling.
• Despite progress being made over the years, as of 2020, only 10 percent of countries had laws that help ensure full inclusion in education, and many countries still do not collect, report, or use data on those left behind.
• Marginalized groups face myriad barriers to accessing quality education, including inaccessible teaching and learning materials or classroom pedagogies, and stigma or discrimination. Often the most vulnerable learners are those with intersecting vulnerabilities.
• The learning crisis and learning poverty which have been  cannot be tackled unless systemic barriers are addressed, and the diverse educational needs of all learners are met.

Meeting the Challenge: One Education System for All Learners

Truly inclusive education requires a profound cultural shift. The goal is to provide one education system for all learners that supports all marginalized and vulnerable groups. Building more inclusive education systems requires a holistic, whole-of-government approach, and consideration of minority, marginalized and/or vulnerable groups.

Å·ÃÀÈÕb´óƬ is committed to supporting countries in strengthening their education systems to become more inclusive, so that all children and youth, including learners from poorer households and/or rural and remote communities, persons with disabilities, ethnic- and linguistic minorities, Indigenous Peoples, and other marginalized and/or vulnerable groups have access to education and can participate and achieve in learning.

We do this by working with a wide range of stakeholders, including governments, civil society, and academia. We also provide financial instruments through lending operations, as well as analytical work and advice to inform institutional development, inclusive education sector planning, targeted educational programs, and multi-sectoral collaboration to support the process of inclusive development.

World Bank Approach: Four Guiding Principles to Guide in Strengthen Inclusivity in Education Systems

Principle 1: Meet countries where they are on the pathway to inclusive education

There is no single method for planning or implementing inclusion in education. Context-specific environmental, social, and educational barriers should be identified and addressed early in the process of designing education programs. Meeting countries where they are may mean starting with small, low-risk interventions before phasing in larger scale implementation.

Action plans should be tailored to meet each country¡¯s specific needs. For some, it may mean developing the first-ever inclusive education policy or relevant laws and regulations; for others, it may mean focusing on capacity building, designing curricula and assessments that are fit for purpose, strengthening accountability mechanisms, or identifying and scaling innovative solutions. It is also important to conduct contextually relevant research and evaluate existing inclusive education interventions to inform decision making and build a stronger evidence base.

Principle 2: Provide an enabling environment through systemic change and a twin-track approach

An enabling environment for inclusion relies on systemic change in education reform efforts, ensuring a twin-track approach of:

1. Making the general education system in all levels of education (from pre-primary to tertiary education) more inclusive for all learners. This means mainstreaming disability inclusion in all education reform efforts (e.g., through legislation, policy interventions, inclusive curriculum and flexible assessment system mechanisms, regular support for teachers and school leaders).
2. Specifying targeted actions to support persons with different types of disadvantages. This ensures for example, that learners with disabilities receive the additional support and reasonable accommodations they need, such as providing sign language users with appropriate support and resources to learn to read with the support of signs and sign language.

This requires the active engagement of governments, particularly ministries of education, and multisectoral collaboration among relevant line ministries such as health, finance, water, and social protection. To facilitate collaboration in achieving these goals, countrywide, disaggregated, and robust data about all learners must be systemically collected and made accessible.

Principle 3: Identify and support inclusive practices in schools, and other education settings

To support the inclusive evolution of countries, their traditional practices of exclusion, segregation, integration, and inclusion must first be analyzed. A tool that addresses placement, presence, participation, and progress (a 4Ps framework) can help identify how current practices can be improved and supported across the education system, at both the whole-of-school and classroom levels (including schools, technical and vocational education and training institutions, and universities). It is important to invest in teachers as a driving force for change by providing teacher training; introducing different models to support inclusive education, such as itinerant teachers or resource center models; securing focused financing; and ensuring an adequate skilled workforce. This includes having enough skilled and knowledgeable teachers and other school-based staff. Engagement of leadership in schools and other educational institutions is also essential for understanding, planning, and implementing inclusive education at all levels.

Principle 4: Collaborate with relevant stakeholders

With an increased emphasis on strengthening knowledge and understanding of a more inclusive education system, it is important that stakeholders recognize the potential benefits of inclusive education for all students. Stakeholders, local community leaders, teachers, parents, caregivers, community members, organizations for persons with disabilities (OPDs), and other civil society groups¡ªplay a critical role in driving demand for inclusion in education. Government leaders may be better positioned to empower stakeholders to implement innovative learning solutions that are effective and foster greater buy-in from all involved.

Disability Inclusion in Education

• Children with disabilities are 2.5 times more likely to never attend school than their peers.
• An estimated 291.2 million children and adolescents globally live with a disability, and approximately 95 percent of these young people live in low- and middle-income countries.
• At least 50 percent of all young people with disabilities living in low- and middle-income countries are excluded from education; in some contexts, the figure is closer to 90 percent.

The learning crisis cannot be tackled unless systemic barriers are addressed, and the diverse educational needs of all learners, including persons with disabilities, are met.

Å·ÃÀÈÕb´óƬ's criteria for disability inclusion of Investment Project Financing (IPFs) in education operations

Å·ÃÀÈÕb´óƬ works to foster equity and inclusion in education through systemic change and strengthening education systems to be more inclusive. This means ensuring quality and equitable education opportunities for all learners, including learners with disabilities.

Å·ÃÀÈÕb´óƬ announced its 10 commitments on disability inclusion in the Global Disability Summit in 2018 and reaffirmed this commitment in 2022 with the institutional goal of ensuring that all Investment Project Financing (IPFs) in education will be disability inclusive. Projects must comply with the four key criteria related to: stakeholder engagement, analysis, project design activities, and monitoring/reporting.

Inclusive Education Policy Learning Exchange

Disability inclusion in education requires a multi-sectoral approach because learners with disabilities often face barriers outside of the education system that deter their access to education. To strengthen in-country engagement for inclusive education, the World Bank introduced the Inclusive Education Policy Learning Exchange which focuses specifically on disability inclusion in education. 

The Inclusive Education Policy Learning Exchange promotes a multi-sectoral approach drawing on a variety of professional expertise, including education, social care and protection as well as health, among others. It identifies the important role of governments and other key stakeholders such as civil society organizations, organizations of persons with disabilities, academia, and the private sector in developing comprehensive inclusive education policies and programs.

To date, various cohorts of country-level participants from Rwanda, Ethiopia, The Gambia, Zambia and Malawi have participated in the virtual and in-person learning exchange sessions reaching almost 200 participants across selected countries in Africa including representatives from the ministries of Education, Health, and other line ministries, civil society, academia, and the private sector. The academy has been built on participatory and experiential learning approaches including site visits, live virtual and in-person sessions on data needs for inclusive education, inclusive Education Management and Information Systems (EMIS), inclusive initial teacher education, continuous professional development, and leadership. These sessions brought together regional and global experts from universities, think tanks, and global development partners.

Making An Impact

The learning exchange has resulted in concrete efforts to make schools more inclusive in participating countries. Examples include:

Resource centers: After participating in IEPA, phase 1, Rwanda¡¯s Ministry of Education supported the University of Rwanda¡¯s establishment of a model inclusive school. This school is an innovation hub and includes a resource center with therapeutic and counselling services, which are key in assessing special educational needs and supporting learners in the community.

Knowledge creation in universities: The University of Zambia is now exploring opportunities to introduce a Master in Inclusive Education program. Similarly, the university is considering changing the current course on Special Education Guidance and Counselling to Inclusive Education Guidance and Counselling. A university instructor from Zambia expressed that the IEPA, phase 1, widened the knowledge base and perspectives of educators, and these learnings were then transferred to the university students.

Establishing a regional community of practice: Participants of Inclusive Education Policy Learning Exchange emphasized the need for ongoing professional networks. Å·ÃÀÈÕb´óƬ will therefore continue supporting the establishment of country-level and regional communities of practice to foster ongoing peer-support and professional learning amongst the stakeholders.

The Scottish Government joined the Foundational Learning Compact (FLC) Trust Fund in January 2024 to support improvement in learning outcomes for children and youth with a particular focus on inclusive education, which is also a cross-cutting theme for the FLC. This partnership is part of a new wider Scottish Government Inclusive Education Programme with investment focused on its three African partner countries¡ªMalawi, Rwanda and Zambia¡ªwhich includes a heavy focus on support for learners with disabilities and additional support needs, as well as new scholarships to support women and girls.