Unesco intern highlights plight of 72 million children denied schooling
KENTARO FUKUCHI
There are 72 million primary school children out of school worldwide. After assessing their situation, it becomes evident that many of them are from disadvantaged groups, such as the disabled, ethnic minorities, refugees or immigrants, and the poor.
Inclusive education
In fact, it has been estimated that 30-40 percent of out-of-school children have some form of disability. Why are these children excluded from schools and learning? The experience of Unesco and other United Nations agencies suggests that education settings are not inclusive enough to meet the needs of these children. This prevents them from getting an education.
To tackle this situation, Unesco is promoting the concept of "Inclusive Education."
Inclusive Education is defined as a process of reforming the education system to meet the needs of all children so that they can attend school, participate fully, and be treated equally.
It targets "all children" including the disabled, ethnic minorities, immigrants, the poor and those affected by HIV/Aids.
Through the eyes of the blind
As a blind person, I'd like to share my perspective on inclusive education from my experience in regular schools in Japan and from my recent internship with Unesco Bangkok.
I was born in 1984 in Osaka, Japan. Although I lost my sight when I was two, my parents sent me to a regular kindergarten in the community as they believed this environment would give me a more diverse learning opportunity.
When it was time to enter an elementary school, however, I was told to go to a blind school. My parents fought for me and we ended up moving to a city where inclusive education for the blind was possible. From elementary to high school I had a wonderful childhood.
Teachers learned Braille and then taught it to me because it was the most effective communication process.
However, my time was not confined to academic learning. I also participated in after-school activities with my friends, and we played games, such as tag and hide-and-seek.
I was very lucky as I had a role model in a blind university student, educated in regular schools, with whom I shared special concerns my seeing friends would not understand.
Inclusivity is the key
So, what can I suggest from this experience? Needless to say, the mainstream school environment developed my academic potential and justified my parent's choice of school.
Senator Monthian Buntan, president of the Thai Association for the Blind, told me that inclusive education should recognise the various needs of people with disabilities, since some blind children prefer to play with their blind peers without the distractions of a noisy, chaotic regular classroom. Therefore, the right to a proper education includes the right to choose which school to attend.
As for me, an inclusive education environment developed my confidence to participate in society.
One of my classmates in high school said: "Kentaro doesn't have a disability; it is the environment that is disabling him."
This gave me great encouragement and strengthened my belief in the ideals of the Salamanca Statement (a 1994 Unesco directive to further the objectives of Education for All): "Regular schools with this inclusive orientation are the most effective means of combating discriminatory attitudes, creating welcoming communities, building an inclusive society and achieving Education for All (EFA)."
Activism in Thailand
Here in Thailand, notable efforts have been made to realise the right to an education. As far as I know, some blind students have entered university and there is even a blind professor teaching in this country.
At the same time, it is also true that many people with disabilities are denied an education because of physical, attitudinal and information barriers.
During my stay in Thailand I was inspired by a variety of activities, such as a foundation to support blind children and the commitment of the blind leader, Sen Monthian, to support government ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
In the international context, Unesco Bangkok is promoting inclusive education by holding workshops to share best practices, to motivate policy makers and to include Inclusive Education into the National Education for All Action Plan.
Role of Education for All
EFA is a global movement led by Unesco that aims to meet the learning needs of all children, youth and adults by 2015.
Strong political will is needed to reform the education system so that the 72 million out-of-school children get an opportunity to receive a proper education; so that all children maximise their potential; and so that EFA is achieved in a genuine sense.
As the Salamanca Statement suggests, this is the first step towards creating a truly inclusive society.
Kentaro Fukuchi was an intern at Unesco Bangkok for one month. From infant to high school he attended regular schools - a factor which developed his interest in Inclusive Education. Kentaro entered the University of Tsukuba's department of human sciences to study education, disability and international cooperation. He is now working at the Red Cross Japanese Society in his homeland.
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