Philosophical Bases of Special and

Inclusive Education: Inclusivity

Inclusion in education

Ensuring that each individual has an equal opportunity for

educational progress remains a challenge worldwide. Sustainable
Development Goal 4 on Education and the Education 2030
Framework for Action emphasize inclusion and equity as laying the
foundations for quality education.

The UNESCO Convention against Discrimination in Education

(1960) and other international human rights treaties prohibit any
exclusion from, or limitation to, educational opportunities on the
basis of socially-ascribed or perceived differences, such as by sex,
ethnic/social origin, language, religion, nationality, economic
condition, ability.

Reaching excluded and marginalized groups and providing them

with quality education requires the development and
implementation of inclusive policies and programmes.
In this context, UNESCO promotes inclusive education systems
that remove the barriers limiting the participation and
achievement of all learners, respect diverse needs, abilities and
characteristics and that eliminate all forms of discrimination in the
learning environment.

UNESCO works with governments and partners to address

exclusion from, and inequality in, education. Among marginalized
and vulnerable groups, UNESCO pays special attention to children
with disabilities as they are overrepresented in the population of
those who are not in education. Indigenous people also continue
to experience exclusion within and from education.

Leading SDG 4 - Education 2030

Education is a human right and a force for sustainable

development and peace. Every goal in the 2030 Agenda requires
education to empower people with the knowledge, skills and
values to live in dignity, build their lives and contribute to their
societies.
Today, more than 262 million children and youth are out of school.
Six out of ten are not acquiring basic literacy and numeracy after
several years in school. 750 million adults are illiterate, fueling
poverty and marginalization.

Ambitions for education are essentially captured in Sustainable

Development Goal 4 (SDG 4) of the 2030 Agenda which aims to
“ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote
lifelong learning opportunities for all” by 2030. The roadmap to
achieve the education goal, adopted in November 2015, provides
guidance to governments and partners on how to turn
commitments into action (Education 2030 Framework for Action).
UNESCO is responsible for coordinating the international
community to achieve this goal through partnerships, policy
guidance, capacity development, monitoring and advocacy.

While governments hold the main responsibility for ensuring the

right to quality education, the 2030 Agenda is a universal and
collective commitment. It requires political will, global and regional
collaboration and the engagement of all governments, civil society,
the private sector, youth, UN and other multilateral agencies to
tackle educational challenges and build systems that are inclusive,
equitable and relevant to all learners.
Towards 2030: a New Vision for
Education

Inclusion and equity in and through education is the cornerstone

of a transformative education agenda, and we therefore commit to
addressing all forms of exclusion and marginalization, disparities
and inequalities in access, participation and learning outcomes. No
education target should be considered met unless met by all. We
therefore commit to making the necessary changes in education
policies and focusing our efforts on the most disadvantaged,
especially those with disabilities, to ensure that no one is left
behind.

Sustainable Development Goal 4 Targets: "Ensure inclusive and

equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning
opportunities for all"

1.

Ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable and
quality primary and secondary education leading to relevant and
effective learning outcomes
2.
Ensure that all girls and boys have access to quality early
childhood development, care and pre-primary education so that
they are ready for primary education
3.

Ensure equal access for all women and men to affordable and
quality technical, vocational and tertiary education, including
university
4.

Substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have

relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for
employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship
5.

Eliminate gender disparities in education and ensure equal

access to all levels of education and vocational training for the
vulnerable, including persons with disabilities, indigenous
peoples and children in vulnerable situations
6.

Ensure that all youth and a substantial proportion of adults,

both men and women, achieve literacy and numeracy
7.

Ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed
to promote sustainable development, including, among others,
through education for sustainable development and sustainable
lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture
of peace and non-violence, global citizenship and appreciation of
cultural diversity and of culture’s contribution to sustainable
development
8.
 Build and upgrade education facilities that are child, disability
and gender sensitive and provide safe, non-violent, inclusive and
effective learning environments for all
9.

Substantially expand globally the number of scholarships

available to developing countries, in particular least developed
countries, small island developing States and African countries,
for enrolment in higher education, including vocational training
and information and communications technology, technical,
engineering and scientific programmes, in developed countries
and other developing countries
10.

Substantially increase the supply of qualified teachers, including

through international cooperation for teacher training in
developing countries, especially least developed countries and
small island developing States

In order to make sure a holistic approach towards inclusivity in

education, UNESCO defines inclusive education as- “Inclusion is
seen as a process of addressing and responding to the diversity of
needs of all learners through increasing participation in learning,
cultures and communities, and reducing exclusion within and from
education. It involves changes and modifications in content,
approaches, structures and strategies, with a common vision
which covers all children of the appropriate age range and a
conviction that it is the responsibility of the regular system to
educate all children” (UNESCO 2005).

In 2020 and during a period where almost all countries are going
through a crisis situation due to Covid19, it is our duty to reflect on
the difficulties of those people who cannot switch to e-learning
methods due to their inability to access the internet, computers
and laptops or even lack of knowledge about online learning
courses. As we advocate for education for all in such testing times,
we need to ensure that individual from all backgrounds are made
part of the education ecosystem which can further empower them
to fight situations like these in the future.

To face the COVID-19 crisis, UNESCO has provided immediate

support to countries by updating the distance learning guides for
more than 1.47 billion children who are out of school because of
school closures across the globe (UNESCO 2020).

As a right, learning must continue and the efforts should go more

to those who are the most disadvantaged. There is an urgent need
to emphasize the role of education in responding to such crises.
UNESCO New Delhi Education team will continue to think and
reflect on:

 How to ensure the continuity of learning for all even in times
of crisis/emergency


How to train teachers for their preparedness and what to

include in the content of their education


How to organize distance education, home schooling and

personalized pathways.

References:

[1] https://en.unesco.org/themes/inclusion-in-education

[2] https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000245656