Inclusive Education Resource Guide : Ensuring Inclusion and Equity in Education

Inclusive education refers to a process of strengthening the capacity of the whole general education system to reach out to all learners. Increasing access and ensuring learning and achievement for all students is critical to developing human capital and economic growth. Inclusive education has been a universally acknowledged goal for over two decades. Universal Design for Learning (UDL) reminds us of the importance of good pedagogical practices, differentiation and flexibility in curriculum and assessments. It also points to the importance of adequate human resources and reasonable accommodations at school and in any education institution to meet a variety of learning needs. UDL is an approach, which acknowledges that in a group of learners, all are different. Learners can understand, process, and express things in different ways. It is important that a multitude of methods are used in teaching and learning to support all learners in accessible learning environments. 263 million children and youth between ages 6 and 17 years are not in school today and many marginalized children face barriers to learning even when they are in school. Children with disabilities are 2.5 times more likely to never go to school than their peers. General education systems should be accessible to all children. The learning crisis and learning poverty cannot be tackled unless systemic barriers are addressed, and diverse educational needs of all learners, including those who are marginalized, disadvantaged and vulnerable, are met. Even when there is research evidence in favor of inclusion as compared with segregated learning, scaling up inclusive education efforts requires strong support from relevant international stakeholders, like the World Bank. Inclusion is a central feature in the World Bank’s twin goals and there is a global political momentum to ensure equity and inclusion in education. When all students, including marginalized groups, are included and accounted for in mainstream development efforts, both the quality and equity of education systems, measured as student academic and social outcomes, will increase.