TOWARDS LIFELONG EDUCATION FOR ALL — SPECIAL NEEDS EDUCATION

1986-1987 UNESCO launches an international survey on legislative, financial and administrative measures for disabled persons Case studies 1993 Standard Rules on the Equalization of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities, Resolution adopted by the United Nations General Assembly 1994 World Conference on Special Needs Education, Salamanca, Spain The Salamanca Statement Framework for Action 1995 Special education programme for street and working children launched World Social Development Summit, Declaration and Action Plan, Copenhagen 1996-1997 Preparation and dissemination of a resource package, ‘Special Needs in the Classroom’

FROM SPECIAL EDUCATION TO SPECIAL NEEDS EDUCATION A new approach was developed during the 1980s in education circles. It was noted that the obstacles to integration were not caused by individual factors alone, but also by the environment, and that learning difficulties were caused by an array of disabilities that could be physical, psychological, socio-economic or cultural in origin. (12) It became clear that schools dispensing special education only could not meet the special needs of a large number of children, that their costs were prohibitive and that they tended not to integrate the disabled into society but to marginalize them. It would therefore be better to reform traditional education to provide additional support for those with special difficulties and thus meet the needs of a wide range of pupils. In view of the interest in enrolling pupils with special needs in ordinary schools, the Organization launched a project on teaching materials entitled ‘Special Needs in the Classroom’ in order to help teachers to accommodate pupils with all sorts of learning difficulties. The ‘World Conference on Special Needs Education: Access and Quality’ held in 1994 in Salamanca, Spain, (13) for which five regional awareness-raising seminars for decision-makers had prepared the ground, was to provide decisive support for the new integrationist strategies. It unanimously adopted (14) a Statement and a Framework for Action on Special Needs Education which proposed guidelines for action at the national level, and for regional and international co-operation for inclusive education. (15) For inclusive rather than differentiated education makes it possible to combat discriminatory attitudes and rapidly provide education to most children with particular educational needs. The Salamanca Framework for Action will henceforth be the basis for the Organization’s activities to promote and support the implementation of global policies and in-depth reforms to enable schools to really accommodate all children.

ONE OF UNESCO'S SPECIAL EDUCATION PROGRAMMES STREET CHILDREN AND WORKING CHILDREN Today, over 100 MILLION children throughout the world are struggling for their survival in destitution and distress. They are the street and working children. They are in danger – injury, murder, violence, rape, sexual exploitation, drugs, AIDS and other diseases, hunger, solitude, contempt, forced labour, etc. They have never been to school; or if they have, they have received very little education or education of very poor quality. Education is their only way out. There is no way in which street children and working children – abandoned, exploited and ill-treated – can call for help. The only voice they have is our voice. Their only hope is our ability to react. Let us help those who are trying to give them back their childhood. Federico Mayor Director-General of UNESCO ‘I have come to the city to earn money. I shine shoes because it is the easiest work to find. But what I should really like is to be educated to improve my lot and make myself useful.’ These are the words of Souleyman, a 15-year old shoeblack in Dakar who would like to go to school but hardly has any choice. In co-operation with sister agencies and private bodies, UNESCO has established a world programme for street and working children. The aim of the programme is to provide them with non-formal education to enable them to acquire immediately usable survival, health and work skills. The Organizations action focuses on sensitizing public opinion, fund-raising and support for projects. Working with street children, UNESCO/ICCB, 1995, contains information about education provided under 21 rehabilitation projects and shows how one can work with and for these children.

1996 A SUCCESSFUL PROJECT: COMMUNITY-BASED REHABILITATION PROGRAMME, GUYANA In Guyana, as in other countries of the world, the community-based rehabilitation approach has recently been adopted. Along with school integration, this strategy offers comprehensive education to children and youth with special learning needs, in order to even out educational opportunities and optimize their participation and integration in society. This is a multisectorial development strategy at the service of the above-mentioned objectives. This experience demonstrates how the co-ordinated actions of the disabled individuals themselves, their families, and volunteers of health service, education and labour institutions, can influence the community to gradually take over the responsibility of formulating and managing educational policy designed to rehabilitate individuals with special learning needs, so they can participate fully in every aspect of community living: family, school, work, health, and leisure. In order to accomplish this, it is essential that community members acquire the necessary skills and competence to truly support disabled individuals. The programme unfolds through regional committees made up by local volunteer monitors who are responsible for fostering, planning, co-ordinating and evaluating the evolution of the programme in their respective areas. These actions are articulated by a National Committee consisting of regional representatives under the co-ordination of a project director.	Deng Pu Fang Chairman of the China Disabled Persons’ Federation Facts have demonstrated repeatedly that people with disabilities can definitely become creators of the wealth of mankind, so long as they are provided with proper education and employment opportunities, with their values respected and their potential fully tapped. World Conference on Special Needs Education, Salamanca, Spain, 1994 Colin N. Power (Australia) Assistant Director-General for Education, UNESCO since 1989 With the increase in the chances of survival but increases in armed conflict and poverty, the number of refugees, displaced persons and disabled is growing dramatically. There are now over 43 million refugees and displaced persons, and over 290 million people with moderate to severe mental or physical disabilities. Most refugees and handicapped live in great poverty. For them, the right to basic education is frequently denied. [...] In poor countries [...] generally less than 2 per cent of even mildly disabled children are in school. UNESCO has been actively promoting the integration of the handicapped in regular schools, and has been providing training with the help of multimedia packages for educators. Keynote address at LETA Conference, Adelaide, Australia, September, 1994 The Delors Commission When children have specific needs that cannot be diagnosed or met exclusively in the family environment, it is the responsibility of schools to provide the professional help and guidance to ensure that the talents of children with learning difficulties or physical handicaps do not go to waste. Learning: the Treasure Within, UNESCO, 1996
TO KNOW MORE (see also CD-ROM, vol.I)

                               

FOOTNOTES:

(12) This expanded definition implies recognizing that some 10 per cent of all children all over the world have special needs and encounter major difficulties in their school work at one time or another.

(13) Organized by the Spanish Government in co-operation with UNESCO. 300 participants representing 92 governments and twenty-five international organizations.

(14) The Statement referred to Rules that had just been adopted in a United Nations Resolution (1993) ‘General educational authorities are responsible for the education of persons with disabilities, in integrated settings’. Rule 6.

(15) Persons with special education needs must be able to attend ordinary schools, which must integrate them into a system of instruction that is capable of meeting their needs.

Caption: Final Report, Declaration and Framework for Action, Salamanca World Conference, 1994.

TO KNOW MORE (see also CD-ROM, Vol. I)

1. Terminology of Special Education. Paris, UNESCO-IBE, 1983. (IBEdata). (English, French, Japanese, Russian, Spanish)
2. Consultation on Special Education. UNESCO, 2-6 May 1988. Final report, UNESCO, 1988. ED-88/WS/45. (Arabic, English, French, Spanish)
3. Standard Rules on the Equalization of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities (The). New York, United Nations, 1994. (English)
4. Making it Happen. Examples of Good Practice in Special Needs Education & Community-based Programmes. UNESCO, 1994. (English)
5. Special Needs in the Classroom. A Teacher Education Guide. Mel Ainscow, UNESCO/Jessica Kingsley, 1994. (English, Spanish)
6. World Conference on Special Needs Education: Access and Quality. Salamanca, Spain, 7-10 June 1994. Final report, UNESCO, 1995. ED-95/WS/2. (English, French, Spanish)
7. Review of the Present Situation in Special Needs Education. UNESCO, 1995. ED-95/WS/7. (English, summary in Arabic, French, Spanish)
8. Working with Street Children: Selected Case Studies from Africa, Asia and Latin America. UNESCO/ICCB, 1995. (English, French, Spanish)
9. Effective Strategies and Approaches for Reaching Street and Working Children through Education: Reviewing Recent Developments. Ana Cristina Leonardos, UNESCO-IIEP, 1995. (English)
10. Réadaptation à base communautaire pour et avec les personnes handicapées, 1994. Point de vue commun OIT/UNESCO/OMS. UNESCO, 1996. (Arabic, French, Spanish)