Evidence briefs

12 results

What evidence is there for the benefits of inclusive education for children without disabilities?

Inclusive education offers a variety of potential academic and social benefits for all students; with as well as without disabilities. However, a common concern among the non-disabled population is the potential negative impacts the inclusion of students with disabilities might have on their non-disabled classmates.  These negative beliefs and attitudes by parents and teachers can translate into a lack of implementation of inclusive education. There is substantial evidence for the benefits of inclusion for students with disabilities, however, there is very little evidence on the impact it has on non-disabled students, particularly in LMICs compared to HICs. This evidence brief explores evidence-based recommendations on the benefits of inclusive education for children without disabilities and how this issue shapes inclusive education implementation in LMICs.

  • Education
SignificanceFeasibilityApplicabilityEquity
Recommendations
  • Ministries of Education should be responsible for the education of all children and inclusive education reform
  • Raise community awareness of benefits for students without disabilities
  • Teachers in LMICs need to receive training in special needs education including the benefits inclusive education can bring to students without disabilities
  • More evidence is needed to understand what impact inclusive education can have on children without disabilities socially and academically in LMICs

What works to support girls with disabilities reaching and staying in school?

A recent multi-country analysis by UNESCO revealed that children with disabilities were more likely to be out of school than children without disabilities across Low and Middle Income (LMIC) countries, with some evidence from the available datasets that girl children with disabilities were more likely to be out of school than boy children with disabilities. Access to quality education can break cycles of poverty, decrease risk of violence and increase both access to livelihoods and individual wellbeing.  It is therefore vital to understand what works to support girls with disabilities reaching and staying in school. In line with the Sustainable Development Goals, Incheon Strategy and United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, this brief is part of a series on girls’ and women’s empowerment

  • Education
  • Cross-cutting
Recommendations
  • Generate better evidence on what works to improve outcomes for children with disabilities overall, and disaggregate this by gender
  • Collect more nuanced data on barriers to education among girls with disabilities in specific settings
  • Prioritise inclusive and safe sexual and reproductive health support for girls with disabilities in schools
  • Involve boys and men in supporting girls with disabilities accessing school
  • Think beyond primary education, to support girls with disabilities through to meaningful livelihoods and to mitigate against risk of violence
  • Harmonise indicators and outputs to build national baselines and monitor change over time

Remaining questions

There are no remaining questions related to this theme