“My daughter has a physical impairment. When she enrolled in school she was shy and didn’t even dare to speak when she was spoken to by her teacher or her friends in class. Now, after a few months in the inclusive school she talks all the time, almost too much! And she does not seem to be shy about her disability anymore. She even walks much better now after she started school. It makes me so happy to see that my daughter is in school, that she has friends and that she is finally enjoying her childhood.”

This quote from a parent in an inclusive primary school in Kabul highlights the importance of making schools more inclusive and child-friendly. In the last few years education planners in government and non-government organisations are finally putting inclusive education on the agenda. However, we still struggle with a lack of understanding among key stakeholders about what inclusive education really is! Inclusion is about more than disabilities. Inclusion is about access to quality education for all, regardless of gender, backgrounds, circumstances and abilities.

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"The goal of education for All can only be achieved if authorities, schools and communities recognize their legal and moral responsibility towards All Children."

Dear readers, welcome to the 6th issue of the EENET Asia Newsletter. Venita Kaul has been invited to write a guest-editorial about early childhood education as a foundation for life. Children’s voices are heard throughout this issue, from schools in Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Tajikistan, while teachers from Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan and Pakistan are writing about their experiences in making schools more inclusive and child-friendly. This all highlights the progress that has been made throughout the region over the past few years. Reports from programmes on inclusive education in Afghanistan, Cambodia, India, Lao, Pakistan and Timor-Leste encourages us to move forward and gives us ideas on how inclusive education can be implemented in countries where there are few resources. ...

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"Inclusive communities and inclusive schools fully recognise the equal rights of all children to quality education together with their siblings and peers in their local school. Such communities and schools recognise that inclusion benefits all children. They realise that diversity among students is a resource that benefits rather than hinders learning. Inclusion will therefore make communities and schools better for all: children, teachers and communities."

"Welcome to the 5th issue of the EENET Asia Newsletter. For this issue we have invited another guest editor - John Morefield - who writes about the importance of school leadership when trying to improve the quality and inclusiveness of education. In many countries heads of schools are viewed exclusively as managers. The ideas of leadership, self-initiative or creativity are often not part of their job description or what others expect from them. John writes about leadership standards and professional development in Cambodia, but the relevance of what he describes applies to most countries in the region. ..."

English: HTML PDF

The following articel is available in Khmer language:

• Continuing Issues in the Sri Lankan Education System PDF

We believe that no school can be inclusive unless it is child-friendly and no school can be child-friendly unless it is inclusive.

"This is the 4th issues of the EENET Asia Newsletter. It has a special focus on equal rights and opportunities in, to and through education. The contributions relate to this topic from different perspectives - both theoretical and practical - from policy makers as well as programme staff and teachers. In the middle of the newsletter you will find the a Self Assessment Tool that will provide you an idea on how inclusive your school is. We hope you will enjoy reading articles about and from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Lao, India, Indonesia, Japan, Nepal, Pakistan and Vietnam."

English: HTML PDF

The following article is available in Lao language:

• Why we need HIV and AIDS Prevention Education in Lao PDR PDF

The following article is available in Vietnamese language:

• Chiến lược của EENET Asia [EENET Asia Strategy] PDF

"The third issue of the EENET Asia newsletter focuses on child-friendly and inclusive practices throughout the region. Stakeholders from Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Indonesia, Kyrgyzstan, Sri Lanka and Vietnam have contributed with articles. Leading up to the World AIDS Day, we have continued as series of articles on the education sector response to HIV and AIDS. Other topics that are comprehensively covered are: child-friendly education among ethnic minorities, education initiatives for children who are living as refugees and child-labour."

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The following article is available in Japanese language:

• Inclusion and the Right to Education: A Case Study from Bandung, West Java PDF

"With this second issue of the EENET-Asia Newsletter we look towards the future for our regions - Building on the first issue of our newsletter launched back in June 2005 as well as on the interactions and recommendations of the International Symposium “Inclusion and the Removal of Barriers to Learning, Participation and Development - Inclusive and Child Friendly Schools Emerging in Asia” held in Bukittinggi and Payakumbuh (West Sumatra), Indonesia, from the 26th to the 29th of September 2005." [EENET Asia Editors]

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Vietnamese:

• Điều gì ẩn chứa trong một cái Tên? Các Tên gọi và Thuật ngữ liên quan đến khuyết tật và các nhu cầu cần được giáo dục đặc biệt: Một mối quan tâm đang tiếp diễn PDF
  [What is in a Name? Labels and Terminologies Regarding Disabilities and Special Educational Needs: A Continuing Concern]

"EENET Asia is a very timely initiative for South, Southeast and Central Asia. Such a network, and this newsletter which will help to hold it together, can only serve and inspire and support closer collaboration and the exchange of very essential information among those policy makers, programmers, and practitioners alike who are concerned with Inclusive Education."
[Sheldon Shaeffer, Director of UNESCO Regional Office for Asia-Pacific, Bangkok]

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The following articles are available in Russian language:

• РОЛЬ РЕСУРСНЫХ ЦЕНТРОВ ВРЕАЛИЗАЦИИ ИДЕИ ИНКЛЮЗИВНОГО ОБРАЗОВАНИЯ PDF
  [The Role of Resource Centres in a Process Towards Inclusive Education]

• ОТ ИНКПЮЗИВНЫХ ШКОП - К ИНКПЮЗИВНОМУ ОБЩЕСТВУ PDF
  [Educational Inclusion is not about Disability or Special Needs]