EENET asia Newsletters : Third issue November 2006 Contents

National Conference on Inclusion and Special Needs Education

31st August to 2nd September 2006, Islamabad, Pakistan

The Pakistan Disabled Foundation [PDF] with support from the private sector as well as IDP Norway and EENET Asia organised a three day conference to raise awareness among members of different disabled person’s organisation [DPO] about inclusion and the need for reform within the special education system to reach the goal of quality Education for All in an inclusive setting by 2015.

HE Mr. Shaukat Aziz, Prime Minster of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan addressed the conference in a facsimile message: “Pakistan … should adopt a shift from exclusive system of education to that of inclusive education for the children with disabilities and ensure the provision of quality services to all segments of age groups for persons with disabilities, through expansion and strengthening of service delivery infrastructure.”

In his opening speech HE Mr. Sardar Ateeq Khan, Prime Minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir [AJK] promised to support the implementation of inclusion in schools throughout the Pakistan administered part of Jammu and Kashmir under guidance of UNESCO, UNICEF and IDP Norway.

The Symposium Issue of EENET Asia Newsletter with the Recommendations from the International Symposium on Inclusion and the Removal of Barriers to Learning, Participation and Development and the Compendium on a rights-based approach to education [from Indonesia] was distributed to the 150 participants. UNICEF presented the Urdu translation of ‘Embracing Diversity - Toolkit for Creating Inclusive, Learning-Friendly Environments’ during the EENET Open Meeting.

Questionnaires based on the EENET “Food for Thought” on labelling and stigmatisation were translated to Urdu and distributed among the participants. One of the participants replied: “I have been a victim of discrimination through stereotyping. Because I am a blind many people have a bad impression of me - I lost my sight in an accident,”

Towards the end of the Conference the participants formulated 33 recommendations for the Government of Pakistan to strengthen the efforts Towards Education for All in an Inclusive Setting.

Selected Recommendation from the Conferences

1. Education of all children, both with or without disabilities should be the responsibilities of the Ministry of Education.
2. All schools through out Pakistan should become more inclusive and child friendly.
3. All children, both with or without disabilities, should have equal access to quality education in an inclusive setting, learning together in the same school and in the same class room.
4. School should focus in equal measure on children, social, emotional, physical and academic development.
5. All school should be made physically, financially and socially and academically accessible for children with diverse back ground, need, abilities and disabilities.
6. All children should have equal access to book and reading materially a medium that is suitable to their individual needs either in print, adjusted print or in Braille.
7. All children experiencing barriers to learning should have access to individual support services in order to fulfil their rights and obligations as citizen of Pakistan.
   Curricula, assessments, testing and exams for children should be flexible to inspire rather then to create barrier to learning, development and participation.
8. All teachers in regular and special teacher education programmes should be prepared to teach children with diverse needs, abilities and disabilities in inclusive community schools.
9. All government, non government and international donors finance programme should be coordinated in order to support the goal of equality of education for all by 2015.

For further information visit www.idp-europe.org.

EENET asia Newsletters : Third issue November 2006 Contents