EENET asia Newsletters : Fourth issue June 2007 Contents

EFA in an Inclusive Setting in Indonesia

EENET Asia – Indonesian Working Group

2nd May is the National Education Day in Indonesia. It is often celebrated for an entire month. A string of events and initiatives marked this year’s celebration highlighting the rights of all children to quality education.

EFA Global Action Week

According to the Indonesian Constitution as well as the Education Law [2003] ALL children have right to quality education. However, today more than 4.5 million Indonesian children, age 7 to 15 remain out of school. Millions more are in school but not learning. The President has set the target of 9 year compulsory education for all by 2008.

Merely 17 months remain until the end of 2008. To discuss what needs to be done to reach the goal of 9 year compulsory education UNESCO Jakarta and IDPN Indonesia [Indonesian Foundation for Inclusion and Non-Discrimination in Education] together with government and non-government partners organized a string of events in South Sumatra, East Java and East Nusa Tenggara. The events started during the EFA [Education for All] Global Action Week in late April and they highlighted the need for concreted and practical action:

Kabupaten Musi Banyuasin [South Sumatra]
Representatives from IDPN Indonesia and ICRAIS [Indonesian Child-Rights Advocacy and Inclusion Studies] met with members of the District Parliament, Planning Department, Education Authorities as well as Head-Teachers and Teachers to discuss what they can do to make sure that all children in Musi Banyuasin have access to quality education.

In addition to the goal of nine year compulsory education Musi Banyuasin has now decided to provide twelve year free education for all. They will connect education programmes with health, social and welfare services - one of these efforts are free health care for all. Musi Banyuasin still face challenges to reach their goals but with their commitment, dedication and practical approach to planning and implementation we are confident that they can make it - on time for 2008!

Kota and Kabupaten Malang [East Java]
Head Teachers and Teachers in Inclusive Pilot Schools in East Java have formed their own association to promote inclusion and child-friendly education in East Java. To support their initiative UNESCO Jakarta, IDPN Indonesia and the East-Java Preparation Team for Inclusive Education [TimPOKJA JaTim] organized a workshop and round-table discussion in Malang.

The Participants made the following Recommendation to the National, Provincial and District/Municipal Government:

1. There should be more awareness campaigns on Education for All that reach all layers of society.
2. Professional educators and support staff on inclusive education should be sufficiently provided.
3. Materials and devices like speech-enabled computers, Braille printers, Sign Language resource books etc. to support children with special needs should be sufficiently provided.
4. A model for evaluation and certification that highlights the abilities of children - not their disabilities - should be developed.
5. Government officials should give more financial and technical support to inclusive schools.

This is one of the many grass root initiatives found throughout Indonesia that promotes the rights of ALL children to quality education in their home communities - Giving a voice to and support to these initiatives will help Indonesia reach the goal of Education for All.

Kota Kupang [East Nusa Tenggara]
Most children with physical / motor impairment in East Nusa Tenggara do not have access to school. In an effort to highlight the issue of segregation and discrimination in the school system UNESCO Jakarta, IDPN Indonesia and BILiC [Bandung Independent Living Centre] brought together children with and without disabilities to interact and have fun together. The purpose was to make children with disabilities visible in the community and to raise awareness on how important it is that ALL children can go to school, play and grow up together. The children painted statements and made drawings on a 15 meter long banner. The children themselves decided what to draw and write without any interference from the adults. Through this activity they learned to work together and talk with each other - as soon they started painting it didn’t seem to matter anymore if the children had disabilities or not. It was so much fun that the education officials, parents and university lecturers that had a round-table discussion on Early Intervention, Care and Education [a prerequisite for successful EFA] at the same decide to join in at the end. The event was supported by the Provincial Education Authorities and the University of Nusa Cendana [UNDANA]. Following the activity UNDANA has committed to work with the Provincial Education Authorities to promote EFA in their study programmes for teacher education and in the community to raise awareness of EFA.

Indonesia - Towards Inclusion:
Commitment of Districts and Municipalities

Five municipalities and district signed commitments to implement inclusion in their schools and communities. After signing these wide ranging commitments they were awarded with Certificates with the Distinction of ‘Communities - Towards Inclusion’ - The Certificates were awarded by the Ministry of National Education, the World Bank, IDP Norway and EENET Asia.

The Heads or Mayors signed the Commitments on behalf of their Districts and Municipalities. The Municipality of Cimahi, District of Jember, District of Musi Banyuasin, Municipality of Payakumbuh and Municipality of Sukabumi committed themselves to the following:

1. The diversity found in our districts/municipalities should be reflected in our schools. In the spirit of Indonesian culture and our faith ALL children regardless of their abilities, disabilities, health and HIV status as well as their social, economic, ethnic, cultural and religious backgrounds will have the right to play, learn and grow up together in an inclusive and child-friendly environment;
2. No primary and lower secondary schools in our districts/municipalities will therefore have the right to refuse entry to any child living in the community surrounding the school regardless of their abilities, disabilities, health and HIV status as well as their social, economic, ethnic, cultural and religious backgrounds. Moreover, schools will gradually provide access for all children including wheelchair accessible classrooms and toilets, access to Sign language education for children with hearing impairment and access to books in Braille as well as assistive devices for children with visual impairment;
3. No primary or lower secondary school in our districts/municipalities will have the right to expel children from school whatever the reason may be;
4. Our districts/municipalities will proactively seek children who are out of school and those who are vulnerable to marginalisation and exclusion and make sure that these children are enrolled in school and receive the support they need to develop their full academic, social, emotional and physical potential;
5. Inclusion will be the fundamental principle that provides the basis of all district policies and regulations in our districts/municipalities;
6. Based on comprehensive data collection programmes the education, health, social welfare and public welfare sectors in our districts/municipalities will, in close collaboration, develop comprehensive early detection, assessment and intervention systems - realising that early intervention is of vital importance for the academic, social, emotional and physical development of children with disabilities as well as for many other children with special / individual learning needs, and;
7. Our districts/municipalities will develop comprehensive and systematic plans to build support systems for children with special / individual learning needs as well as for their teachers and parents in an effort to achieve quality education for all. These plans will be followed up by budget allocations and practical implementation.

These are just some of the activities that have taken place during the EFA Global Action Week and the National Education Day [Month]. Concrete and practical action must now follow so that ALL children by the end of 2008 will be able to go to school, learn and develop to the fullest of their potential regardless of their abilities, disabilities, gender, health and HIV status as well as socio-economic, ethnic, religious, cultural and language background.

EENET Asia - Indonesian Working Group can be contacted via email: eenet-asia@idp-europe.org or by post: EENET Asia, Jl. Panglima Polim X No. 8, Kebayoran Baru, Jakarta 12160, Indonesia

EENET asia Newsletters : Fourth issue June 2007 Contents