The document discusses policies around Education for All (EFA) and the Fast Track Initiative (FTI) in relation to educating people with disabilities. It notes that while EFA and FTI were established to promote universal education, their current policies lack specificity around educating children with disabilities. The document calls for policy changes to EFA-FTI that would require greater focus on and compliance with inclusive education. Specifically, it recommends the policies mandate strategies for inclusive education and challenge countries' exclusionary educational policies.

1. +
„Education for All‟ means
Access for all
Tara W. Ross, PhD

2. +

650 million people worldwide have a
disability  by 2025, it will be 900 million
people worldwide with a disability.

Educating those with disabilities is critical
to the progress of developing nations.
Education for All



Currently 98% of those with disabilities
in developing nations do not have
access to education
Education for those with disabilities is
investment in poverty reduction
UNESCO developed Education for All
(EFA) in 1990 to establish goals for
universal education for children by 2015.

3. +
Education for All
Education for All policy signed by 155
nations and 150 donors/NGOs.
According to World Declaration on Education for All:
5. The learning needs of the disabled demand special
attention. Steps need to be taken to provide equal access
to education to every category of disabled persons as an
integral part of the education system. (UNESCO, 1990,
para 29)
United Nations subsequently developed Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs) in 2001, with the second
goal to achieve universal primary education by 2015.

4. +
Fast Track Initiative
 To
boost goal achievement of EFA and MDGs, the
Fast Track Initiative (FTI) was created by UNESCO
in 2002


Designed to aid countries that were not on track to achieve
goals
EFA-FTI partners countries in need with specific donors to
help them develop capacity

5. + Fast Track Initiative
Countries seeking
support from EFA-FTI
must submit
educational plan
Plan must address
HIV/AIDS, gender
equality, and
“other key issues”
(EFA-FTI, n.d.,
para. 5)
Disability activists
concerned that policy
language in EFA-FTI
is not descriptive
enough to ensure
education for children
with disabilities
No further mention of
educational
opportunities for
children with
disabilities beyond
vague description.

6. +
Vague EFA-FTI Policy on Educating
Children with Disabilities

Gains toward 2015 goals cannot be made unless greater specificity is
included in policy.

Schools need to identify how they will meet the needs of children with
disabilities rather than how children of disabilities will meet the needs
of the school

Current policy has not resulted in inclusive education as a global
fundamental achievement. (Peters, 2007)
(

7. +
A Policy Shift

A needed policy shift to make the EFA-FTI language more
descriptive will help develop inclusive education.

Caution against too many goals made against urgent needs
globally, as this sets up policy for failure.

Hughes and Hooper (2000) recommended that the focus be on
inclusive education, as that can serve as the impetus to
prepare schools to reach out to children with disabilities.

8. +
EFA-FTI and Inclusive Education
Graham (2010) noted the practicality of
inclusive education.
Attaining
Creating a twoEducation for All
track system
Education for all
is better for all
is impossible
that separates
without
children with
children. It is
including
disabilities is not pedagogically
sound.
children with
financially
disabilities.
tenable.

9. +

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EFA-FTI and Inclusive Education

Developing a Strategy for Inclusive
Education
 Ministries of Education set up
special needs unit (SNE)
 Teacher training to make educators
effective practitioners
 Learning materials that are
inclusive of all learners
 Access to buildings for those with
disabilities
 Data gathered and analyzed on
those with special needs
 Capacity building required at all
levels (with aid from donors)
 Involvement of parents and
community in disability awareness
(Graham, 2010)

11. +
EFA-FTI Policy Recommendations

12. +
EFA-FTI Policy Recommendations

Institutions and Educational Ministries receiving aid from donors must
then demonstrate compliance
 Compliance should align with their society‟s goals and practices
 Compliance should meet the policy requirements of EFA and MDGs
(Peters, 2007)

13. +
EFA-FTI Policy Recommendations

EFA-FTI policy should change to require greater compliance

Policy should



Be an effective framework for inclusive education
Not be lenient with countries making exceptions
Challenge all national educational policies that attempt to
exclude those with disabilities.

14. +
EFA-FTI Policy Recommendations

A new, effective policy on Inclusive Education should be disseminated
to all signatory nations of World Declaration of Education for all and
the Millennium Development Goals

According to Hughes and Hooper (2000), publishing such a policy can
serve as an opportunity to educate those involved with its purpose.
Outcomes

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References

Education for All – Fast Track Initiative. (n.d.). A global partnership to achieve education for
all. Retrieved from http://www.educationfasttrack.org/media/library/FTI_Brochure.pdf

Education for All – Fast Track Initiative. (n.d.) Fact sheet. What is the endorsement
process? Retrieved
from http://www.educationfasttrack.org/media/library/factsheet_endorsement.pdf

Graham, N. (2010). Why does Education for All have to be inclusive education? Education
for All Fast Track Initiative (EFA FTI) and children with disabilities. Retrieved from
http://shrdocs.com/presentations/3985/index.html

Hughes, L.W. and Hooper, D. W. (2000). Public relations for school leaders. Needham
Heights, MA: Allyn and Bacon.

Peters, S. (2007). Education for all? Journal of Disability Policy Studies, 18(2), 98-108.

UNESCO. (1990). World declaration on education for all. Retrieved from
http://www.unesco.org/education/efa/ed_for_all/background/jomtien_declaration.shtml

UNESCO. (2000). World education forum final report: Part II. Improving the quality and
equity of education for all.

UNESCO. (2009, April-June). Inclusion of children with disabilities: The early childhood
imperative. Retrieved from http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0018/001831/183156e.pdf

United Nations. (n.d.). Goal 2: Achieve universal primary education. Retrieved from
http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/education.shtml

United Nations. (2001). United Nations millennium declaration. Retrieved from
http://www.un.org/millennium/declaration/ares552e.htm