Inclusion and education

BOX 5.3: 
Azerbaijan and Belarus fight gender stereotypes, but 
gender inclusivity in textbooks remains a challenge
Reversing representation of traditional gender norms in school 
textbooks requires a major mobilization and strong commitment 
from government. In 2015, the Ministry of Education in Azerbaijan 
introduced gender equality criteria in the Textbook Approval Board 
submission assessment process. Experts from the Gender Studies 
Department of Baku State University evaluated the submissions. 
Application of the new criteria on both verbal and visual content 
revealed unbalanced representation of women and men: 90% of 
images of men were related to participation in agriculture, 
business, management and technology, while women were shown 
as housewives washing clothes, cleaning, cooking, serving their 
husband or taking care of children. A recent study showed that 
such gaps remain (Dadashova, 2019). That is partly because of the 
low weight of the gender equality criterion in textbook evaluation 
scoring: only 3, at most, of the total 60 points assigned.
In Belarus, laws and policies are equivocal on gender equality. 
The second amendment of the Constitution in 2004 recognized 
women’s equal rights in education and vocational training, but the 
2010 Education Code referred to ‘ideas of role and vital purpose 
of men and women in modern society’, which could imply a 
traditional gender lens. Training guidelines for policymakers, 
school leaders and social protection and health workers mention 
a gender dimension, but there is concern that they reinforce 
gender stereotypes. Current education plans and programmes 
are not yet gender-responsive, and guidelines for review and 
adjustment of learning materials to fight gender stereotypes are 
insufficient. For instance, the crafts subject is divided, with boys 
learning crafts traditionally perceived as male (e.g. carpentry, 
plumbing) and girls learning crafts traditionally perceived as 
female (e.g. cooking, knitting, sewing). Military training is only for 
boys, and reproductive health and sexuality education is only for 
girls, as part of first aid training.
The Council of Europe’s Committee of 
Experts on Roma and Traveller Issues is 
working towards a recommendation on 
the inclusion of their history in curricula 
and teaching materials
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Some countries, including Azerbaijan and Belarus, have 
tried to promote gender equality and inclusion through 
improved textbooks (
Box 5.3
). Montenegro’s Institute 
for Textbooks and Teaching Aids is developing a new 
generation of textbooks incorporating gender-sensitive 
language for the nine years of basic education. A lack of 
general standards and guidance, however, can lead to 
unbalanced design of different textbooks for the same 
curriculum. In Romania, a gender perspective is available 
in some textbooks but missing from others. In Turkey, 
gender roles promoted through textbooks conform to 
patriarchal, traditional and religious norms (Aratemur-
Çimen, and Bayhan, 2018).
Textbooks need to be accessible to all learners
Providing free textbooks to poor and marginalized families 
is a common policy in the region. In Hungary, starting 
in 2020/21, textbooks will be free for all primary and 
secondary school students. In Lithuania, every school has 
a Child Welfare Commission that discusses and addresses 
cases of learners from disadvantaged groups who may 
lack access to textbooks and learning materials. In the 
Republic of Moldova, students from families at risk of 
exclusion can rent textbooks.
Some countries use web platforms or software to make 
electronic textbooks and learning materials available 
to all learners. In Estonia, e-learning materials are 
available on the digital study material portal e-koolikott 
(e-schoolbag), and students with special education 
needs have access to tailor-made e-learning materials. 
In Georgia, the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture 
and Sport has a portal with a digital library providing 
access to learning materials and cloud storage space 
to all teachers and students; in addition, some special 
materials are available for blind students. In Kazakhstan, 
OPIQ, an interactive library, provides access to electronic 
textbooks on subjects in grades 1–11 and a collection of 
tasks and tests, while BilimLand, an education portal, 
has additional digital education resources. Kyrgyzstan’s 
National Open Education Resources Repository provides 
more than 800 school textbooks and teaching materials 
for computers, tablets and smartphones.
Information and communication technology (ICT) 
can support distance learning as well as learners with 
disabilities. In Montenegro, the Education Information 
System project has provided all education institutions 
with computers and broadband internet and has trained 
school staff in their use, with the support of regional 
coordinators. ICT is also used to improve access for 
children with disabilities (
Box 5.4
).
Assistive technology is used to improve access to learning 
materials for students with special education needs, 
although special schools tend to be better equipped 
than mainstream schools, as examples from Bosnia 
and Herzegovina, the Russian Federation and Serbia 
show. Special schools in North Macedonia have tailored 
materials, such as Braille textbooks, software and 
audiobooks. Often such resources are provided through 
schools’ participation in projects with NGOs. In Slovakia, 
the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport 
introduced a policy in 2011 to ensure that all special 
school orders for textbooks would be met free of charge. 
Transcriptions in Braille and electronic versions on CD for