International instruments and declarations help shift inclusion towards
a rights-based approach....................................................................................................................... 31
A variety of instruments and declarations have shaped the debate ..................... 31
European Union policies have influenced many countries in the region .............33
Realization of the right to inclusive education in the region varies by country ...33
The region is broadening its definition of inclusion in education ...................................35
The record on adopting international instruments in national legislation
is mixed .................................................................................................................................................................40
Plans and strategies for inclusion need to bridge legislation and policy ....................41
Does all mean all? ............................................................................................................................. 43
Inclusive policies need to balance compensation with intervention and
prevention measures ......................................................................................................................44
The gap between policy and practice needs to be addressed through
stakeholder involvement .............................................................................................................. 45
Conclusion ................................................................................................................................................... 45
Laws and policies set the framework for achieving
inclusion in education. At the international level, binding
legal instruments and non-binding declarations, led
especially by the United Nations (UN) but also by
regional organizations, have expressed the international
community’s aspirations. They have strongly influenced
the national legislative and policy actions on which
progress towards inclusion hinges.
Despite the good intentions enshrined in many laws
and policies on inclusive education, governments
often do not take the follow-up actions necessary to
ensure implementation. Barriers remain high for access,
progression and learning, and they disproportionately
affect more disadvantaged populations. Inside education
systems, these populations face discrimination, rejection
and reluctance to have their needs accommodated.
Exclusion is most often seen in the segregation of learners
with different needs into separate classrooms and schools.
This chapter discusses how international instruments and
declarations have been adopted in the region and how
national definitions, legislation and policy frameworks on
inclusive education vary among countries. The analysis
is based largely on the results of a systematic mapping
that captures how every country in the region approaches
inclusion in education through its laws and policies.
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