ALLY FOR INCLUSIVE EDUCATION
Inclusion is a process that requires active community
participation (UNESCO, 2009). Communities with positive
views and attitudes towards inclusion can drive schools to
provide equitable education opportunities. Communities
can also hold governments responsible for the
education of all learners, the commitment of resources
to achieving this goal and the fight against all forms of
discrimination and exclusion (European Agency, 2013). In
total, 23 education systems in the region have policies
that support or partially support
collaboration between
schools and community stakeholders.
In Estonia, a survey revealed local differences in the
extent to which schools involved the community in their
activities. Schools commonly connect and communicate
with the community through joint events or maintenance
workdays during which students, school staff and
community members clean up the school surroundings
or the local park. Several schools organize sport
or family days.
In the Republic of Moldova, 24% of respondents in a
2014 study said they thought
people with disabilities
were frequently or very frequently discriminated against
in education institutions (Malcoci and Barbaroşie, 2015).
In response, the government began organizing
community-level communication and information
activities on the need to include children with special
education needs in mainstream schools and why all
community actors should support these children and
their families, the aim being to reduce stigmatization
and discrimination.
The Czech Republic notes that there is no evidence that
guidelines to support formal or informal community
networks are functioning effectively. The
implementation
report on Montenegro’s 2019–25 Inclusive Education
Strategy noted a need to further build on networks to
deepen collaboration among the education system,
departments and services, NGOs and communities.
In total, 23 education systems in the region have policies that support
or partially support collaboration between schools and community
stakeholders
Only
1
country
in Central
and Eastern Europe, the Caucasus
and Central Asia consults with students,
and only
3
with
parents when
carrying out
curriculum reform
1
3
136
GLOBAL EDUCATION MONITORING REPORT 2021
Civil society advocates for, monitors and delivers
inclusive education
Social mobilization to promote inclusive education often
goes beyond spontaneous activities by concerned
parents and vulnerable people. Organized civil society
activity of various forms has played a fundamental role
in the demand for education of good quality.
In total, 24 education systems have legislation or
policy setting out a role for organizations representing
vulnerable groups. Such activity
includes advocacy and
watchdog functions to hold governments accountable for
national and international commitments, as in Romania,
where a grassroots push for desegregation of schools for
Roma led to legislation and policy changes (
Box 8.2
).
NGOs also provide education services at various levels.
Many governments recognize NGOs as equal partners
in achieving inclusive education objectives. Armenia’s
development of a national inclusive education policy
is largely attributed to effective support by and
collaboration with NGOs. In Montenegro, civil society
activities have helped raise the quality of inclusive
education.
On one occasion, the Ministry of Education
collaborated with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and
intersex organizations to develop training materials that
were disseminated in the school system.
In the Czech Republic, the Support for School Meals
programme has been aimed at primary school students
from poor families, subsidizing those who meet eligibility
criteria. It is based on collaboration among the Ministry
of Education, Youth and Sports,
primary schools,
organizations operating school catering facilities and
a wide range of NGOs focusing on social assistance to
families. As the last are not public entities, their activities
are not subject to the same requirements as regional
authorities, helping simplify programme administration.
NGOs monitor and evaluate the impact of subsidized
school meals on the basis of supported students’
school attendance.
In Mongolia, the All for Education National Civil
Society Coalition, which includes more than 30 CSOs,
examined governance and decision-making processes in
10 geographically isolated and poor secondary schools
that had not participated
in donor-funded projects
These schools were not providing sufficient information
and had not set up parent–teacher councils. The local
school council was unable to hold the respective school
management authorities accountable. The coalition set
up the Community Schools initiative, an assessment
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