Better inclusive early learning and development at scale

 

An estimated 95% of the 53 million children under five with disabilities who are in low- and middle-income countries face particular disadvantages, with poor affordability, availability and accessibility to either regular or targeted services for early child education. Furthermore, children with disabilities are 25% less likely to attend early childhood education and 49% more likely to never have attended school at all. In addition, the lack of systemic frameworks, standards and regulations for pre-primary teachers inhibit scaling of play-based pedagogies and coordination systems that have proven valuable for disability inclusion.

This project will generate knowledge on the evidence and capacity gaps in scaling the impact of early interventions for boys and girls with disabilities through quality, inclusive early childhood education systems in Ethiopia, Rwanda and Zimbabwe. Research questions focus on how to support children with disabilities through inclusive early childhood education systems with relevant coordination mechanisms and links with health and social work sectors. The project aims to define systemic frameworks, pathways, standards and regulations to enable teachers to adopt inclusive and differentiated play-based pedagogies and coordination systems for disability-inclusive educational services in humanitarian contexts.

The methodology includes collecting and analyzing qualitative and quantitative data and the development of specific case studies that will capture experiences and perspectives from children, their families and service providers. Emerging priorities and actions will be shaped into investment cases to strengthen pro-equity strategies in education sector planning and financing. An early child education tracker will be developed to monitor progress in each country.

This project is funded through the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) Knowledge and Innovation Exchange, a joint endeavour between the GPE and IDRC to connect expertise, innovation and knowledge to help low- and middle-income countries build stronger and more inclusive education systems and accelerate progress toward the Sustainable Development Goal on education.