Inclusive education in emergency andrefugee situations –INEE Minimum Standards and INEE Toolkit

Laura Davison (INEE) and Ingrid Lewis (EENET)Zero Project ConferenceVienna, 12th February 2016

Introduction to the INEE INEE Minimum Standards for

Education Inclusive Education in

Emergencies INEE Pocket Guides to

Inclusive Education, and toSupporting Learners withDisabilities

Outline

Inter-Agency Network for Education in Emergencies (INEE)• Open, global network• Members: UN, NGOs, donor agencies, MoEs, academic

institutions

• 11,500+ members in 170 countries

• Conceived at WEF in Dakar, 2000 – to improve inter-agencycommunication and collaboration

• 6 full-time staff members in INEE Secretariat• Guidance from the INEE Steering Group & INEE Strategic Plan

Network Activities:

• Working groups, Task Teams, Language Communities• Trainings and capacity development on EiE

• Policy Roundtables, Global Consultations on EiE• Knowledge sharing on EiE through website and listserv

• Tools for practitioners: INEE Toolkit - http://toolkit.ineesite.org/• 2015: 20,000 visits from 178 countries, with 16,000 resources

downloaded

“Working togetherto ensure all persons theright to quality, relevant

and safe education inemergencies and post-

crisis recovery”

Background: INEE Minimum Standards for Education:Preparedness, Response, Recovery (1)

Aim to enhance the quality of educationpolicy and programming, increase access tosafe and relevant learning opportunities andensure accountability in providing theseservices in all stages of emergency response

Developed in 2004 through a widelyconsultative process involving over 2,250education practitioners/researchers.Updated in 2010, with input from 1,300individuals

• Founded upon a human rights framework,specifically the right to education, asexpressed in key human rights documents:the UDHR, Covenant on Eco., Soc. and Cult.Rights, Convention on the Rights of theChild, Education for All, Sphere Project’sHumanitarian Charter

• Available in 28 languages, the Handbookhas been used in over 110 countries tostrengthen education response.

Background: INEE Minimum Standards for Education (2)

5 Domains19 StandardsKey actionsGuidance notes

StandardsThe aim; the “why;” they are qualitative anduniversal; applicable in any environment

Key ActionsSuggested actions to be taken in order toreach/meet the standard; the “what we do”

Guidance NotesCover points of good practice to consider whenapplying the minimum standards and adaptingthe key actions in different situations; the “howwe do it

Organization of the INEE Minimum Standards

The process of making thelanguage and actions of the INEEMinimum Standards relevant toa particular context. Contextualization of the INEE

Minimum Standards hasgenerally included these 3 steps: Define the terms used in the

standards Define the locally relevant

actions (and the methods fortheir verification) Identify local best practices,

challenges, etc.

Afghanistan Somalia Vietnam South Sudan Sri Lanka oPt Ethiopia Lebanon Bangladesh Jordan Iran Iraq (Kurdistan) DRC

Contextualization

• Presents challenges in any context, but is a vitalelement for developing inclusive societies.

• The need is even greater in situations of crisis andconflict.

• Inclusive education is often seen as a luxury, to beconsidered only once ‘normal’ education provisionhas been arranged.

• Lack of understanding about what inclusiveeducation is.

• Situations of crisis can offer opportunities to dothings differently.

• The INEE pocket guides were created:• To explain inclusive education principles to non-

expert audiences;• To suggest easy-to-achieve actions that education

programme managers and teachers could take toimprove the inclusion of all learners, especiallythose with disabilities.

Inclusive Education in Emergencies

INEE Pocket Guides – What are they?

1. “Education in Emergencies: Including Everyone”Takes a broader look at inclusive education principles andtypes of actions to make education in crises contexts moreinclusive.

2. “INEE Pocket Guide to Supporting Learners withDisabilities”Specifically aimed at providing practical advice toteachers/educators.The pocket guide provides advice with key issues like:

• helping children get to/from the learning space• recognizing when children need more learning

support• arranging learning spaces so they are more

inclusive• adapting teaching and learning activities.

Why did we create small pocket guides?

• Target audience may lack the time or language skills to readmanuals.

• Readers may lack previous training, feel under pressure and/orunwilling to take on the challenge of learning something new.

• Hence creating easy-to-read, quick reference guides.• Colour-coding helps readers quickly find sections.• Advice broken down into simple advice ‘for all teachers’, and

more detailed advice ‘for more experienced teachers’.• Lack of local language translations remains a barrier to access.• Short workshop guide and PowerPoint slides based on the first

pocket guide – helps education programme staff introducecolleagues and educators to inclusive education.

• Poster – “Teachers can help everyone learn” – based on thesecond pocket guide provides a simple checklist of actions forteachers. Can be displayed as a reminder, or used to stimulatediscussions during staff meetings or workshops.

How were the guides developed?

• Developed by staff from Save the Childrenand Enabling Education Network (EENET).

• Inputs from members of the INEE InclusiveEducation Task Team.

• Task Team members provided case studies,photos, and extensive suggestions forcontent improvements.

• The collaborative development of theguides means they contain advice that ispertinent to as wide a range of crisiscontexts as possible.

Using the guides & posters

• 100s of printed copies distributed through INEE, EENETand other Task Team member organisations.

• 1000s of downloads.• Tracking who uses them and how is very challenging!• Used in a wide variety of contexts, not just in EiE

contexts.• Inform programme development & training

programmes from Afghanistan to Zanzibar, includingLibya and North Korea.

• Posters displayed in schools, education offices indiverse countries (e.g. Cambodia, Macedonia andNigeria).

• Need a full evaluation to document exactly how theguides have been used.

Future action

• INEE Inclusive Education Task Team continues.• This year already prepared a response to the UN CRPD

Article 24 General Comment on Inclusive Education –highlighting that it insufficiently addresses inclusiveeducation in crisis and conflict situations.

• 2016/17: Plans to publish a special joint edition ofEENET’s Enabling Education Review with INEE, focusingspecifically on inclusive education in crisis and conflictcontexts.

• Send us your articles!

THANK YOU !

Hard copies of INEE materials are available in multiple languagesfree of charge (members cover the cost of shipping) via theINEE Request Resources page (http://www.ineesite.org/en/materials).