Regional programme in West Africa for children and youth with disabilities launches with support from Italy

08/11/2024

Italian Cooperation is supporting UNESCO's International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP) to improve access to education and learning for children and young people with disabilities in 8 West African countries.

Tableau classe école primaire en Afrique
Margus Vilbas / Shutterstock.com
Planning for disability-inclusive education
Margus Vilbas / Shutterstock.com

The Italian Government and IIEP-UNESCO are launching the initiative: Planning for Inclusive Education: Regional Programme in West Africa to Promote Education for Children and Youth with Disabilities.

Although some countries in the region have made progress in school access in recent years, children with disabilities are often excluded from learning, either because of a curriculum not adapted to their needs or because teachers lack the training to support them.

Recent studies have shown that children aged 5 to 17 in West Africa with functional difficulties are more likely to be out of school. The proportion of out-of-school children aged 5-17 varies from 27% for children without functional difficulties to 38% for those with multiple difficulties. 

It has also been found that children with functional difficulties have even less chance of possessing basic skills compared to their peers. Among children aged 7 to 14 (both in and out of school) without functional difficulties, only 12% have basic reading skills. For those with functional difficulties, this rate drops to just 7%.

Recognizing this challenge, the Italian Government, through the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS), has granted IIEP with funding of €3,000,000 to help strengthen the national capacities of ministries of education, technical and vocational education and training, as well as Disabled People’s Organizations (DPOs) and civil society, to design and implement education policies and plans that meet the needs of children and youth with disabilities.

Her Excellency Mrs. Caterina Bertolini, Ambassador of Italy to Dakar, and Martín Benavides, IIEP Director, signed an agreement to implement the initiative.

Visuel programme Education inclusive en Afrique de l'ouest

This partnership with the Italian government strengthens our commitment to promoting inclusive education in West Africa by equipping education, technical and vocational training ministries, organizations of people with disabilities, and civil society organizations with the capacity and technical expertise necessary to implement policies supporting learners with disabilities. Our shared goal is ensuring every child and youth can access quality education. By providing technical support, training, and knowledge sharing, this initiative will help place inclusion at the heart of educational planning.

Martín Benavides
IIEP Director

This agreement demonstrates Italy’s commitment to ensuring accessible education for all, meaning an education that considers the circumstances of each student, particularly disabled children and people. To prevent students from being excluded from the school system, this project focuses on, among other things, training staff in ministries responsible for education. The funding will also help better understand the obstacles faced by disabled people, thereby fostering a genuinely inclusive culture and society.

Son Excellence Mme Caterina Bertolini
Ambassador of Italy to Dakar

The project will focus on four priority areas:

  1. Building the skills of ministry officials and civil society members, including disabled persons’ organizations, in education analysis and planning.
  2. Developing a dynamic community of practice.
  3. Improving national data collection on students with disabilities.
  4. Supporting the development of analyses and national strategies addressing inclusion-related issues.