Capacity Building Workshop to Support Inclusive Education Policies in the Arab Region

Persons with disabilities in the Arab region are one of the most marginalised and excluded population groups. They are often not visible in public life, as social and physical environments   remain inaccessible, and their levels of educational attainment and employment are generally much lower than those of persons without disabilities. This situation is perpetuated and aggravated by environmental and social barriers, discriminatory attitudes and inaccessible facilities. Women and girls with disabilities, especially those in rural areas, are particularly vulnerable. In humanitarian crises and situations of armed conflict, the number of persons with disabilities increases while their access to assistance, services and livelihoods becomes more limited. They also often face heightened protection concerns due to the breakdown of community structures and social cohesion. Education is one of the main areas where persons with disabilities get discriminated against in.

Under the framework of the joint capacity development project between UNESCO Beirut and ESCWA, and with the generous funding of Sultan Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud Foundation and King Salman Humanitarian Aid & Relief Centre, UNESCO Beirut and ESCWA jointly developed an Inclusive Education Training Package for children and youth with disabilities project is a with a special focus on emergency. The project aims at orienting policymakers, school administrators, and educators with the content of developed modules and the online lessons. Another objective of the project is to ensure the establishment of inclusive policies and practices at national and local levels, including in emergencies situations. The Inclusive Education Package aims to increase both the quality of education and the school participation of all children, especially children with disabilities. It includes child centered interventions at school, family and community levels. The education package is universal as all students and schools’ benefit from its interventions. At the same time, the package particularly focuses on the children who are most at-risk of dropout and the most disadvantaged schools.

In collaboration with ESCWA, UNESCO Beirut will hold a capacity building workshop to deliver a training of trainers (ToT) to a group of Senior Trainers and Training Officers specialized in teacher training from 19 Arab Member States. The aim of the workshop is to build the capacities of the participants and equip them with the needed tools and skills to enhance the quality of education and increase participation rates of students with disabilities.

This workshop is organized by the UNESCO Regional Bureau for Education in the Arab States (Beirut) in collaboration with the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), with a generous support and funding by Sultan Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud Foundation.