Financing inclusive education

• In Event: Financing education: an overview of the landscape

Proposal

“Although funding inclusive education implementation is a key issue for many governments, financing inclusive education is not more costly that maintaining a segregated education system. Increasingly, countries are realizing the inefficiencies with multiple systems of administration, organisational structures and services and special schools. In addition, a growing body of evidence points to inclusion as being more cost effective than segregated education systems.” (UNICEF, “Financing of Inclusive Education: Webinar 8 Companion Technical Booklet” (2014), p. 11.)

This presentation will discuss financing for equity and inclusion, particularly financing inclusive education for students with disabilities. The Learning Generation report highlights that there is no country with a productive economy which does not provide universal basic education. Government leaders should prioritize inclusion by expanding provision in a progressive way by targeting resources to the most marginalized and underserved communities, and mobilizing every sector to address the multitude of factors that determine whether a child starts school, stays in school, and learns in school.

Many governments have recently revised policy and legal frameworks around inclusive education for students and youth with disabilities, but also cite cost and financing as critical challenges to achieving their policy goal. How much does financing inclusive education cost? In this presentation, Beifith Kouak Tiyab will present his research and analysis on public expenditure for inclusive education.

Author

• Beifith Kouak Tiyab, Pole de Dakar