CRPD concluding observations 2017, paragraph 53
Plain English recommendation
Government should: Consult disabled people’s organisations to: (a) Ensure all disabled children get an inclusive education in their own communities. Develop laws and policies to support inclusive education. Set a timeframe for improving the way schools include disabled children. Ensure teachers and all other people working with children understand the importance of inclusive education. (b) Monitor whether schools are enrolling disabled children. Tackle disability discrimination and provide appropriate remedies, including compensation. (c) Put in place a fully-funded strategy, with concrete timelines and measurable goals, to make education more inclusive. The strategy must cover the implementation of laws and policies; teacher training; awareness-raising among parents of disabled children; and data about where disabled children go to school. Consider UN advice on the right to inclusive education.
Original UN recommendation
The Committee recommends that the State party, in close consultation with organizations of persons with disabilities, especially organizations representing children and young persons with disabilities, and in line with the Committee’s general comment No. 4 (2014) on the right to inclusive education and targets 4.5 and 4.8 of the Sustainable Development Goals: (a) Develop a comprehensive and coordinated legislative and policy framework for inclusive education and a timeframe to ensure that mainstream schools foster real inclusion of children with disabilities in the school environment and that teachers and all other professionals and persons in contact with children understand the concept of inclusion and are able to enhance inclusive education. (b) Strengthen measures to monitor school practices concerning enrolment of children with disabilities and offer appropriate remedies in cases of disability-related discrimination and/or harassment, including deciding upon schemes for compensation. (c) Adopt and implement a coherent and adequately financed strategy, with concrete timelines and measurable goals, on increasing and improving inclusive education. The strategy must: (i) Ensure the implementation of laws, decrees and regulations on improving the extent and quality of inclusive education in classrooms, support provisions and teacher training, including pedagogical capabilities, across all levels providing for high-quality inclusive environments, including within breaks between lessons and through socialization outside “education time”. (ii) Set up awareness-raising and support initiatives about inclusive education among parents of children with disabilities. (iii) Provide sufficient, relevant data on the number of students both in inclusive and segregated education, disaggregated by impairment, age, sex and ethnic background, and on the outcome of the education, reflecting the capabilities of the students.
Date of UN examination
03/10/2017
UN article number
24 (education)
Original UN document
Download the original CRPD concluding observations 2017 on the UN website