As education systems around the globe work to rebuild and evolve following the Covid-19 pandemic, the BEI Education Working Group continues its series of senior-level engagements with key stakeholders to enable dialogue supporting recovery from the Learning Loss crisis.
One of the causes of educational exclusion for marginalised groups such as children with disabilities in developing countries is their subjection to ‘double discrimination’ whereby cultural bias and social norms around gender and disability further marginalise these groups (UNGEI, 2018). Further compounding this is the Covid-19 pandemic which has exacerbated and reinforced pre-existing challenges around achieving inclusive education. Worldwide school closures as a result of Covid-19 have led to inaccessible remote learning for many children with disabilities, and new economic pressures on households have increased the risk that marginalised groups,such as girls with disabilities, would not return to school.
Despite the right to education being a fundamental human right for all, 9 out of 10 children with disabilities in developing countries are excluded from education(UNGEI, 2021). Women with disabilities are 3 times more likely to be illiterate compared to men without disabilities (UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, 2018).
In light of these challenges, there is a strong need to build back better and more inclusive education systems, with practical and effective interventions especially important at the intersection of gender and disability. Our panel will discuss some of these approaches and lessons learnt.
For further information, please contact:
BEI Events Team | events@britishexpertise.org
