Inclusive Education: What, Why, and How: A handbook for program implementers

Inclusive education is one dimension of a rights-based quality education which emphasizes equity in access and participation, and responds positively to the individual learning needs and competencies of all children. Inclusive education is child-centered and places the responsibility of adaptation on the education system rather than the individual child.

Save the Children supports inclusive education as a thematic priority in ECCD and basic education, in both development and humanitarian contexts. The Inclusive Education Working Group (IEWG), under the SCI Education Global Initiative, was formed to help advance and expand the agency’s inclusive education work and highlight it in the education strategic planning. Inclusion and equity are key components of the education results and objectives in the 2016-2018 strategy, and 2030 vision. This handbook is part of the IEWG’s initiative to ensure that Save the Children education programs are inclusive and supportive of all children.

This handbook has been developed specifically for Save the Children program staff, implementing partners, and practitioners supporting education programs in any context – development, emergency, or protracted crisis. Although not all education projects have the word “inclusive” in the title or goals, every education project can and should be made more inclusive, and we encourage this resource to be used by all education staff, not only those working on targeted inclusive education projects.