Launch of Global Education Monitoring Report 2020

This photo shows a young Ugandan girl in her school, sitting at her desk with her books open. She has her hand raised high and is smiling.

12 year old Shamila is affected by cerebral palsy. Thanks to CBM and CoRSU (our partner in Uganda), she is thriving at an inclusive school.
Ⓒ CBM

CBM supports the launch of the Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report 2020 on inclusion and education – all means all.

What does the GEM Report do?

The GEM Report by UNESCO aims to monitor progress towards the education targets in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) framework for action. Each report focuses on different aspects of SDG 4 “to ensure inclusive, equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all”. This year’s report is titled Inclusion and Education – All means all. It seeks to influence all those involved in education - policymakers and investors, aid agencies, foundations, UN organizations, NGOs, teachers, researchers, the media and students.

Why is this report important to CBM and partners?

As the title ‘Inclusion and Education – All means all’ implies, the focus of this year’s report is on inclusive education. CBM promotes inclusive education as the only way of achieving the aim of achieving lifelong learning for all, including girls, boys, men, and women with disabilities. The GEM Report looks at all facets of inclusion for all marginalised populations. The intersectionality aspects of disability cut across a range of interconnections including poverty and gender.

Key messages and recommendations for inclusive education

This photo shows a young girl sitting on the ground reading a text in Braille.

Along with our partner in Bangladesh (Centre for Disability in Development - CDD) we are strengthening community resilience through disability inclusive Disaster Risk Management in urban and rural areas of the country. 16 year old Shantona pictured here, has been nearly blind since birth. Now she has learnt Braille and attends an inclusive school in her neighbourhood.

Ⓒ CBM/Patwary

An overarching message is that learner diversity is a strength to be celebrated and that, indeed, all means all! The report includes a number of key messages and recommendations for the next 10 years, and those linked to the following are of particularly importance: 

  • Access (emphasising accessibility, the provision of reasonable accommodation, universal design for learning, formative assessments),
  • Teacher support (having a diverse education workforce, teacher training, understanding of inclusive education, appropriate teacher/child ratios)
  • Data for targeted action and progress monitoring 
  • Cross-sectoral approaches (investing in early identification and early childhood development, the provision of assistive devices and rehabilitation services, the provision of social security and protection, use of a twin track approach, collaboration with NGOs and the civil society)
  • ‘Voice’ representation (stakeholder engagement, community, organisations of person with disabilities, parents groups, learners themselves)

The GEM Report will be very important in advocating towards governments for equitable and inclusive quality education for all, leaving no one behind. My hope is that this report will help us to reimagine education to truly be inclusive of all learners, including those with disabilities.
Sian Tesni, CBM Global Advisor for Education

How has CBM contributed to the report?

CBM has significantly contributed to this report, including:

  • Providing input from our partner countries and our vision of inclusive education after more than 110 years of experience in inclusive development cooperation
  • Plenary address at UNESCO’s International forum on inclusion and equity in education - Every learner matters, at the Cali Conference in September 2019
  • Country Case Study Nicaragua: This will be launched later in 2020 as part of the regional reports on inclusion and education in Latin America and the Caribbean
  • Member of the GEM Report Advocacy Team: Sian Tesni, CBM Global Advisor for Education is a member of the advocacy team in her role as co-coordinator of the International Disability and Development Consortium (IDDC) Inclusive Education Task Group.

Access the Global Education Monitoring Report

You can access the key messages and recommendations of the Global Education Monitoring Report here.

CBM’s work in inclusive education

CBM believes that all boys and girls, including those with disability have a right to be in school. Supporting and advocating for quality inclusive education, CBM takes a human rights approach to disability and inclusive development

CBM supports recommends a twin-track approach to inclusive education along the lines of the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles.

In 2019 CBM supported 44,062 people to access education services. Of this total 36,111 were children. In addition, 24,742 teachers were trained, and 11,389 parents / caregivers trained in home based care.

70% of all children were included in mainstream schools. The remaining 30% were educated in specialised centres, or home-based education. CBM is supporting partners running specialised centres to transform into resource centres for supporting inclusive education.

Response to COVID-19

CBM partners are continuing to provide education activities throughout this pandemic including:

  • Provision of psychosocial support to parents and children
  • Awareness campaigns so that communities understand what the virus is, how it spreads and what they can do to mitigate spreading the virus
  • Supporting government distance education provision
  • Supporting the provision of accessible materials and resources for teachers and learners
  • Teacher training in inclusive education and UDL