Role of resource centres in facilitating inclusive education: experience from Ethiopia

Abstract

This article focuses on access of students with disabilities to education in Ethiopia and, in particular, on the role of inclusive education resource centres (IERCs). A mixed-methods approach was used to collect both quantitative and qualitative data. The participants were school administrators, itinerant teachers, special educators, regular classroom teachers, and school directors. It was identified that a large number of students and teachers benefitted from the support provided by IERCs. The target schools are equipped with materials that support inclusive pedagogy. The awareness of parents and communities is gradually changing, except in some unreached communities. As a result, the number of students with disabilities enrolled is increasing. There were some barriers observed, such as assignment of itinerant teachers to a large number of satellite schools, high turnover of local government officials, and whether there was investment in the sustainability of IERCs and the positive outcomes observed.

Keywords:

• Ethiopia
• disability
• inclusive education
• recourse centres
• development projects

Notes

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank Paula Malan, Dawit Negassa, Dejene Tefera, Sulochoni Pather, Solomon Gizachew, Degefa Abdi, Aemiro Tadesse, Ali Sani, Mohammed Abubeker, Aleymayehu Woldekirkos, Tamrat Woldegebriel, and Meseret Bekele for their contribution to this study.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1 A note regarding terminology: we will follow the example of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and use people-first language throughout this article – thus ‘children with disabilities’.

2 ‘Multi-dimensional Child Deprivation in Ethiopia – First National Estimates’. 2019. https://www.unicef.org/ethiopia/reports/multi-dimensional-child-deprivation-ethiopia-first-national-estimates