Inclusion of children with disabilities in Ethiopian mainstream schools

Abstract

Inclusive education (IE) programmes aim to include children with disabilities in mainstream schools by providing quality education in a barrier-free environment. While IE is now integral to the global development agenda, many questions remain around how best to implement IE programmes given the varying contexts and challenges presenting across developing countries. “One Class for All” is an IE programme financed by Light for the World, an international non-governmental organization (NGO), and implemented by 14 Ethiopian partner organisations. The authors of this article used a descriptive implementation evaluation design combining qualitative and quantitative elements to assess the extent, quality and satisfaction of IE programmes delivered by a sample of Light for the World implementing partners. Data included routine implementation monitoring data, survey of all implementing partners, key informant interviews and structured observations of schools and participants at sampled schools in Ethiopia. The evaluation mainly indicated a need for more structured development plans for each school and a more structured teacher training programme. This evaluation contributes to the limited literature on implementing an inclusive education programme in an African country.