Inclusive Education in ASEAN: Fostering Belonging for Students with Disabilities

Date:

14 June 2022

Category:

Education, Strategy and Partnership Programme, ASEAN, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Viet Nam, Education, Training, and Human Capital

Type:

Research Project Reports

                                                Authors:
                                            Rubeena Singh

Tags:

ASEAN, Education, Disability

Print Article:

In 2021–2022, an external research consultant partnered with the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA) and conducted a study on inclusive education practices in primary and secondary schools in the ASEAN region and select countries in East Asia. This study summarises key national and international frameworks in the ASEAN region which foster awareness and commitments to inclusive education and provides a country-by-country analysis of the inter-connected domains of inclusive education. These domains provide various entry points for practitioners and administrators to foster belonging for students with disabilities within education systems. Focused on the ASEAN Community Vision 2025’s pillars: political-security, economic, and socio-cultural, this study suggests disability inclusion across and within these three pillars is integral for sustainable and prosperous economies. This study summarises key findings of select interviews and qualitative research, shares challenges and opportunities considering the COVID-19 pandemic on inclusive education and provides policy recommendations for relevant stakeholders to contribute to fully inclusive education systems for students with disabilities in ASEAN.