Regional programme in West Africa for children and youth with disabilities launches with support from Italy

Although some countries in the region have made progress in school access in recent years, children with disabilities are often excluded from learning, either because of a curriculum not adapted to their needs or because teachers lack the training to support them.

Recent studieshave shown that children aged 5 to 17 in West Africa with functional difficulties are more likely to be out of school. The proportion of out-of-school children aged 5-17 varies from 27% for children without functional difficulties to 38% for those with multiple difficulties.

It has also been found that children with functional difficulties have even less chance of possessing basic skills compared to their peers. Among children aged 7 to 14 (both in and out of school) without functional difficulties, only 12% have basic reading skills. For those with functional difficulties, this rate drops to just 7%.

Recognizing this challenge, the Italian Government, through the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS), has granted IIEP with funding of €3,000,000 to help strengthen the national capacities of ministries of education, technical and vocational education and training, as well as Disabled People's Organizations (DPOs) and civil society, to design and implement education policies and plans that meet the needs of children and youth with disabilities.

Her Excellency Mrs. Caterina Bertolini, Ambassador of Italy to Dakar, and Martín Benavides, IIEP Director, signed an agreement to implement the initiative.

This partnership with the Italian government strengthens our commitment to promoting inclusive education in West Africa by equipping education, technical and vocational training ministries, organizations of people with disabilities, and civil society organizations with the capacity and technical expertise necessary to implement policies supporting learners with disabilities. Our shared goal is ensuring every child and youth can access quality education. By providing technical support, training, and knowledge sharing, this initiative will help place inclusion at the heart of educational planning.

This agreement demonstrates Italy's commitment to ensuring accessible education for all, meaning an education that considers the circumstances of each student, particularly children and people with disabilities. To prevent students from being excluded from the school system, this project focuses on, among other things, training staff in ministries responsible for education. The funding will also help better understand the obstacles faced by people with disabilities, thereby fostering a genuinely inclusive culture and society.

The project will focus on four priority areas: