National Conference on Inclusion and Special Needs Education with EENET Open Meeting

Islamabad, 31st August to 2nd September 2006

The Pakistan Disabled Foundation [PDF] with support from the private sector as well as IDP Norway and EENET Asia organised a three day conference to raise awareness among members of different disabled persons organization about inclusion and the need for reform within the special education system to reach the goal of quality Education for All by 2015.

Mr. Shaukat Aziz, Prime Minster of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan addressed the conference in a facsimile message: “Pakistan … should adopt a shift from exclusive system of education to that of inclusive education for the children with disabilities and ensure the provision of quality services to all segments of age groups for persons with disabilities, through expansion and strengthening of service delivery infrastructure.”

In his opening speech HE Mr. Sardar Ateeq Khan, Prime Minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir [AJK] opened the Conference and promised to support the implementation of inclusion in schools throughout the Pakistan administered part of Jammu and Kashmir under guidance of UNESCO, UNICEF and IDP Norway.

The Symposium Issue of EENET Asia Newsletter with the Recommendations from the International Symposium on Inclusion and the Removal of Barriers to Learning, Participation and Development and the Compendium on a right based approach to education [from Indonesia] were distributed to the 150 participants that joined the conference.

UNICEF presented Embracing Diversity – Toolkit for Creating Inclusive, Learning-Friendly Environments during the EENET Open Meeting. Questionnaires based on the EENET “Food for Thought” on labelling and stigmatisation were translated to Urdu and distributed among the participants – A collection of these will be published in the next EENET Asia newsletter.

Towards the end of the Conference the participants formulated a set of recommendations for the Government of Pakistan to strengthen the efforts Towards Education for All in an Inclusive Setting.

Terje Magnussønn Watterdal
Islamabad 02/09/2006

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