The Right to Education: Breaking Down the Barriers

Does Education for All, mean all? What are the barriers to participating in education? How do you include “all” in the classroom? Over the next three weeks we will be exploring some answers to these and other questions with you. This is very timely as a new global universal sustainable development goal (SDG) has just been set. SDG 4 urges us to “Ensure inclusive and quality education for all and promote lifelong learning”. Ensuring inclusion and equity in education We will examine issues related to inclusion and equity in education, and think about how we can support the learning of those who are marginalised and excluded. During the course, you will meet key individuals who work “on the ground” with young people who are or have been marginalised and excluded from their right to education. You will also meet academics involved in teacher education. Together, we will reflect on the conundrum of why some young people are still marginalised and excluded from learning, thus requiring us to “break down the barriers,” so that they can participate in education. Strengthening capacity within and through teachers and teacher education will in turn strengthen a country’s capacity to build an inclusive learning environment, so we will also look to the future and consider how educators can provide learning experiences that take account of all learners. Breaking down the barriers to education There will be plenty of opportunities for you to share your experiences, so we can learn from each other. By the end of the course you will be able to: Understand the international legislation relating to Education for All, children’s rights, inclusion and disability; Identify and discuss the barriers faced by groups of learners that are disenfranchised from educational opportunities; Describe different ways of breaking down the barriers that exist for some groups of learners; Discuss the complexity of inclusive education and understand why issues of social justice and equity along with attitudes and understanding are critical to the achievement of inclusive practices for learners. You can follow the team behind this course on Twitter - @UofGInclusiveEd.