1. Education for ALL Supporting communities, schools and services to ensure access and quality education for children with disabilities in Tibet (China) Introduction Method Results 1-School environments are more accessible to children with disabilities 2- Teachers have appropriate skills to meet the learning needs of all students 3 - Parents and community participate in the school development process and they actively support education of children with disabilities 4- Pre-school and non-formal education networks are available 5- A continuum of services is ensured via more exchanges between education, health and disability stakeholders 6- An accepted and sustainable model of “education for all within Chinese context” is shared and disseminated Project Beneficiaries Rights-based approach Evidence-based programming : research, needs assessment, baselines Demonstration: pilot projects, partnership Capacity building: training local staff, teachers, parents, children, supporting services for children with disabilities Awareness raising : newsletters, media coverage of events, regional, national and international workshops and conferences Advocacy and lobbying for policy influence Children with disability in Tibet are often left at home and do not participate in the social life. Community and patents have considerable doubts about the learning capacities of children with disabilities. School environments are not inclusive enough and the Government still encourage Special Education as the main option. The project aims to establish a formalized system of “Education for All” that combines inclusive education techniques in mainstream schools, special education and informal learning in the community. The project target 10 mainstream schools and 2 special schools in Lhasa and Shigatse prefectures of Tibet. Photo or picture Tibet is one of the poorest areas of China with a higher incidence of disability. Less than 15% of the school-age (6-14) children with disabilities have access to specialized or mainstream schools in the region, as opposed to 63% in the rest of China Conclusion Inclusive education is a relatively new concept in Tibet. At the start, our partners had only little experience and understanding on the topic. However, the achievements, after 2 years, are extremely positive and show an excellent level of involvement among the stakeholders. Based on that asset and experience, the project will be consolidated during the last year and extended in a new phase to support more children with disabilities. Authors : Yandrol, Handicap International Inclusive Education Project Manager -Marjorie Unal, Handicap International Technical Coordinator Photo credits : © Handicap International China Objective Overall objective : The living conditions of children with disabilities in Tibet are improved through better access to education. Specific objective : More children with disabilities in Tibet have access to quality mainstream and specialized education as well as to non-formal education services. 450 children with disabilities are identified, integrated in mainstream and specialized schools or informal learning schemes. 40 staffs from the local education bureaus and Disabled People’s Federations. 200 teachers receive training on “education for all” strategies, methods and methodologies. 20 informal educators receive training on informal home-based education techniques.