To be used in developing
National Plan for the achievement of ‘Education for all Children
who are Blind or Visually Impaired across the Anglophone Caribbean’
Planning for the Period 2010 – 2014
SITUATION ANALYSIS
Prepared by: Frank Bowen and Keva Richards
(This document can be downloaded in pdf format here. )
WHAT IS EFA-VI CAMPAIGN?
The Education for All Children with Visual Impairment (EFA-VI) is a global campaign and program of the International Council for Education of People with Visual Impairment (ICEVI) acting in partnership with the World Blind Union (WBU) and endorsed by the UNESCO and UNICEF to ensure that girls and boys with blindness and low vision enjoy the right to education. This campaign and program primarily focus on children in the developing world. The EFA-VI campaign will focus on early intervention and on all preschool and school age girls and boys with visual impairment. The term “visual impairment” used in this campaign includes blind and low vision children and those children who are deafblind or otherwise multiply disabled.
GUIDING PRINCIPLES:
The EFA-VI campaign will be guided by the following fundamental principles:
1. There is a need to create a demand for education of children with visual impairment
2. The campaign will work within the general framework of education and special education of countries selected for implementation.
3. Girls and boys with visual impairment should be included in the general education system with appropriate support
4. Alternative educational approaches are also necessary considering that some children with specialised needs such as those who are deafblind and multiple disabilities require specialised services.
MODE OF IMPLEMENTATION:
The campaign is being implemented at two levels. A Global Task Force (GTF) is involved in formulating a strategic framework for the campaign and mobilizing technical and material resources. The day-to-day implementation of the Campaign is the primary responsibility of the National Task Force (NTF). The country-level Task Forces will be oriented to take stock of the existing situation in each country before projecting a national plan for implementation. The President of ICEVI, Mr. Larry Campbell, serves as the Chairman of the Global Task Force and Dr. M.N.G. Mani, Secretary-General of ICEVI serves as the Executive Director of the Campaign.
COMPOSITION OF NATIONAL TASK FORCES AND TERMS OF REFERENCE:
The National Task Forces are the most vital units in the implementation of the EFA-VI Campaign and Program. They should consist of all stakeholders of Special Needs Education who have made their contribution directly or indirectly to the development and implementation of National Plans. The National Task Force may comprise the following:
• Government Ministries of Education and other Ministries concerned for the overall ‘Education For All’ Campaign
• Organizations of Persons with Visual Impairment and Parent Organisations where exist
• National and International Non-Governmental Organizations working in the area of Visual Impairment and EFA
• UN Specialized Agencies concerned at the national level.
• Special Teachers and other professionals working in the area of visual impairment
• Professionals in the Eye-Health Care/Vision 2020 Program
• Teacher Preparation Institutes including Universities, which train Teachers for regular schools and for children with visual impairment.
The Terms of Reference of the National Task Force should include:
• Working within the overall framework of existing National Education Plans to ensure that the educational issues of girls and boys with visual impairment including those who are deaf-blind and multiple disabled are adequately addressed
• Making situation analysis and collecting data at the national level
• Developing long-term and short-term goal-oriented Strategic Plans for implementing educational services for all visually impaired children
• Suggesting legislations and regulations for adoption, where not existing, and ensuring that any existing discriminatory clauses are eliminated
• Establishing linkages for the purpose of Networking and Advocacy
• Suggesting development of appropriate Curricula
• Mobilizing and sharing of resources towards convergence of services in order to achieve the EFA Goal.
The National Task Force should meet at least twice a year to review the implementation of the EFA Campaign and assess its progress towards suggesting mid-term refinement, if any. The existing infrastructure of regional meetings of ICEVI and WBU may be used as forums for the National Task Forces to report on the progress of the Campaign at the national level.
[See EFA Guidelines and Principles – for more details – Doc. #4]
1. Introduction