Outline of the Project

Project Name

The Project for Strengthening Education for Children with Special Needs through Inclusive Education Approach in Sri Lanka

Country

Sri Lanka

Date R/D Signed

Nov.23,2019

Term of Cooperation

From Mar. 18, 2019 to Mar. 17, 2022

Implementing Organization

Ministry of Education

Background

Sri Lanka's primary education has achieved both the net enrolment rate (99%),(UNESCO、2015) and the completion rate (98%)(UNESCO、2006) to large extent without gender gaps. On the other hand,it is estimated that there are still about 16,000 out-of-school children (OOSC) in the country. It is a challenge for Sri Lank to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal 4 "Ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education, and the completion of primary and secondary education".

Children with disabilities (CwD) occupy a substantial portion of OOSC. 10,056 CwD are learning at 26 special schools and 704 special education units, which have been placed at regular schools to enhance learning of CwD for future inclusion in regular classes. In addition, 99,024 CwD are learning at regular classes across the country(National Policy on Disability for Sri Lanka、2003). While access to education is gradually improving especially for children with moderate intellectual disabilities or developmental disabilities including autism, it is likely that children with severe intellectual disabilities, and multiple disabilities become out-of-school children. Besides, it is also a challenge that many teachers involved in the education of CwD do not have sufficient expertise and opportunities to obtain practical teaching skills. For more CwD to access quality education, it is required to improve teaching skills of special education unit teachers, and to promote awareness for CwD among all teachers including those who teach regular classes.

Under such circumstances, the Government of Sri Lanka requested the Government of Japan to implement the technical cooperation project in order to develop inclusive education approach for CwD.

The Overall Goal

The inclusive education approach for children with special needs is diffused all over the country.

Project Purpose

The inclusive education approach for children with special needs is developed

Output

1. The system for promoting enrollment of children with special needs is set up in the pilot districts.
2. Capacity of teachers of the pilot schools for teaching children with special needs is developed.
3. Accumulated good practices of the inclusive education approach are referred to mainly by teachers."

Project Activities

1-1	Select pilot schools based on the result on the base line survey.
1-2	Specify members and responsibilities of committees for promoting enrolment of children with special needs.
1-3	Conduct the committees.
1-4	Conduct trainings on development of the basic school infrastructure for the committees, pilot schools, MOE, etc.
1-5	Conduct awareness raising activities for parents in the pilot schools.
1-6	Prepare the draft guidelines on operation of the committee and facility and equipment of the school.
2-1	Conduct a survey on learning of children with special needs in the pilot districts.
2-2	Prepare teaching materials for the children with special needs.
2-3	Conduct trainings on the inclusive education approach for school principals and teachers of the pilot schools.
2-4	Facilitate pilot schools to incorporate the inclusive education approach into the School Development Plans.
2-5	Develop draft guidelines on activities with the inclusive education approach.
3-1	Prepare formats for collecting cases.
3-2	Conduct trainings on monitoring practices of the inclusive education approach for In-Service Advisors (ISAs) in the target districts.
3-3	Collect practice cases of the inclusive education approach.
3-4	Make the draft of the reference materials of the inclusive education approach.
3-5	Develop strategies for sharing the project experiences at the national level.
3-6	Conduct national seminars to share the project experiences.

Inputs

[Japanese side]

1. Dispatch of Experts
   - Experts (Chief Advisor, Deputy Chief Advisor/Inclusive Education, Promoting Enrollment of Children with Special Needs, Teacher Education, Awareness Program)
   - Other Short-term Experts (As necessary)
2. Training in Japan
3. Equipment
4. Operational Cost
   - Cost for Project regional office
   - Cost for hiring the project staff
   - Travel expense of staff of Japanese side
   - Printing cost of the draft of the guidelines and materials
   - Internet, Telephone, etc.

Inputs

[Sri Lanka side]

1. Counterpart assignment
   - Project Director
   - Project Manager
   - Provincial Chief in each provinces
   - Project Team members
2. Administrative cost
   - Travel expenses for training participants for local training
   - Printing and distribution cost of the developed guidelines and materials
   - Necessary costs for training in Japan such as incidental expenses, travel insurance, local transport etc.
3. Facility and Equipment
   - Cost of training venue, office space for JICA experts and supportive staffs