Final agenda is in progress and will be posted shortly.
WELCOME
INTRODUCTION: SETTING THE STAGE
This session presents the latest sub-regional trends in education, with particular attention to each country’s progress towards achieving the EFA goals. The messages from this session establish the context for the technical discussions to be held throughout the meeting.
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SESSION 1: INCLUSIVE EDUCATION FOR CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS
Session 1 aims to call in to question the traditional approach to education for children with special needs, which often centres on the notion of ‘defectology’, and to promote a more positive and holistic perspective. Based on that perspective, the second part of the session aims to analyze different policy approaches to inclusive education from across the sub-region and encourage a critical dialogue about how they are framed with the intent of building conceptual capacity on inclusive education.
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SESSION 2: CASE STUDIES: GOOD PRACTICES IN INCLUSIVE EDUCATION FOR CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS
While Session 1 presents a conceptual approach to inclusive education, Session 2 presents concrete examples of how countries from the sub-region and beyond have effectively put those concepts into practice. Three case studies will be presented in parallel, from Armenia, Belarus and Kazakhstan. The parallel sessions aim to be dynamic discussions where experts have the opportunity to interact on the technical details of each case, ask pertinent questions and strengthen working relationships with the intent of building technical capacity.
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SESSION 3: WORKING SESSIONS (BY COUNTRY)
The aim of the working sessions is to provide an opportunity for experts to apply the lessons learned in Sessions 1 and 2 to their own country context. Country experts will have the opportunity to sit face to face together to identify, discuss and document the biggest challenges and opportunities in inclusive education in their country, and the most urgent priorities. Each break out session should produce a two-page output document that answers the following questions:
1. What are the three biggest challenges to including children with special needs in mainstream schools in your country?
2. What are three possible actions to address these challenges?
3. What is needed to carry out the proposed actions?
SESSION 4: TRANSFORMING EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION
The coverage and quality of early childhood education in Central Asia deteriorated dramatically as a result of the transition. The limited attempts to improve coverage have made little headway because the effort has been to restore the old system which was both elaborate and expensive. Based on the findings of recent research and lessons learnt from pilot projects, this session will examine innovative, low-cost and high quality alternatives that could lead to a transformation of the “preschool sector” and enable all young children to be ready for school.
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SESSION 5: OUTCOME-BASED PLANNING: DECENTRALISATION AND EDUCATION FINANCING
In Session 5, panellists present strategies for financing education, drawing from a recent review of public finance in the sub-region. The aim of the session is to invite discussion on how public financing can best be organised to optimize the efficiency of education systems.
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SESSION 6: OUTCOME-BASED MANAGEMENT IN EDUCATION: LEARNING ASSESSMENTS FROM A NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVE
International and national assessments of learning achievement are vital management tools, enabling education decision makers to develop relevant, responsive and cost-efficient reforms. This session highlights trends from the 2006 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) and aims to demonstrate the role of these results in outcome-based decision-making in education.
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SESSION 7: SPOTLIGHT PRESENTATIONS: FINDINGS FROM RECENT RESEARCH
Central Asia is rife with interesting research, yet often the findings of such research are not disseminated across national borders, let alone to the international community. This session aims to promote knowledge exchange by providing country experts the opportunity to present their findings from recent research. The hope is that this platform will act as a catalyst for further exchange, follow-up research and partnership.
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SESSION 8: PROGRESS TOWARDS EFA: SUB-REGIONAL TRENDS IN EDUCATION
While the EFA goals and targets are regularly monitored through the EFA Global Monitoring Report, periodic assessment is critical to resetting targets and plans for achievement. In looking forward to 2015, it was essential to undertake a mid-decade assessment of the national progress towards the goals of EFA.
In 2007-early 2008, the working groups of the Central Asian Ministries of Education conducted the EFA mid-decade assessments (MDA), in order to take stock of the achievements and define the remaining challenges.
The results of the Central Asia national MDAs are analyzed and synthesized in the Central Asia Sub regional Synthesis Report commissioned by UNESCO; this report covers Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. The main outcomes of the Central Asia EFA MDA sub-regional report will be used for further strategic planning towards children who are not in school, to promote inclusive principles in education policy-making, programming, budgeting, monitoring and evaluation, including gender, social equity and equality in education.
Objectives of the session:
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CONCLUSION: THE WAY FORWARD
Participants will consolidate final take away messages from the meeting and define the topics and location of the CAFE 2010.