In Madagascar, tangible evidence of inclusion at school level
The 2022-2023 school year is an opportunity for Emma to put into practice the training she received from UNICEF and its partners, including the Hempel Foundation, in caring for children living with disabilities in the context of their schooling.
The first few months of the year have been successful for one student in particular, who has significant hearing difficulties. A look back at this new experience.
Emma has in fact met all the criteria to benefit from the Back to School and Learning (BTS&L) program, containing packages of training activities and school and pedagogical kits in her locality. In September 2022, the training on the theme of inclusive education was the most beneficial for her with immediate application to one of her students.
Now 12 years old, she has difficulty hearing with her left ear. Enrolled in school since she was 6, none of the teachers at this school paid attention to her disability and as a result she repeated two classes. Only Emma noticed by interacting much more with her students, a new practice that was encouraged by the training she received. At the end of each day, she stays with that child for a little evaluation and even a re-explanation of the lessons if necessary. "At the beginning it was a bit difficult but I have seen a big change in just two months. I'm confident that I'll continue in this direction to get better results," she says proudly. What has changed is that she is able to follow the lessons like everyone else thanks to the approach and the new methodologies used by the teacher
“The BTS&L is not only a programme, but also a personal development for us as teachers," says Emma. Noticing the first evidence of the approach in the first two months of the year, the headmaster of the school where Emma works plans to devote a lot of attention to instilling the importance of inclusive education to improve the quality of education in his school. The results at the end of the school year promise good outcomes.
