ISLAMABAD, Dec 7: Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran on Sunday signed a common declaration on ‘inclusive education’ to guide their countries’ collaborative work in various fields of special education in the coming years.

The declaration is about the handicapped and most disadvantaged persons, including children with disabilities, HIV/AIDS, and those living in remote areas or affected by conflicts.

Inclusive education is one of Unesco’s Education for All (EFA) initiatives.

Speaking on the occasion, the chairperson of the sub- regional seminar and joint education adviser, Dr Haroona Jatoi said: “I am grateful for the experiences shared at this seminar, for the declaration we have completed and, not the least, for the personal and professional contacts and networks we have established.”

The Unesco cluster office, Tehran, director Addin Salih emphasized the personal relations and trust that had been established at the seminar.

The chairperson said the responsibility for implementation of the recommendations in the declaration rested with the respective governments.

She said: “Although we need more resources, we can reallocate and implement activities with resources that we already have. With Unesco’s guidance and cooperation, we will be able to reach good results,” Dr Jatoi said.

Unesco director Ingeborg Breines drew attention to the new overall guidelines on inclusive education as part of the EFA.

She said to reach the unreached was one of the challenges in the years to come. Every person, irrespective of gender, ability or disability, or any other difference, needs to be given opportunity to live meaningful lives and participate and contribute to society.

The text of the ‘Islamabad Declaration on Inclusive Education’ reads: “Education is the right of every individual. It is the duty of state to provide quality education to each individual in an inclusive environment regardless of gender, colour, culture and religion.

“Each country of the cluster should formulate a national policy under their ministry of education to make every educational institution, both in private and public sectors, open and welcoming to all learners particularly those with disabilities and other special needs.

“We all commit to implement inclusive education in letter and spirit through the EFA as committed by each cluster country by signing on international declaration; share human and material resources within the cluster countries through government and civil society organizations.

“Hold regular meetings of inclusive education experts, educators, policy-makers and implementers in cluster countries on rotational basis; undertake joint efforts to address common issues such as school improvement, teacher training, adaptation of curriculum and instruction and evaluation system.

“Identify, document and share successful experiences on inclusive education for possible adaptation; develop uniform parameters for monitoring and evaluation of inclusive programmes; create knowledge sharing networks to mobilize the media, both electronic and print, to promote inclusive education by sensitizing the governments and civil society; allocate adequate financial resources to achieve inclusive education goals.

The international donor, UN agencies and developed countries should be approached to provide suitable financial and technical assistance to fulfil the commitments. They should also make concerted efforts to remove all barriers to inclusive education including administrative, environmental, attitudinal, cultural and economic barriers.

The declaration also pondered on provision of fellowships/scholarships for the teacher educators and students for higher studies in Iran and Pakistan; provision of finances for experts from Iran and Pakistan to prepare master trainers for inclusive education; give technical assistance in transferring teaching learning resources and latest assistive technology for early identification, prevention and rehabilitation of persons with disability; development of a national resource centre on inclusive education; and provision of funds for establishing five model inclusive schools.