Inclusive Education Initiative in Rwanda A FINAL REPORT OF PROJECT ACTIVITIES March 2023 © 2023 International Bank for Reconstruction and Development/The World Bank 1818 H Street NW Washington DC 20433 Telephone: 202-473-1000 Internet: www.worldbank.org This work is a product of the staff of The World Bank with external contributions. The findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed in this work do not necessarily reflect the views of The World Bank, its Board of Executive Directors, or the governments they represent. The World Bank does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this work. The boundaries, colors, denominations, and other information shown on any map in this work do not imply any judgment on the part of The World Bank concerning the legal status of any territory or the endorsement or acceptance of such boundaries. Rights and Permissions The material in this work is subject to copyright. 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Contents About this document. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iv Acknowledgements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . v Acronyms and abbreviations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vi Executive Summary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vii 1. Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 The Inclusive Education Initiative. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 The IEI in Rwanda . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 2. Education Context and Background. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Special Needs and Inclusive Education Policy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Enabling Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Theory of Change and Approach. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 3. Summary of Project Activities and Achievements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Outcome 1: Improving disability data and evidence-based sense-making. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 I. Development of the SNIE data and MIS tool. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 II. Training of Trainers on the Tool. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 III. Development of Rwanda SNIE Best Practice and Success Stories Portal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Outcome 2: Systems strengthening and capacity building of national and sub-national teams . . . . . 19 I. Development of SNIE curriculum modules. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 II. National and sub-national workshops and training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 III. Policy dialogues across the country to take stock of the implementation of SNIE policy. . . 24 IV. Technical Assistance to MINEDUC, REB and NESA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Outcome 3: Improved coordination, collaboration, and knowledge sharing on innovations around inclusive education. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 I. External Collaboration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 II. Within the World Bank. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 4. Challenges Faced and Lessons Learned. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Strengthening the use of data and MIS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 SNIE policy dialogue. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Technical Assistance to REB/SNIE unit. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Support to UR-CE for CPD module development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 5. Sustainability and the Way Forward. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Annexes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Annex I : Project Activity Posters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Annex II: Commitments made during SNIE Policy Dialogues. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Annex III: Final Event Report. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 Endnotes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 iii iv  n   Inclusive Education Initiative in Rwanda: A final report of project activities About this document The objective of this report is to docu- World Bank staff members who have ment and synthesize achievements and worked on this project. lessons learned under the project activi- The report outlines the activities and ties in Rwanda funded by the Inclusive achievements of the various project ac- Education Initiative (IEI). The compo- tivities and charts a path for a sustainable nents and data entered into this report way forward for disability-inclusive edu- have been gathered through periodic cation in Rwanda. monitoring reports from implementing teams as well as learning discussions with (L-R) The Global Disability Advisor Ms. Charlotte McClain-Nhlapo, the Director General of Rwanda Basic Education Board Dr. Nelson Mbarushimana, Education Specialist Ms. Lillian Mutesi, Senior Education Specialist Ms. Huma Kidwai following Ms. McClain-Nhlapo’s presentation on the overview of the global IEI at the IEI Knowledge Sharing and Closing Event on February 7, 2023, in Kigali Rwanda. Source: Inclusive Education Initiative. Acknowledgements n  v Acknowledgements The report was drafted by Lisha Almeida personnel at Rwanda Basic Education (Consultant, The World Bank) with contri­ Board, publishers, teachers and school of- butions from the following consultants— ficials who colla­ borated through provid- Edwin Byusa, Catherine Kayumba ing insights into their experiences through Batamuriza, Kayumba Theogene, Pachat the imple­ mentation of this project. Pacifique Hategekimana, Albert Iyakare, This work was undertaken with guidance Isaie Kubwimana, Claver Yisa, John from Muna Salih Meky (Practice Mana­ Rutayisire—as well as Lillian Mutesi ger, Education Global Practice, The (Education Specialist, The World Bank) and World Bank), as well as the Global Disabi­ Huma Kidwai (Senior Education Specialist, lity Inclusion team, specifically Charlotte The World Bank). McClain-Nhlapo (Global Disability The team is also grateful for the contri­ Advisor, World Bank), Deepti Samant butions of Hanna Katriina Alasuutari and Raja (Senior Development Specialist, Annet Wanjira Kiura, who served as peer World Bank) and Ruchi Kulbir Singh (ET reviewers. Their comments and sugges- Consultant, World Bank). The team is tions improved the quality and depth of grateful for their leadership and support the report significantly. Finally, a special in advancing the cause of inclusive thanks to the various government education in Rwanda. vi  n   Inclusive Education Initiative in Rwanda: A final report of project activities Acronyms and abbreviations BAR Braille and Assistive Devices BETF Bank Executed Trust Funds BLF Building Learning Foundation CBC Competency Based Curriculum CDO Chief Digitization Officer COVID-19 Coronavirus disease -19 CPD Continuous Professional Development CRPD Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities DED Deaf Education DPs Development Partners ESSP Education Sector Strategic Plan FCDO Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office FRW Rwandan Franc GBIS Government Business Intelligence Systems ICT Information and Communication Technology IEP Individual Education Plan IEI Inclusive Education Initiative KQL Kibana Query Language LLL Local Leaders of Learning MINEDUC Ministry of Education MIS Management Information Systems NESA National Examination and School Inspection Authority NLL National Leaders of Learning REB Rwanda Basic Education Board SDMS School Data Management Systems SEN Special Education Needs SNECO Special Needs Education Coordinators SNIE Special Needs and Inclusive Education TLM Teaching and Learning Materials TOT Training of Trainers TTC Teacher Training Colleges TVET Technical and Vocational Education and Training UEB Unified English Braille URCE University of Rwanda College of Education Executive Summary The Inclusive Education Initiative (IEI) is a sustainable, systemic change by govern- multi-donor trust fund overseen by the ment and development partners with a World Bank. Launched in 2019 with sup- focus on systems strengthening, capac- port from the Norwegian Agency for De- ity building, improving data systems, and velopment Cooperation (NORAD) and scaling of innovations on the implemen- the U.K. Government’s Foreign, Com- tation of the Marrakesh treaty. monwealth and Development Office The IEI Rwanda had a strong cross-cutting (FCDO), the initiative invests in catalytic focus on girls’ education and depth technical expertise and knowledge re- rather than breadth in the support it pro- sources that support countries in making vides, with all activities supported being education progressively inclusive for anchored on implementing the Special children across the spectrum of disabili- Needs and Inclusive Education (SNIE) ties. The IEI aims to accelerate action by Policy, the broader Education Policy, the countries and support their efforts in Education Sector Strategic Plan (ESSP) making education more inclusive, which (2019-2024) which includes education for it does by providing financial resources children with disabilities as part of Stra- and technical assistance for develop- tegic Priority 7, the teachers’ statutes on ment and implementation of disability- continuous professional development inclusive education programs while sup- including a component on inclusive edu- porting disaggregated data collection cation, and the ratification of the Mar- related to disability. rakesh Treaty by Rwanda. In Rwanda, the IEI investment was aimed With a focus on strengthening data and at strengthening the education sector’s MIS systems in Rwanda, IEI Rwanda sup- responsiveness to call for inclusive edu- ported government and non-govern- cation, in line with priority focus areas ment capacity building efforts in devel- from the government standpoint. Activi- oping data collection tools for disability ties supported through the grant built on disaggregated data from the school level and supported ongoing efforts on for planning and monitoring. vii viii  n   Inclusive Education Initiative in Rwanda: A final report of project activities On systems strengthening the IEI Rwanda data and management and information supported the government, academia, system (MIS) tools for disability-disag- and civil society activities that strove to gregated data from the school level to achieve the following results: i) Expan- inform evidence-based policy, planning, sion of inclusive education infrastruc- monitoring, and decision making. ture: double story schools with ramps, The final key aspect of the work in accessible blackboards, handwashing sta- Rwanda involved the implementation of tions, and inclusive toilets ii) Develop- the Marrakesh Treaty, an international le- ment of inclusive edutainment programs gal instrument that makes it easier for iii) Support on procurement of assistive blind, visually impaired, and print dis- devices and inclusive teaching and learn- abled people to access works protected ing materials (TLMs). by copyright. An aspect of this project’s With regard to capacity building, the work involved working with government project achieved the following: i) Devel- and civil society to incentivize innova- opment of SNIE Continuous Professional tions on implementing the Marrakesh Development (CPD) Diploma program to Treaty to meet the challenges of quality strengthen pre-service and in-service inclusive education in the country teacher training on inclusive education ii) through workshops for publishers on Deployment of technical assistance and creating inclusive reading materials and successful advocacy for a sustainable commissioning a research study on exist- staffing structure for disability inclusion ing assistive technologies used to sup- in MINEDUC and REB iii) Outreach port inclusive education. There was also through sub-national workshops to a partnership with the Rwanda Union of equip district level officers with knowl- the Blind to study existing assistive tech- edge around the SNIE policy and the Mar- nologies used to support inclusive rakesh Treaty and enhance stakeholder education. capacity and service delivery at the na- There were four key lessons that emerged tional and sub-national level iv) Design out of the IEI Rwanda project implemen- and implementation of the Rwanda Inclu- tation. sive Education Policy Academy to equip policymakers and other key government i. The value of systemic change stakeholders to foster systemic change and contribute to a more inclusive edu- The IEI supported systems strengthen- cation system in Rwanda. ing, which created a higher potential for sustainability and catalytic change as a A significant output under improving result of increased investment across all data systems has been the development major stakeholders. of Special Needs and Inclusive Education Executive Summary n  ix ii. Knowledge sharing and iv. Increase supply side investment collaboration are paramount Increased investment in supply-side is- Brokering global and country level knowl- sues such as training of teachers on in- edge partnerships is key to the effective clusive education pedagogy, retrofitting implementation and creation of an ac- school infrastructure to meet physical tive and engaged community of practice, accessibility standards, provision of ac- as well as ensuring that work is not repli- cessible learning materials, deployment cated. Creating collaborative networks of special needs education teachers and allows for effective use of time and bud- disability-specific education specialists gets and also allows for strong in-country (e.g., braille, sign language) is key to sup- relationships to be leveraged. porting children with disabilities and special educational needs. iii. Quality data is required for effective interventions The Inclusive Education Initiative’s achievements and lessons learned have Data on children with disabilities who are created a strong foundation and an op- either in or out of school is necessary to portunity for further support and growth provide a better understanding of the from the Government of Rwanda and its demand-supply mismatch when it comes development partners to further the to education needs. Additionally, effective disability-inclusion agenda and ensure decision making requires strong data and that all children have access to quality analysis through easy-to-use systems. education. Two parents walking with their child who uses a wheelchair to school. Source: Inclusive Education Initiative, World Bank. 1. Introduction The Inclusive Education understanding about ‘what works’ for children with disabilities in developing Initiative contexts. The purpose of the IEI was to The Inclusive Education Initiative (IEI) is a a) provide direct technical support to multi-donor trust fund overseen by the countries looking to catalyze progress for children with disabilities; and b) World Bank. Launched in 2019 with sup- strengthen the coordination of disability port from the Norwegian Agency for De- and inclusion interventions and improve velopment Cooperation (NORAD) and the policy dialogue on disability and in- the U.K. government’s Foreign, Com- clusion matters. monwealth & Development Office (FCDO), the initiative invests in catalytic The discussion on this initiative was technical expertise and knowledge re- picked up again by DfID, NORAD, the sources that support countries in making Lego Foundation, and the Open Society education progressively inclusive for chil- Foundation in February 2018. In March/ dren across the spectrum of disabilities. April of 2018, NORAD financed a scoping study to determine the most suitable A group of disability experts first con- host for the initiative and propose pro- ceptualized the IEI, brought together by gram parameters. This included a com- the Norwegian Government for the Oslo prehensive consultation with civil soci- Summit in 2015. It was recognized that at ety. This was followed by a two-day the time that the progress on access to meeting at the University of Cambridge education and learning for children with which brought together key policy mak- disabilities was in part limited by (i) politi- ers, development agencies, and academ- cal will to develop and implement policy ics to discuss hosting arrangements and on inclusive education; (ii) lack of global key priority areas for the Inclusive Educa- coordination between government and tion Initiative. The World Bank was found international development agencies and to be the most suitable host for the IEI. 1 2  n   Inclusive Education Initiative in Rwanda: A final report of project activities The purpose of the IEI is to accelerate The Inclusive Education Initiative recog- action by countries and support their ef- nizes the intersection of disability with forts in making education more inclusive. other disadvantages for children with The IEI does this by working at the global disabilities. The IEI adopts a social and and country levels to help stakeholders educational inclusion lens to ensure that and governments mobilize financing children with disabilities attend, partici- and develop programs for better inclu- pate and ultimately benefit from learning sion in education. At the country level, in school. The IEI also places children the IEI ensures that efforts by develop- with disabilities at the center of all its ment partners are coordinated and pro- program and activities, hence the IEI uses vides financial resources and technical the term “disability-inclusive education” assistance for the development and im- and “children/learners with disabili- plementation of disability-inclusive edu- ties”—reiterating the focus on disability cation programs, while supporting disag- while supporting and promoting the true gregated data collection related to spirit of inclusive education as articulated disability. in Article 24 of the Convention of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). Two children with visual impairment are showcasing the use of the Perkins Brailler and slate and style in the classroom. Source: Inclusive Education Initiative, World Bank 1. Introduction n  3 Teachers and headteachers doing group work during training on UNCRPD and accessibility at work. Source: Rwanda Basic Education Board.. The IEI in Rwanda The IEI Rwanda had a strong cross-cut- ting focus on girls’ education, and depth Rwanda was one of three countries that rather than breadth in the support it pro- were chosen to receive a catalytic grant vides, with all activities supported an- under the IEI for its programming to- chored on implementing the Special wards inclusive education: the other two Needs and Inclusive Education (SNIE) being Nepal and Ethiopia. Policy, the broader Education Policy, the Education Sector Strategic Plan (ESSP) In Rwanda, the IEI investment aimed at (2019-2024) which includes education for strengthening the education sector’s re- children with disabilities as part of Stra- sponsiveness to call for inclusive educa- tegic Priority 7, the teachers’ statutes on tion, in line with priority focus areas from continuous professional development the government standpoint. Activities including a component on inclusive edu- supported through the grant build on cation, and the ratification of the Mar- and support ongoing efforts on sustain- rakesh Treaty by Rwanda. able, systemic change by government and development partners focusing on The focus on girls’ education was rooted systems strengthening, capacity building, in the fact that there is a gender disparity improving data systems, and scaling of in school enrollment rates for girls, with innovations on implementing the Mar- only 44 percent of the total number of rakesh Treaty.1 learners with disabilities being girls.2 4  n   Inclusive Education Initiative in Rwanda: A final report of project activities The work under the IEI in Rwanda had • Improved pre-service and in-service three primary intended outcomes. teacher training on SNIE  • Incentivizing the development and 1. Improving disability data and provision of inclusive teaching and evidence-based sense-making learning materials With a focus on strengthening data and 3. Improved coordination, MIS systems in Rwanda, IEI Rwanda sup- collaboration, and knowledge ported government and non-govern- sharing about innovations on ment capacity building efforts in the de- inclusive education velopment of data collection tools for A key aspect of the work in Rwanda in- disability disaggregated data from the volved the implementation of the Mar- school level for planning and monitoring. rakesh Treaty, an international legal in- strument that makes it easier for blind, 2. Systems strengthening and visually impaired, and print disabled peo- capacity building of national and ple to access works protected by copy- sub-national teams right. An aspect of this project’s work On systems strengthening and capacity involved working with government and building, the IEI Rwanda supported the civil society to incentivize innovations Government, academia and civil society on implementing the Marrakesh Treaty activities that strove to achieve the fol- to meet the challenges of quality inclu- lowing results: sive education in the country through workshops for publishers on creating in- • Advocacy and implementation of clusive reading materials and commis- Rwanda’s SNIE Policy and the Marrakesh sioning a research study on existing assis- Treaty tive technologies used to support • Better deployment of inclusive educa- inclusive education. tion specialists in the Rwanda education sector 2. Education Context and Background Rwanda has achieved significant success global citizenship and education for sus- against the education MDGs, achieving tainable development. Gender and eq- the goal of universal primary education, uity remain cross-cutting themes. with a net enrolment rate (NER) of 98.9 Under Article 40 of Rwanda’s Constitu- percent (Education Statistical Yearbook tion, every Rwandan citizen has the right 2020/2021). Rwanda also boasts the high- to education, and primary education is est primary enrolment rates in East Af- free and compulsory in public schools. rica, as well as gender parity at pre-pri- The article states that Rwanda “has the mary, primary and secondary levels. duty to take special measures to facili- Rwanda is committed to the SDGs, espe- tate the education of disabled people.” cially SDG 4, the main SDG for education, Rwanda also ratified the Convention on which states: the Rights of People with Disabilities ‘Ensure inclusive and equitable qual- (CRPD) in 2008. ity education and promote lifelong Findings from the Fifth Rwanda Popula- learning opportunities for all.’ tion and Housing Census conducted in This is central to the ambition of the new 2022 show that there are 391,775 people ESSP 2018/19–2023/24. Targets under with disabilities (age 5 and above) in SDG 4 cover every level of education Rwanda representing 3.4 percent of the from pre-primary to tertiary education, total resident population of 13.24 million. including a target that by 2030 all girls 65 percent of children with disabilities and boys will complete free, equitable were attending school, compared to 81.7 and quality primary and secondary edu- percent of children without disabilities.3 cation, leading to relevant and effective The census revealed that 27 percent of learning outcomes. Targets also refer- children with disabilities had never at- ence skills development, education for tended school compared to 14 percent 5 6  n   Inclusive Education Initiative in Rwanda: A final report of project activities TABLE 1. Number of learners with disabilities in 2020/2021 Levels Male Female Total Pre-Nursery 38 36 74 Nursery 1,297 923 2,220 Primary 13,027 10,400 23,427 General secondary 2,088 1,885 3,973 TVET L1_L5 281 197 478 Polvtechnics 8 3 11 General Higher education 72 36 108 Adult Literacy 205 307 512 Total 17,016 13,787 30,803 Source: School census, Ministry of Education of children without disabilities. The edu- population (2,729,116) have disabilities. In cation census conducted for the period secondary education, students with dis- 2020-21 documented that only 0.8 per- abilities decreased from 4,267 in 2019 to cent of the total primary school popula- 3,973 in 2020/21. This represents 0.5 per- tion were learners with disabilities.4 This cent of the total population of students points to a glaring concern around access in general secondary education have dis- to education for children with abilities. In TVET L1 to L5, students with disabilities. disabilities increased from 366 in 2019 to According to the Education Statistical 478 in 2020/21. This represents 0.5 per- Yearbook 2020-2021,5 of the total popu- cent of the total population of students lation of children with disabilities, physi- in TVET L1-L5. In higher education, stu- cal disabilities seem to be the category dents with disabilities slightly increased with the largest representation with from 109 in 2019 to 119 in 2020/21. This 9,888 pupils (32.1 percent). This under- represents 0.1 percent of the total popu- scores the need for adequate infrastruc- lation of students in higher education. ture and transportation facilities to en- A mixed methods study conducted by able students with physical disabilities to the World Bank6 in Rwanda across 271 have access to schools, a key facet of the parents and caregivers of children with IEI Rwanda’s work. disabilities found that 61 percent of the In nursery schools, 2,220 learners repre- children with disabilities in the study had senting 0.7 percent of the total popula- enrolled in formal primary school at tion (293,823) have disabilities. In primary some point, but only 51 percent were still education, the number of children with enrolled in school at the time of the disabilities increased from 16,021 in 2019 study, bringing the retention rate to 84 to 23,427 in 2020/21. This indicates 0.8 percent. Data collection was conducted percent of the total primary school in Huye, Kigali, and Rubavu. Each district 2. Education Context and Background n  7 was chosen with the input of govern- Of the children with disabilities enrolled ment officials and local partners and in- in school, nearly half (43 percent) enrolled cluded a combination of urban, peri-ur- when they were either 6 or 7 years of ban, and rural areas. Questionnaires were age, and 17 percent enrolled between the translated into local languages. Respon- ages of 8 and 10. When it came to assis- dents were selected with the assistance tive devices, only 14 percent of children of World Bank country teams, the Minis- with disabilities used assistive devices. tries of Education, and local OPDs. Based However, 73 percent of the parents and on those who provided the sex of their caregivers of children who did not cur- child, 67 percent of children enrolled at rently use assistive devices said their chil- the time of the study were boys and 33 dren would benefit from using an assis- percent were girls similar to typical en- tive device, signaling a significant gap rollment rates. between demand and supply. Participants are standing in one of the exhibition booths at the IEI Knowledge Sharing and Closing Event on Tuesday, February 7, 2023, in Kigali Rwanda. Source: Inclusive Education Initiative, World Bank. 8  n   Inclusive Education Initiative in Rwanda: A final report of project activities Special Needs and 1. Improved access, enrolment, and re- tention rates in 9YBE & 12YBE levels; Inclusive Education 2. To establish and support present Policy schools of excellence for early SEN Identification, Assessment, and Under the Revised Special Education and Rehabilitation; Inclusive Education Policy 2018, it is 3. Capacity development for SNIE stated that provisions must be made for services; the inclusion and optimum participation 4. Improved quality in SNIE Services; of all learners with special educational 5. Promote Inclusive/Child-Friendly needs within the full range of educa- school approaches. tional services provided in Rwanda. Furthermore, the 2016 competence- The National Policy of Persons with Dis- based curriculum (CBC) was designed to abilities and its Four Years Strategic Plan be accessible to all learners, including (2021-2024) builds on the government’s those with disabilities and learning commitment to empower, support, and difficulties. promote the inclusion of persons with disabilities across the country, which in- Additional attention has been devoted cludes the education of children with to learners with disabilities, making sure disabilities. that all schools have at least one trained professional in special needs education To strengthen and make good on this and upgrading infrastructure in schools crucial commitment, in 2020, the Special to be suitable for learners with disabilities. Needs and Inclusive Education Unit was Though there is an increase of trained staff formed in the Rwanda Basic Education in special needs and Inclusive Education Board (REB) to strengthen system capac- (Ministry of Education, 2022), this repre- ity on special needs education, gender, sents only 10.2 percent of the total staff and inclusion for the full participation of in the teaching workforce (121,659). all learners in schools. Additionally, the stated goal of Outcome 7.2 of the Edu- While significant progress has been made cation Sector Strategic Plan for basic to increase access and participation of education 2018/19 – 2023/24, “increase children with disabilities in education, the participation and achievement of there are still significant barriers to the children with disabilities and SEN at all education of children with disabilities levels of education.” The commitment to and challenges in the implementation of inclusive education is also reflected in inclusive education. This is where the the Special Needs and Inclusive Educa- crucial work under the Inclusive Educa- tion Policy which was approved by Cabi- tion Initiative fits in, particularly to build net in 2019. The policy has five goals on the momentum within the country including: on inclusive education. 2. Education Context and Background n  9 In order to address these challenges, disabilities and special education needs. data on in and out of school children The activities implemented under the IEI with disabilities needs to be improved to sought to address these exact challenges provide a better understanding of the while creating sustainable and long-last- extent to which demand for education is ing changes that would be government met with relevant supply for education. owned and led. Another key need is to increase invest- ment in supply-side issues such as train- ing of teachers on inclusive education Enabling Environment pedagogy, retrofitting school infrastruc- The World Bank’s focus on disability-in- ture to meet physical accessibility stan- clusion created a strong fostering and dards, provision of accessible learning supportive environment for this work to materials, deployment of special needs be undertaken. World Bank’s IDA20 Pol- education teachers and disability-spe- icy commitment number 6, part of the cific education specialists (braille, sign Human Capital policy commitments, language) in order to properly support all which emphasizes inclusive services children, including children with along with 10 commitments that the 10  n   Inclusive Education Initiative in Rwanda: A final report of project activities World Bank announced in the first Global designed to ensure that all stakeholders, Disability Summit in 2018 on disability in- be it government officials, teachers, or clusion, have worked to center activities OPD partners, were well equipped with like those in Rwanda under the IEI. Proj- the knowledge, skills, and requisite data ects in Rwanda, like the Quality Basic to improve access to schooling, whether Education Project (QBEP), have included through improved awareness or actual activities to further the inclusion agenda tools and metrics. It is important to point with support from the IEI. out that while these inputs existed as separate interventions, there were strong linkages between them to ensure cross- Theory of Change and cutting impact and overall systems Approach strengthening. For example, discussions about data fidelity and strengthening led In order to increase the quality of and to better capacity building workshops, access to disability-inclusive education which helped strong implementation of in Rwanda, IEI Rwanda sought to address government-led innovations. three key pillars within the system: i) im- proved stakeholder capacity and collab- IEI was World Bank executed by a team oration, ii) systems strengthening and iii) of over fourteen STCs led by a Task Team collaboration and innovation sharing. Lead. IEI employed a wide range of ap- These three components provided a rife proaches through close collaboration ground to build upon existing momen- with MINEDUC and its affiliated agen- tum within inclusive education and had cies, including REB and the University of clear gaps that could be bridged through Rwanda College of Education School of this work. Special Needs and Inclusive Education, local organizations, and development The theory of change that was employed partners. in the execution of the IEI Rwanda’s ac- tivities is well designed and thought The following were the key inputs in- through with logical links between in- volved in the success of the IEI. The key puts, outputs and outcomes that to- achievements and outcomes are out- gether contribute to the achievement of lined in the section below. the objectives. Handbooks IEI Rwanda’s theory of change is that if there are focused activities on systems To support the SNIE policy implementa- strengthening and capacity building for tion plan, the IEI developed an advocacy education delivery, and if this is sup- handbook. The handbook aims to ported by evidence-based planning, strengthen the education sector’s re- monitoring, and innovation, then chil- sponsiveness to inclusive education and dren with disabilities will be better in- highlight key SNIE messages. This docu- cluded in learning. Each activity was ment describes “what you need to know” 2. Education Context and Background n  11 5 TURNING POLICY INTO PRACTICE: THE ROLE OF STAkEHOLDERS Rwanda Inclusive 5 .2 . Students/ able to express when they are having challenges with learning. Further, in Education Initiative children playing/learning with other children in the school help break down social bar- Although they may not understand riers and interaction should be en- their own challenges (especially at couraged. This is at the heart of inclu- an early age), children need to be sive education. Handbook on Special BOX 10: What you can do as a student Needs and Inclusive Inclusive Education Clubs were created in 30 inclusive model schools. Children with disabilities and their peers without disabilities participate Education Policy in the club. Children with disabilities share their challenges with peers. They together discuss ways of overcoming those challenges. RWANDA INCLUSIVE EDUCATION INITIATIVE 31 1 Source: Humanity and Inclusion about SNIE for various stakeholders. A teaching, learning and assessment. Work- wide range of stakeholders can use it to shop content and facilitation guide were create advocacy messages and content developed based on capacity needs as- for workshops, posters, radio spots, and sessment that found several gaps in other media. The main sections of the knowledge and practice. The objectives handbook include background, policy were defined by identified gaps. The benefits, challenges and opportunities, workshops were designed to increase policy promises, stakeholders’ roles in knowledge and commitment to imple- turning policy into practice, and ment the SNIE policy and the Marrakesh conclusions. Treaty. Capacity Building Data collection, analysis and use The sub-national level workshops and IEI worked with REB to ensure that ef- field technical assistance were designed forts by development partners are coor- to progressively ensure that district and dinated, provide financial resources and sector officials are equipped with the technical assistance for the develop- necessary knowledge, skills, practices ment and implementation of disability- and attitudes to fully implement the inclusive education programs, and sup- Special Needs and Inclusive Education port disaggregated data collection policy and the Marrakesh Treaty. This in- related to disability. IEI supported REB in cluded how to collect, analyze, and use developing the SNIE data and manage- inclusive education data for decision ment information system (MIS) tool to making, like planning, support for complement ongoing efforts for School 12  n   Inclusive Education Initiative in Rwanda: A final report of project activities “With the support of the World Bank, we have been able to construct and equip inclusive schools, trained teachers and support staff, and introduce adaptive technology that helps children with disabilities learn and participate in the classroom.” —Nelson Mbarushimana Ph.D., Director General of Rwanda Basic Education Board Data Management System (SDMS) on Research Study the development of a data set useful for improved decision making. This MIS will A research study on Existing Innovative contribute to system strengthening for Assistive Technology and Universal De- better planning, monitoring and report- sign for Learning (UDL) Based Materials ing for evidence-based decision making, for Learners with Disabilities in Rwanda focusing on inclusive education. IEI also was conducted by a consortium of supported the development of SNIE Rwanda Union of the Blind (RUB) and best practice and success stories portal eKitabu. This study aimed to identify, ana- to showcase what Rwanda is doing bet- lyze, and assess the availability and utiliza- ter in achieving inclusive education. tion of innovative assistive technology Three teachers with visual impairment and a facilitator during a panel discussion on UNCRPD and accessibility at work. Source: Inclusive Education Initiative, World Bank. 2. Education Context and Background n  13 and Universal Design for Learning acces- • Deployment of technical assistance sible digital materials facilitating access and successful advocacy for a sustain- to learning and teaching resources for able staffing structure for disability learners with disabilities in Rwanda. inclusion in MINEDUC and REB; • Development of Special Needs and The following were the areas of achieve- Inclusive Education data collection tool ment under the key tenets of the IEI for disability-disaggregated data from Rwanda: the school level to inform evidence- • Enhanced stakeholder capacity and based policy, planning, monitoring and service delivery at the national and decision making; sub-national level to strengthen an in- • Design and implementation of the clusive education system; Rwanda Inclusive Education Policy • Improved coordination, collaboration, Academy to equip policymakers and and knowledge sharing on inclusive other key government stakeholders to education; foster systemic change and contrib- • Strengthened pre-service and in-service ute to a more inclusive education sys- teacher training on inclusive education; tem in Rwanda. 3. Summary of Project Activities and Achievements Given below is the implementation timeline for the IEI grant in Rwanda as well as key achievements from the project. Implementation timeline 2019 2020-21 2022 2023 IEI Grant Issuance Covid-19 Pivot Capacity & Systems Development Project Closing § November: Special § Activities put on hold due to § Recruitment of short- § Wrap-up of ongoing Statutes Governing covid-19 related school and term specialist to activities, remaining Teachers in Nursery, office closures provide TA for SNIE unit capacity development Primary, Secondary § Project pivot to focus on § Training of 30 SNECOs, events, compilation of and Technical and construction of disability 56 NLLs, 46 teachers & outcomes, finalization Vocational Schools inclusive infrastructure as TTC tutors , 3000+ of results framework approved by the part of ongoing QBE project, teachers, 581 district and final IEI report Cabinet development of teacher and sector education § Official closing § December: IEI grant training manuals, officials February 28, 2023 issued dissemination of audio- § 34 graduates from visual materials Inclusive Ed. Policy § Supported training of 7 Academy publishers to create and § Development of SNIE adapt content using UDL data and MIS tool through the Reading Ready Program Outcome 1: Improving With this lens in mind, one of the core outcomes of this project was to improve disability data and data collection to strengthen the evi- evidence-based dence base with which key decisions are sense-making made. This was approached through the development of Special Needs and In- The Convention on Rights of People clusive Education data and management with Disabilities (CRPD) calls on states and information system (MIS) tool for parties to collect appropriate informa- disability-disaggregated data from the tion including statistical and research school level to inform evidence-based data to be able to formulate and imple- policy, planning, monitoring, and deci- ment policies geared towards addressing sion making. Before the IEI, such a tool barriers faced by people with disabilities. did not exist to aid in the identification 14 3. Summary of Project Activities and Achievements n  15 I. Development of the SNIE data and MIS tool Outcome 1: II. Training of Trainers on the Tool Improving a. Trained 30 SNE Coordinators (1 per District) disability data and b. Trained 56 National Leaders of Learning (NLLs) evidence-based c. 7 REB staff (SNIE unit and ICT in Education sense-making Department) III. Development of Rwanda SNIE Best Practice and Success Stories Portal of students with disabilities and their ac-schools, a desk review of existing materi- cess to education, making this a pivotal als and interviews. Following the needs contribution to the inclusive education analysis, the primary recommendation landscape. was around improving data collection tools and processes, improving the Man- I. Development of the SNIE data agement Information System (MIS), and and MIS tool aligning it with the Washington Group questionnaire to be able to manage data In order to accurately assess what the on all aspects of SNE and development true gaps were, a needs analysis on data of an MIS for inclusive education that and MIS for inclusive education in would serve all stakeholders and inte- Rwanda was conducted in 2021 with gov- grate with the existing systems in place. ernment and development practitioners in special needs and inclusive education. With this key finding in mind, a tool for 68 respondents were selected for this SNIE data collection and analysis was de- analysis; however, only 64 responded to veloped and is now hosted by the the assessment, which represents 94 per- Rwanda Basic Education Board and is also cent. The sample consisted of 14 from available through a mobile application. the central Government, 6 from NGOs, The SNIE data tool complements ongo- 12 from the Local Government, and 36 ing efforts like the School Data Manage- from schools in 3 districts. The study em- ment System (SDMS) on the develop- ployed a mixed methods approach, using ment of a data set or data sets useful for a data tool to collect information on improved decision making. This tool will data and MIS for inclusive education in contribute to system strengthening for 16  n   Inclusive Education Initiative in Rwanda: A final report of project activities A student who has a physical disability participates in English class. Source: Rwanda Basic Education Board. better planning, monitoring and report- was also presented at the SNIE Technical ing for evidence-based decision making, Working Group for peer review and har- with a focus on inclusive education. monization with existing tools. The tool is a combination of the Disabil- This data tool captures demographic ity Screening Tool (a slight adaptation of data, assessment of students with dis- the Washington Group Child Functioning abilities, personalized learning informa- Module for children 2-4 and 11 months tion data on assistive devices, accommo- old which was previously used by UNI- dation of students with disabilities, CEF and the National Early Childhood clinical diagnosis information as well as Development Program), the Washington school infrastructure data. Group Child Functioning Module for Furthermore, to make data collected us- children 5-17 years old, and a component ing the tool usable, quality dashboards on inclusive education and the school for visualization and analytics were de- environment. There has also been close veloped. This was achieved through the coordination on the development of the integration of the SNIE Data tool with tool with the MINEDUC Chief Digital Of- the Government Business Intelligence fice, REB SNIE Unit, ICT Unit, and NESA. It System (GBIS), an analytical platform 3. Summary of Project Activities and Achievements n  17 comprising Elastic Search, Logstash, and and built familiarity with the tool to en- Kibana. This was worked on from Sep- sure long term sustainability and contin- tember 2022 to October 2022, and the ued use. To do this, the IEI in partnership work involved: Development of an API with the Rwanda Basic Education Board that links the SNIE data tool with GBIS and in collaboration with the Building (Integration), the development of a mas- Learning Foundation, conducted a series ter data pipeline, development of data of training for end users of the SNIE data values pipeline, integration of master tool. The training aimed to build capacity data with data values, and development and create awareness of the work that of initial dashboards using Kibana Query was being done in the area of Data and Language (KQL). The intended purpose is MIS for SNIE in preparation for the pilot to ensure that data collected in all data collection as proof of concept. schools can be analyzed and visualized at The training was given to REB staff (in the the level of GBIS and presented for deci- SNIE unit and ICT department), SNE co- sion making in a format that is easy to ordinators (SNECOs), and National Lead- read and interpret. ers of Learning (NLL). In October 2022, 30 SNECOs from all districts were trained to II. Training of Trainers on the Tool support REB and districts in training edu- Post the development of the tool and cation staff who will conduct data col- the dashboard, it was imperative that the lection and data management using the end users at all levels received training SNIE data and MIS tool for the 18  n   Inclusive Education Initiative in Rwanda: A final report of project activities identification of students with disability. III. Development of Rwanda SNIE They were trained as trainers who will Best Practice and Success Stories contribute to the rollout of the tool to Portal reach all schools for the maximum usage. Finally, to further create an environment Every SNECO pledged to collect data for of collaboration and evidence-backed at least 20 students with disabilities in approaches, the IEI team in charge of their districts, which they successfully did. Data and MIS for SNIE also supported In November 2022, 56 NLL gathered for REB in the development of the Rwanda phase 1 of their training, where they SNIE best practice and success stories started off with learning the basics of us- portal. This platform will showcase ing the tool and went all the way up to Rwanda’s efforts and successes towards how to identify a child with a disability. inclusive education for all while captur- After the first training phase, NLLs re- ing lessons that other countries can use turned to their schools and worked with towards the same shared goal. The docu- SNIE focal teachers to identify students mentation on the portal will include in- with disabilities and collect their data us- formation on SNIE policy environment in ing the SNIE data tool. By the time they Rwanda, teacher CPD on SNIE, system came back for the next training phase, 75 strengthening, evolving data, and success percent of NLLs had already collected stories. A vital aspect of this platform is data on all students with disabilities the inclusion of various accessibility identified in the schools under their functions, including editable font sizes, leadership. This served as the pilot data grayscale, and contract management collection phase and proof of concept because the tool provided its intended function and can be scaled for further use nationwide. ““The CPD programs that we have been discussing over a long time. And when IEI came in, it was handy, and it was on time—in fact, overdue, actually. And it [IEI] that took it up and took it seriously. Today we have the training manuals and the training programs, and they are all on the REB and URCE eLearning platforms. And we can roll it out and ensure that all our teachers are empowered and able to include learners with disabilities.” —Professor Evariste Karangwa, Dean, School of Inclusive & Special Needs Education, University of Rwanda – College of Education 3. Summary of Project Activities and Achievements n  19 Outcome 2: Systems I. Development of SNIE curriculum modules strengthening and capacity building The School of Special Needs and Inclu- sive Education (SNIE) is one of the of national and schools of the University of Rwanda- sub-national teams College of Education (UR-CE) and has the responsibility of training educators for The purpose of this component was to Rwanda’s special and inclusive schools, as strengthen the existing systems by tak- well as conducting other related aca- ing stock of policies, developing new demic activities in communities. Thus, TLMs, and conducting training to upskill URCE School of Special Needs and Inclu- and support key stakeholders towards sive Education (SNIE) has been undertak- the shared goal of improving inclusive ing several activities aimed at enhancing education. The following activities were teacher Continuous Professional Devel- undertaken as part of this component. opment (CPD) in Special Needs and I. Development of SNIE CPD Diploma program a. Developed Continuous Professional Development Diploma and Certificate program b. The grant + Quality Basic Education project funded the development of two inclusive education teacher training modules II. National and subnational workshops and trainings a. 581 District and Sector education officials trained on how to support the implementation of the SNIE policy and the Marrakesh Treaty through Outcome 2: subnational workshops systems strengthening and capacity building of national and sub- III. Policy dialogues across the country to take national teams stock of the implementation of SNIE policy a. 5 policy dialogues conducted in all four provinces and Kigali City b. 120 key education stakeholders reported an increased understanding of the SNIE policy, its goals, and their roles in its successful implementation IV. Technical Assistance to MINEDUC, REB, and NESA a. Outreach and provision of TA: (I) designing, advocating, and equipping sustainable staffing structures; (ii) a rubric to guide production; (iii) TA embedded within REB to support system strengthening 20  n   Inclusive Education Initiative in Rwanda: A final report of project activities Inclusive Education for in-service teach- Before the new curriculum was devel- ers and TTC tutors. oped, the IEI Rwanda trained 900 teach- ers using the compulsory inclusive edu- IEI Rwanda supported URCE institutional cation module that is part of their development by strengthening its ca- training. This training was found to cause pacity to develop learning and teaching a change in teacher knowledge and skills, materials in the form of 8 CPD Special and the findings from this pilot were Needs and Inclusive Education (SNIE) used to strengthen the module. A work- modules/ training manuals, user guides shop conducted for 20 participants rep- and monitoring tools for a diploma resenting REB, MINEDUC and DPs course. By digitizing the CPD curriculum brought about the development of the and training manuals, the support pro- structure for SNIE education and helped gram enhanced URCE’s ICT capacity to guide the development of the CPD cur- deliver courses to primary and second- riculum and modules. ary teachers as well as TTCs tutors online using its e-learning platform; and building The Curriculum and respective modules the capacity of its lecturers to acquire within it were developed, validated, digi- skills to deliver the online courses. tized on the URCE and REB e-learning platforms and used for training 3000 Inclusive Education Consultant Ms. Catherine Batamuriza training teachers with visual impairment and their headteachers on UNCRPD and accessibility at work. Photo: Rwanda Basic Education Board. 3. Summary of Project Activities and Achievements n  21 teachers on Special Needs and Inclusive Braille and Assistive Resources Education (SNIE). In the first phase (July (BAR) modules 2021 to June 2022), the IEI supported the In addition to the eight SNIE training development of SNIE curriculum and manuals referred to earlier, the following eight (8) CPD modules (training manuals) modules have been developed on Braille outlined below: and Assistive Resources (BAR): i. Inclusive education for primary • Basic Braille Literacy and Numeracy; school teachers; • Advanced Braille; ii. Pedagogy and instruction for prima- • Assistive Resources for Learners with ry school teachers; Visual Difficulties; iii. Measurement and assessment for • Teaching Learners with Visual Difficulties. primary school teachers; iv. Self-awareness, values formation & The Braille materials above have been professional ethics for primary validated and approved by URCE school teachers; v. Inclusive education for secondary school teachers; vi. Pedagogy and instruction for sec- ondary school teachers; vii. Measurement and assessment for secondary school teachers; viii. Self-awareness, values formation & professional ethics for secondary school teachers. In the second phase (August 2022 to Jan- uary 2023), the focus shifted specifically to the design and development of the curriculum and training manuals of Deaf Education (DED) and Braille and Assistive Resources (BAR) by URCE with the sup- port of two international experts in Braille and Sign Language/Deaf Educa- tion. This resulted in the development of 4 BAR and 4 DED modules which have been used to train 46 school teachers and TTC tutors in a certificate program. Out of the 46 participants, 23 were trained in Deaf Education and the other 23 in Braille and Assistive Resources. The A female student with visual impairment reciting a poem at a school event. Source: Inclusive Education Initiative, World Bank. modules covered include the following: 22  n   Inclusive Education Initiative in Rwanda: A final report of project activities The Director General of Rwanda Basic Education Board Dr. Nelson Mbarushimana giving opening remarks at the IEI Knowledge Sharing and Closing Event on Tuesday, February 7, 2023, in Kigali Rwanda. Source: Rwanda Basic Education Board. The curriculum of both training programs authorities and used to train primary and and their corresponding modules have secondary school teachers as well as TTC tutors selected from schools and TTCsbeen validated and approved, digitized throughout Rwanda. on the URCE and REB e-learning plat- forms, and used to train 46 teachers se- Deaf Education (DED) Modules lected from across the county. The cer- tificate training program involves both The following Deaf Education modules online and face sessions. have been developed: • Introduction to Deafhood, Deafness II. National and sub-national and Deaf Culture; workshops and training • Introduction to Rwandan Sign Language; The impetus for the workshops was a ca- • Rwandan Sign Language Grammar and pacity assessment that IEI conducted Interpretation; with 196 district and sector education of- • Accommodation of individuals who ficials that pointed to a lack of in-depth are Deaf and Hard of Hearing. knowledge about the SNIE policy and 3. Summary of Project Activities and Achievements n  23 “Our Sector Education Officers—we have set a checklist so that when they visit schools, they have to find a day where they go and see how teachers are facilitating different children with special education needs.” —Jean Denys Nuwayo, Director of Education Unit, Rulindo District Marrakesh Treaty. Following the findings • Special Needs and Inclusive Education from the assessment, IEI organized work- Policy; shops to improve knowledge of the pol- • Marrakesh Treaty; icy and treaty as well as to foster engage- • Strengthening and promoting educa- ment in how that policy would be tion data utilization to support chil- implemented and supported by district dren with disability and special educa- and sector officials. The objectives of tion needs; the sub-national level workshops and • Existing resources to support Special field technical assistance were: Needs and Inclusive Education. • To progressively ensure that district The workshops were first held for dis- and sector officials are equipped trict officials followed by sector officials with the necessary knowledge, skills, and in both district and sectors REB staff practices and attitudes on inclusive attended. education; Through 36 sub-national workshops or- • Collect, analyze and use the inclusive ganized in 30 districts, 581 District and education data for decision making, Sector education, district education of- like planning, support for teaching, ficers, district directors of social devel- learning and assessment. opment units, district directors of plan- ning, school constructions engineers and The sub-national workshop activities tar- sector education officers have been geted all Directors of Education, Direc- equipped with the necessary knowledge, tors of Planning, Directors of Social De- skills and attitudes on the Special Needs velopment, all District Education and Inclusive Education policy (2018) and Officials, School Construction Engineers, Marrakesh Treaty (2020). These ex- and Sector Education Officials. The train- changes have provided an opportunity ing started in October 2021 and ended in to underscore the importance of data February 2022. collection, focusing on SNIE and the The topics identified in the sub-national Marrakesh Treaty and its utilization for workshops were developed from: decision making and planning for the 24  n   Inclusive Education Initiative in Rwanda: A final report of project activities benefit of all learners without leaving III. Policy dialogues across the anyone behind. country to take stock of the implementation of SNIE policy Pre and post-surveys revealed that the training of district and sector education The Policy Dialogues were conducted in officials led to a 97 percent increase in the Northern, Eastern, Western and improvement of knowledge, skills, un- Southern provinces as well as Kigali City derstanding, and confidence in how to from May to June 2022. They served as a support the implementation of the SNIE forum to engage stakeholders and dis- policy and the Marrakesh Treaty, a crucial cuss the implementation status of the step in ensuring that policy translates to Special Needs and Inclusive Education practice. policy while ensuring participants under- stand their roles in the successful imple- Additionally, trainings were conducted mentation of the policy. These dialogues with the local publishing industry and brought together different education Organizations for Persons with Disabili- stakeholders from the local government, ties. They were given support to create the Ministry of Education and its affili- and adapt content for children with dis- ated agencies, schools, Non-Govern- abilities ensuring that book titles are in- ment Organizations, and Organizations clusive and include text-to-speech and of Persons with Disabilities. The theme sign-language interpretation. Both Dis- of these dialogues was “Taking Stock of trict and Sector education plans are cur- the Implementation of Special Needs rently being improved in Rwanda to en- and Inclusive Education Policy.” Policy sure the smooth implementation of the Dialogues were conducted in all four SNIE policy and the Marrakesh Treaty. provinces and Kigali City from May to “In our District of Gicumbi, we are now able to know and follow-up on where children with disabilities are in different families to ensure that they are enrolled in school. Before the SNIE policy, children with disabilities were discriminated against and ignored but now we follow up on them so that more than 846 learners with disabilities in Gicumbi District are enrolled in school. We are going to intensify mobilization of parents through different community groups such as Inteko z’Abaturage where we have to train parents to ensure that all children including children with disabilities are enrolled in school because they have a right to education.” —JMV Mbonyintwari, Vice Mayor of Gicumbi District 3. Summary of Project Activities and Achievements n  25 As development partners, we are going to continue mobilizing funds to address some of the pending issues (in the implementation of the SNIE policy) that are not addressed due to budget constraints. — Patrick Musafiri, Senior Education Technical Specialist, Save the Children June 2022. 120 participants from Districts, 2. To evaluate the progress of the imple- schools, education development part- mentation of SNIE policy and plans; ners, organizations of persons with dis- 3. To engage educational stakeholders abilities, the Ministry of Education, and and the general public on the issues its affiliated agencies attended the surrounding the implementation of workshops. the SNIE policy; 4. To take action toward the successful The workshops had four key objectives: implementation of the SNIE policy. 1. To raise awareness among participants To test the first two, pre- and post-test about the Special Needs and Inclu- surveys were conducted to gauge the ef- sive Education Policy and ensure par- fectiveness of the dialogues. For objec- ticipants have more understanding tive three, discussions were held during of the policy; Teacher trainees participating in a plenary discussion on accessibility. Source: Inclusive Education Initiative, World Bank. 26  n   Inclusive Education Initiative in Rwanda: A final report of project activities A two-storey school building in Gasabo District, Kigali City, which was constructed during the COVID-19 school closures by the Ministry of Education in collaboration with the World Bank. Source: Ministry of Education. the workshops among the groups and Eastern Province for objective four, participants were asked to make commitments toward ac- The Special Needs and Inclusive Educa- tions aimed at the implementation of tion policy dialogue was conducted in the policy. These commitments can be Eastern Province, Rwamagana District on found in Annex 1. 27th May 2022. The dialogue brough to- gether 37 participants from the Ministry Before the workshops, communication of Education, Rwanda Basic Education and advocacy materials were devel- Board, Rwanda TVET Board, Rwanda oped, including handbooks and bro- Union of the Deaf, Rwanda Union of Lit- chures that highlighted essential SNIE tle People, districts, and schools. In the policy messages, a sign language video pre-test survey, 35 percent of the partici- of the policy, and a Braille format of the pants indicated that they had never key message. heard of the SNIE policy, indicating that “Inclusive education practices are being applied in schools and to some extent even in communities, parents—the awareness is increasing. So, the tradition where a child who is born with a disability is kept at home I think is slowly breaking.” — Thomas Mwise, Inclusive Education Project Manager, Humanity and Inclusion 3. Summary of Project Activities and Achievements n  27 it was not well disseminated to the pub- Western Province lic. The majority of participants (32 or 86.4 percent) were not aware of the pol- The second Special Needs and Inclusive icy targets, and a similar majority (81 per- Education Policy dialogue was con- cent) were not aware of the policy goals. ducted in Western Province on June 10th, However, in the post-test survey, 100 2022, in Rubavu District. The dialogue percent of the participants were able to was attended by 21 participants from dif- articulate the policy targets and goals. In ferent organizations and institutions. The order to ensure applicability and action Director of Cross-cutting Programs at towards implementation, participants the Ministry of Education opened the were divided into groups to discuss the dialogue. 57 percent of participants indi- achievements of and challenges to the cated they had heard of the SNIE policy, policy outcomes. Group representatives and a majority (90.4 percent) were not presented during the plenary discussions able to identify the policy targets. This what has been achieved and what re- indicates that though the majority had mains to be achieved moving forward. heard of the policy, they needed more A female student sitting in her wheelchair while drumming in a school compound. Source: Inclusive Education Initiative, World Bank. 28  n   Inclusive Education Initiative in Rwanda: A final report of project activities understanding of its contents and provi- of SNIE policy. The majority (61 percent) sions. Most (95 percent) of the partici- of participants indicated that there are pants in the Western Province did not aware of the Special Needs and Inclusive know the policy goals. In the survey Education Policy; however, they did not taken after the workshop, 100 percent of know the targets of the policy. Most par- the participants were able to articulate ticipants (89 percent) were not aware of the policy targets and goals. To ensure the policy goals. Once again, post-tests the second and third objectives of the showed that all participants knew the workshop were achieved, participants policy targets and goals by the end of were divided into groups to discuss the the workshop. Like the other two prov- achievements and challenges of the SNIE inces, participants discussed the way for- policy goals. Following group discussions, ward and made commitments for the participants made presentations on the successful implementation of the achievements and challenges as per the policy. SNIE policy goals and made commit- ments to support their full implementa- Kigali City tion in their respective roles. A SNIE Policy Dialogue was held at Lemigo Hotel on June 28, 2022. It was the fourth Northern Province in a series of five policy dialogues held in Special Needs and Inclusive Education each of the four provinces of Rwanda and Policy Dialogue was conducted in the Kigali City. The workshop brought to- Northern Province, in Musanze District, gether 9 participants, including partici- on June 10th, 2022. The dialogue brought pants from MINEDUC, REB, the World together 28 participants from the dis- Bank, UNICEF, and the Higher Education tricts, the Ministry of Education, Organi- Council. Five presentations on different zations of Persons with Disabilities, and aspects of SNIE policy were given, fol- schools. Like in other provinces, pre-test lowed by plenary discussions about chal- and post-test surveys were conducted lenges and recommendations to advance to examine participants’ understanding the implementation of the policy. Before the training, some teachers used to come to monitor me from the window unannounced. My students always would say, ‘Teacher, so and so is in the window.’ It used to make me sad that other teachers ignored and avoided me. The headteacher and some teachers visited me after the training, and now they are no longer afraid of interacting with me. – P3 Teacher with visual impairment post training on UNCRPD and accessibility at work 3. Summary of Project Activities and Achievements n  29 Teachers sitting in training. Source: Rwanda Basic Education Board. Beata Nyirahabinshuti, one of the twenty-two teachers with visual impairment in mainstream schools across Rwanda, was distressed about her teaching career at G.S Gisozi in Kigali City when she started in February 2022. She reported to the school every day for three months without any classes to teach. The headteacher at her school doubted her capability and refused to give her classes to teach because she is blind. He told her to visit different classes every day to learn how to teach while they figured out a way to accommodate her. The school did not feel equipped to have a disabled teacher on staff. Until the Inclusive Education Initiative collaborated with Rwanda Basic Education Board and trained them to use whatever was available to make work accessible for blind and partially sighted teachers. Following the training of all blind and partially sighted teachers and their headteachers, Beata’s school management realized that there were things they could do that did not necessarily require a big budget to accommodate her. They gave her four classes to teach in one of the somewhat accessible rooms at the school, a teaching assistant, and bought her braille paper. The Director of Studies also started raising the awareness of other teachers at the school to make them more accepting of dis- ability and to treat her as an equal. REB also gave her a laptop with accessible software. Beata is optimistic and determined to be the best teacher she can be, even though it is still challeng- ing to do so in a highly inaccessible school where she only has one textbook in soft copy for her English lessons. More than anything, she wants to independently teach her students without always relying on a teaching assistant for everything. This is possible if she is given teaching resources in Braille, a projector, and electricity in all her classes. 30  n   Inclusive Education Initiative in Rwanda: A final report of project activities Group photo of IEI Rwanda team, including Task Team Leader Ms. Lillian Mutesi and ten consultants. Source: Inclusive Education Initiative, World Bank. Southern Province percent of the participants knew about the policy goals. After the workshop, all The final Special Needs and Inclusive participants understood the policy tar- Education Policy dialogue was con- gets and goals. ducted in Southern Province in Huye Dis- trict on June 29th, 2022. The meeting IV. Technical Assistance to brought together 31 participants, includ- MINEDUC, REB and NESA ing district Vice Mayors in charge of So- cial Affairs, school representatives, the IEI also provided technical assistance Ministry of Education and its affiliated to MINEDUC, REB, and the National Ex- agencies, and development partners. amination and School Inspection Au- Most participants (71 percent) indicated thority (NESA) through the deployment to have heard of the SNIE policy. Few in- of inclusive education specialists for dicated that they know about special technical assistance. In particular, a con- needs education, but they did know that sultant was embedded in Rwanda Basic there is a policy on special needs educa- Education Board to provide technical as- tion. The majority (87 percent) could not sistance to disability mainstreaming in indicate the policy targets, and only 16 teacher development and management 3. Summary of Project Activities and Achievements n  31 and career guidance and counseling sys- in special needs and inclusive education tems, ICT in Education, and curriculum (SNIE) in 20 schools nationwide from development. The consultant was based May to June 2022. The purpose of the in the Special Needs and Inclusive Educa- training was to increase the knowledge tion Unit (SNIE Unit) and reported di- and skills of teachers in SNIE to raise the rectly to the Director General of REB. quality of educational provision in schools for all children, irrespective of IEI was also instrumental in the design their abilities or limitations. This training and establishment of the SNIE unit in was school-based and conducted by In- REB. IEI employed a consultant to sup- clusive Education Focal Teachers (IEFT) port the establishment of the SNIE unit. using the “Training Manual on Special The consultant worked with REB, MIN- Needs and Inclusive Education (2018).” It EDUC, and development partners to de- was conducted over the course of six sign the SNIE unit and develop terms of weeks at the school level within the ex- reference for five disability specialists. IEI isting Continuous Professional Develop- actively advocated and supported the ment (CPD) framework. recruitment process of new staff and The training targeted primary and sec- provided induction training once they ondary school teachers in 19 inclusive were onboard. A TA who was embedded model schools and one school in Ma- in REB oversaw the following activities as hama camp. It was structured into four part of the SNIE advocacy and training: modules as follows: (1) basics of inclusive education; (2) teaching learners with spe- School-based training of teachers cial educational needs; (3) accessible in Special Needs and Inclusive teaching and learning materials; and (4) Education inclusive education pedagogy in the The TA supported Rwanda Basic Educa- classroom. The SNIE unit conducted tion Board in organizing and coordinating monitoring visits for quality assurance of the training of 305 primary and second- the training. Following the training, teach- ary school teachers (180 female, 125 male) ers reported that the activity, more “What we are really focusing on right now is access because not all children with disabilities are able to go to school… On equipment, teaching and learning resources—we have these books and computers and they [students without disabilities] are able to use them. But when it comes to students with disabilities, they need their special equipment so more focus should be put on buying that equipment, getting them available for our children.” —Rose Baguma, Director General of Education Sector Policy and Analysis, Ministry of Education 32  n   Inclusive Education Initiative in Rwanda: A final report of project activities Participants following a presentation at the IEI Knowledge-Sharing and Closing Event, on February 7, 2023, in Kigali Rwanda. Source: Inclusive Education Initiative, World Bank. specifically module two which provided persons with disabilities and creating an practical guidance on how to teach accessible working environment for learners with different special educa- them to carry out their teaching respon- tional needs, increased their confidence sibilities to the best of their ability. The and ability to accommodate these learn- training focused on the right to work in ers in their classrooms. Article 27 and other relevant articles of the United Nations Convention on the Training for blind and partially Rights of Persons with Disabilities, mobil- sighted teachers and their ity and orientation, use of assistive tech- Head Teachers on UNCRPD and nology in the classroom, and concrete accessibility in the workplace steps schools can take to build disability- In October 2022, IEI in collaboration with friendly environments where blind and REB, organized a two-series workshop, partially sighted teachers feel welcome which was conducted over the course of and supported. The IEI technical assis- four days to train teachers with visual im- tant worked with co-facilitators from pairment (22) and their headteachers (20) REB/eKitabu, Rwanda Union of the Blind on UNCRPD and accessibility at work. and the National of Persons with Dis- The purpose of the training was to re- abilities to develop training content. flect on the working conditions of blind Other facilitators included a staff from and partially sighted teachers and ensure the Rwanda Union of the Blind who led headteachers understand their role in the sessions on mobility and orientation, eliminating discrimination against and a specialist from the National 3. Summary of Project Activities and Achievements n  33 Council of Persons with Disabilities who Assessment accommodations for led the legal aspects of UNCRPD. students with disabilities and special needs during national examinations Test scores showed an 86 percent im- provement in knowledge and under- To increase the number of students with standing of participants of UNCRPD es- disabilities and special educational needs pecially as it relates to Article 27 (work (SEN) sitting national examinations, ESSP and employment of persons with dis- 2018/2019–2033/2024 states the need to abilities) and Article 24 (education of develop accommodation guidelines and persons with disabilities) and how to use implement them. So, to assess the cur- it to effect positive changes in their rent situation and supervise the provi- schools to accommodate learners and sion of reasonable assessment accom- teachers with disabilities better. Before modations to students with disabilities, the training, only 12 percent of partici- thirty-two examination centers were vis- pants understood what disability was ac- ited during the national examinations pe- cording to the social model of disability riod, which started on July 18, 2022, and (used in UNCRPD), and only 23 percent ended on August 5, 2022. Findings from knew how to adjust the school environ- the visits revealed that some candidates ment based on principles of inclusion. with disabilities are provided necessary Following the training, all participants accommodations during national exami- could define disability and could name nations, including those in special schools, the different elements and principles of government-aided schools, private disability inclusive programming. schools, and independent candidates, A teacher engaging a student using colored wooden blocks in a resource room at school. Source: Ministry of Education. 34  n   Inclusive Education Initiative in Rwanda: A final report of project activities but many candidates from mainstream Context Assessment Report schools did not receive appropriate ac- on Education of Students with commodations as their schools did not re- Disabilities and SEN quest for them ahead of time. Additionally, In June 2022, a context assessment of the most examination centers were found to education of students with disabilities be inaccessible. School management and was conducted in thirteen schools to exam center supervisors have insuffi- provide insight into the current status cient knowledge of standards and guide- and practice of disability inclusion in lines for accessibility. So, while 26 per- schools and provide recommendations cent of exam centers visited claimed to to launch the work of the SNIE unit. Us- have accessible toilets, only 6 percent ing a whole school approach, the study met national accessibility standards. IEI investigated what changes have been made recommendations to REB and made to accommodate students with dis- NESA to co-develop, validate, and imple- abilities and SEN. The findings of the ment guidelines on the accommodation study show that while significant progress of students with disabilities and SEN has been made to increase access and during national examinations. participation of children with disabilities in education, there are still significant bar- riers and challenges in the implementa- tion of inclusive education. To address these challenges, data on in and out-of- school children with disabilities need to be improved to provide a better under- standing of the extent to which demand for education is met with relevant supply for education. Another key need is to in- crease investment in supply-side issues such as training of teachers on inclusive education pedagogy, retrofitting school infrastructure to meet physical accessi- bility standards, provision of accessible learning materials, deployment of special needs education teachers and disability- specific education specialists (Braille, Sign Language) to properly support all children, including children with disabilities and SEN. The implementation of wide-scale systemic reform is not an easy endeavor, so recommendations were drawn to guide A female student with visual impairment using an Arithmetic Board to solve a math problem. Source: Inclusive Education Initiative, World Bank. this process for the SNIE unit. 3. Summary of Project Activities and Achievements n  35 Outcome 3: Improved • Save the Children’s REACH programme in 2021 to build the capacity of Rwan- coordination, collaboration, da publishers on book development and knowledge sharing and universal design for learning re- on innovations around sulting in the production of book ti- tles on inclusion in various print, digi- inclusive education tal and audio formats to increase accessibility. The Reading Ready proj- I. External Collaboration ects supported publishers to produce The inclusive education landscape in 50 high quality books for young chil- Rwanda is rife with opportunities for de- dren that positively promote STEM, velopment partners to implement last- gender, or inclusion while being visu- ing changes. The work done under the IEI ally attractive. These books are all does not exist within a silo; the IEI has open-licensed, making them easily ac- collaborated with several DPs and within cessible in digital formats. Reading World Bank teams to ensure the out- Ready also incentivized the translation comes in Rwanda are sustainable and of fifty book titles for younger children maximize outcomes while also keeping from Kinyarwanda to English, paving in mind not to duplicate efforts towards the way for children to have access to a shared vision and goal. materials to support bilingual literacy I. External Collaboration a. Technically supported inclusion in the development of audio-visual remote learning materials and additional support to integrate sign language interpretation in the development of educational cartoons and interactive textbooks b. Coordination with DPs: (1) Save the Children to produce 50 children’s storybooks with Outcome 3: accessibility features; (2) 7 publishing houses Improved coordination, trained on disability inclusion collaboration, and c. Partnership with Rwanda Union of the Blind knowledge sharing on innovations around inclusive education II. Within the World Bank a. Informed development of inclusive edutainment programs b. Support on assistive devices c. Informed expansion of inclusive education infrastructure d. Case studies/Technical peer review of two global public goods e. Advocacy for teacher management reforms 36  n   Inclusive Education Initiative in Rwanda: A final report of project activities skills development. Additionally, forty Academy offered a unique opportu- community libraries received the books nity to learn about the fundamentals in both print and digital formats. of disability inclusion around data tools, good practices on the identifi- • FCDO’s Building Learning Foundation cation and referral system, inclusive (BLF) programme to produce accessi- teaching and learning materials, school ble literacy and numeracy learning ma- leadership for SNIE, and assessment, terials to increase accessibility to chil- among many other vast topics. In to- dren with disabilities and related tal, thirty-four people have taken part capacity building of teachers in tar- in the policy academy. geted schools. • Aside from the core project activities, • The team has furthermore informed the IEI Rwanda team also participated the design and supported the imple- in the Technical Working Group for mentation of Rwanda’s Inclusive Edu- SNIE where most development part- cation Policy Academy, which attract- ners who are active in the area of SNIE ed national and local policy are represented. Further, the following stakeholders in Rwanda in a series of close connections with specific devel- knowledge-sharing exchanges with in- opment partners were in-built into the ternational and national experts. The activities the IEI directly supported: Two students with visual impairment showcasing the use of Orbit Reader 20 in the classroom at the Launch of the Orbit Reader in Rwanda on April 4, 2022. Source: Rwanda Basic Education Board. 3. Summary of Project Activities and Achievements n  37 o Soma Umenye, funded by USAID: determinants of disability-inclusive edu- discussions between SU/USAID cation” which highlight lessons from and IEI to further the work by NU- Rwanda (World Bank, May 2022). Both of DOR on the development of Rwan- these documents underscore Rwanda’s da Braille Code and Rwanda Sign strides within this space as well as the Language Dictionary that was sup- need to prioritize the inclusive educa- ported by USAID funding; tion agenda through further endeavors. o Building Learning Foundations (BLF), IEI Rwanda has also provided support to funded by UKAid: to engage SNE- the Rwanda Quality Basic Education COs in IEI-supported capacity Project, through assistance in construc- building activities; tion schools that enabled access to o UNICEF: IEI to support REB to de- school facilities for girls and boys with velop Rwanda-specific inclusive disabilities, inclusive design of program- content guidelines based on the ming, capacity development efforts to- global UNICEF guidelines; wards sign language training, an inclusive o REB SPIU, funded by the World school inspection tool that will be inte- Bank: coordination and cooperation grated into the execution of a potential on teacher CPD modules for SNIE early warning system for learning gaps, working with UR-CE; and support on the guidance for indi- o Save the Children’s REACH pro- vidualized education plans (IEPs). gramme, funded by World Bank: Training Rwanda publishers to de- Furthermore, the IEI developed a rubric velop inclusive book titles. for quality assurance of sign language videos embedded in REB’s edutainment II. Within the World Bank episodes. Technical assistance to the The IEI Rwanda team contributed to the school infrastructure expansion activi- technical peer review of two global pub- ties impacted the construction of 1223 lic goods produced by the Global Dis- inclusive toilets, 126 double-storey ability-Inclusion team within the Sustain- schools equipped with ramps, accessible ability and Social Inclusion Unit: The blackboards, and about 1100 accessible “Landscape Review of ICT for Disability- handwash stations. Inclusive Education,” which showcases The following results matrix captures the Rwanda’s progress toward the use of ICT development outcomes achieved by the in education in improving learning out- Inclusive Education Initiative on each in- comes for children with disabilities; and dicator outlined at the beginning of the the study, “Understanding the social project. 38  n   Inclusive Education Initiative in Rwanda: A final report of project activities DO-level Outcome 1: Increased capacity and improved knowledge of implementation stakeholders such as governments, development practitioners, education practitioners including teachers, and end-user beneficiaries including parents and caregivers. Indicator Description End result Indicator 1: Percentage Increased capacity and Two capacity development events were supported by of implementation improved knowledge Rwanda IEI grant: (1) Training of 900 teachers at primary and stakeholders (such of implementation secondary levels on the compulsory inclusive education as governments, stakeholders such as module (which was mandated under recent policy reforms development governments, development supported by the grant, and developed under combined practitioners, education practitioners, education use of IEI grant and IPF project); and (2) Workshops for practitioners including practitioners including Rwanda Basic Education Board with 20 participants teachers, and end-user teachers, and end-user representing Rwanda Basic Education Board, Ministry of beneficiaries including beneficiaries including Education, and development partners to design the special parents and caregivers) parents and caregivers. needs and inclusive education structure and draft TORs for reporting increased This indicator assesses hiring of 4 special needs officers for the ministry. positive attitudes stakeholder attitudes 36 sub-national workshops were organized in 30 districts, towards education towards social inclusion 581 District and Sector education, district education of children with and equal participation in officers, district directors of social development units, disabilities. education for children with district directors of planning, school constructions disabilities. engineers and sector education officers have been equipped with the necessary knowledge, skills and attitudes on the Special Needs and Inclusive Education policy (2018) and Marrakesh Treaty (2020). A post-test survey showed 97% improvements in support of the implementation of the SNIE Policy and the Marrakesh Treaty in their current roles. Indicator 2: Percentage This indicator assesses The pilot of the inclusive education module with 900 of participating change in stakeholder teachers led to improvements in knowledge and skills and stakeholders and knowledge to promote the findings were utilized to strengthen the module and beneficiaries reporting inclusive education for adapt it to additional inclusive formats. increased knowledge children with disabilities, 3,000 teachers have been trained by URCE and REB using on making education depending on the TF- the SNIE CPD program that was developed under the grant. inclusive for children funded activities in which The modules include topics on pedagogy, inclusion as well with disabilities. they participated. as Braille and Sign Language curriculum. 46 Teacher Training College tutors as well as primary and secondary school teachers completed the certification program of URCE and all 100% passed the examination. Indicator 3: Percentage This indicator assesses The training of District and Sector education officials led of participating stakeholder self-efficacy to 97% improvements in knowledge, understanding, and stakeholders reporting in putting the knowledge confidence in how to support the implementation of the increased confidence in and skills gained through SNIE Policy and the Marrakesh Treaty in their current roles. implementing inclusive IEI training and TA Of the 581 officials who were trained, 51 percent and 91 education practices into practice in their percent reported that they were not aware of nor received [in their roles and work settings. It will any training on the SNIE policy and MT respectively before settings]. be triangulated with IEI sub-national workshops. 69 percent of the participants qualitative measures of also reported that this was the first-time receiving training stakeholder satisfaction in specific activities they can implement to support and experiences to assess students with special education needs in the last three overall capacity. years. 3. Summary of Project Activities and Achievements n  39 Indicator Description End result DO-level Outcome 2: Comprehensive and high-quality data collected to inform planning at country level on children with disabilities who are in and out of school. Indicator 1: Number of This indicator measures A tool for SNIE data collection and analysis was developed countries with access evidence of changes and is now in use and hosted by the Rwanda Basic to quality disability- in-country in collecting Education Board at: https://snie.reb.rw disaggregated data data on the educational Training of SNECOs collection on children participation and with disabilities in TF achievement of children IEI trained 30 SNECOs from 30 districts on data collection countries. with disabilities using best using SNIE MIS. The purpose of this training was to create practices. a pool of staff equipped with relevant skills to support REB and districts in training education staff who will conduct data collection and data management using the SNIE data tool. They were trained as trainers as they will support the nationwide scale-up of the tool to reach all schools for maximum usage Training of National Leaders of Learning (NLLs) 56 National Leaders of Learning (NLLs) have been trained in a series of workshops on using SNIE MIS during the identification of students with disabilities. DO-level Outcome 3: Increased policy and programmatic interventions in countries, on supply and demand side, that improve educational participation and outcomes for children with disabilities. Indicator 1: Number This indicator measures (1) Ratification of Marrakesh Treaty by Government of of policies, education policies and plans adopted Rwanda, March 2020; sector plans, and or implemented to (2) Presidential Order for Teacher Governance statutes national action promote participation gazette, March 2020; plans adopted or and learning outcomes of (3) Teacher recruitment standards approved; implemented to children with disabilities (4) National STEM strategy developed, validated at promote participation during the duration of IEI Ministerial level in November 2020; and learning outcomes program implementation. (5). Disability inclusive learning assessment strategy (in of children with progress, with the National Examinations and School disabilities at the Inspection Authority of GoR). national or sub-national (6) Booklet versions of the Special Needs and Inclusive level. Education policy developed in the local language, braille, sign language, and audio versions. IEI has been disseminating the Marrakesh Treaty and the Special Needs and Inclusive Education Policy through sub-national training workshops. Improved education plans drafted towards the implementation of the Special Needs and Inclusive Education Policy and the Marrakesh Treaty (30 District Education Plans and 416 Sector Education Plans). 40  n   Inclusive Education Initiative in Rwanda: A final report of project activities Indicator Description End result Indicator 2: Increase in This indicator measures the There were 30, 803 (13,787 female and 17,016 male) learners enrolment of children increase in enrolment and with disabilities enrolled in education in 2020/21 which is with disabilities, retention of children with 0.7 percent of the total population of 4,033,046 learners disaggregated by sex disabilities as a result of the enrolled in the Rwandan education system. There are 7,311 and disability. TF activities in the targeted more learners with disabilities enrolled in education than schooling area. Quality in there were in 2019 (up from 23,492). this case will be based on (More information can be found 2022 file:///C:/Users/ the creation/adoption of wb547338/OneDrive%20-%20WBG/Desktop/Education_ improved data collection Statistical_Yearbook_2020-21.pdf) tools for EMIS and other systems; use of validated tools. Indicator 3: Grade This indicator measures The latest numbers are currently being awaited from completion and the grade completion and Education Statistics. retention of children retention of children with with disabilities (primary disabilities as a result of TF school) disaggregated activities in the targeted by sex and disability. schooling area. DO-level Outcome 4: Increased application and use of knowledge and learning on disability inclusive education globally by donors, policymakers and development practitioners. Indicator 1: Number This indicator will assess (1) Rwanda Quality Basic Education Project for Human of World Bank IEI’s impacts on World Bank Capital Development (P168551); education projects staff and TTLs to ensure (2) REACH Grant: Reading Ready - A book supply chain where IEI activities disability inclusion in Bank intervention; informed the design financed projects and (3) Human Capital for Inclusive Growth Development Policy and development activities. Operation; of components on (4) Additional Financing of $130m to Rwanda Quality Basic disability inclusion. Education project co-financed by GPE (5) Rwanda Country Partnership Framework 2021-26 (6) Rwanda Inclusive Education Policy Academy Indicator 2: Number This indicator will assess “Governance and Coordination” Rwanda IEI supported the of countries/thematic IEI’s impacts on client Ministerial coordination of partners and helped structure areas where IEI governments, development the special needs and inclusive education unit in Rwanda activities informed partners and inclusive Basic Education Board. Four full-time government payroll the design, scale-up, education stakeholders to positions were approved by the Ministry of Public Service reform, or adoption improve or scale activities and Labor and three of the four staff were hired and started of disability inclusion on disability-inclusive working. IEI provided induction training to ensure a smooth education projects or education. onboarding experience and build strong teamwork (within programs. the SNIE unit) and collaboration (internal and external). IEI supported Study research on the availability and utilization of innovative accessible teaching and learning materials and UDL-based teaching and learning materials for learners with disabilities. Rwanda’s participation in the Inclusive Education Policy Academy was informed by the IEI with the aim of building peer support and a community of practice. Eight course modules were covered in eight weeks including the following: 3. Summary of Project Activities and Achievements n  41 Indicator Description End result Indicator 2 (continued) 1. Fundamentals of disability inclusion in education as applicable for Rwanda 2. School Leadership for Special Needs & Inclusive Education (SNIE) 3. Approaches for teacher continuous professional development (CPD) on SNIE 4. The Marrakesh Treaty and its continued relevance and implementation in Rwanda 5. Good practices on the identification and referral of learners with disabilities 6. Tools for data collection, analysis and use of insights for SNIE 7. Effective design and use of Teaching and Learning Materials (LTMs) for SNIE 8. Approaches and practices on assessment and school inspection for SNIE Indicator 3: Number This indicator will assess 5 SNIE policy public dialogue workshops were conducted. of IEI-funded IEI’s impact and influence They brought together key players in education to discuss interventions and on the broader field and take stock of the implementation of the policy. The analytical products that of disability-inclusive participants got a clear understanding of their roles in the inform public dialogue education, including successful implementation of the SNIE policy in Rwanda. and the design of financial partners and funding programs on donors. disability-inclusive education. 4. Challenges Faced and Lessons Learned One of the first challenges to befall the language interpretation in the develop- IEI work in Rwanda was the Covid-19 pan- ment of educational cartoons and inter- demic and the subsequent school shut- active textbooks; downs, as well as limitations on gather- • 50 children’s storybooks produced ings which affected training as well as with accessibility features inter/intra-city travel. However, despite • 7 publishing houses trained on disabil- this, the IEI grant has proven to be very ity inclusion including how to diversify timely in Rwanda and the team has en- book production through digitization sured sound strengthening of the na- and use of accessibility features tional education system regarding dis- • 48 cartoon episodes produced with ability inclusion matters at the national sign language and closed captions level. When the pandemic hit and the schools were closed down, the Rwanda In addition to the above, a few obstacles team used their time and resources and impacted the efficacy of the work being adapted quickly to the priorities at the implemented: time to ensure the inclusive architecture • A lack of data around disability-inclu- of the school buildings that were under sive education, particularly on Rwan- construction at the time and to actively dan children with a disability (both in work for the inclusion of disability and and out of school). Without adequate inclusion modules (8 modules in total) in data, it is extremely challenging to the teacher training curriculum. conduct any accurate sampling for Throughout school closures, the IEI grant surveys, any evidence-based policy also supported the development of au- adequacy or appropriate suggestions dio-visual remote learning materials and for the education system. Fortunately, additional support to integrate sign there is increasing demand for it from 42 4. Challenges Faced and Lessons Learned n  43 different stakeholders in the educa- are appropriate budgetary allocation, tion sector and the SNIE data and MIS strengthening operating procedures and tool will allow for the collection of collaborations across teams as well as this information in a timely manner. communication about policies and pri- orities from the top down and finally a • Delays in the staffing of the SNIE unit need to prioritize robust data collection in REB, affected the implementation and usage across all activities. The les- of activities and pushed back certain sons are divided into activities to cull out timelines. areas of development for each strand. • Delays in the implementation of the activities to incentivize innovation on Strengthening the use of data the Marrakesh Treaty to meet chal- and MIS lenges of quality inclusive education, Working in collaboration with already es- mainly due to the limitations to pro- tablished structures that support the curement with Bank Executed Trust implementation of inclusive education Funds (BETF). namely the Special Needs Education Co- The common threads running through ordinators (SNECOs), National Leaders of the key takeaways and lessons learned Learning (NLLs), and Local Leaders of Three children including one child helping another child move around the school compound in a wheelchair. Source: Rwanda Basic Education Board 44  n   Inclusive Education Initiative in Rwanda: A final report of project activities Learning (LLL), eased the transfer of Training sessions that are organized with- knowledge through training workshops out communicating with those attend- and made it easy for the IEI team to pilot ing beforehand can lead to sessions that the SNIE MIS efficiently. From experi- are not relevant from a content perspec- ence gained during the proof of concept, tive or that are inconvenient for trainees SNECOs, NLLs, and LLLs have shown that to attend. It is imperative to conduct a they have the capacity and skills required pre-survey to understand what the in- for the identification of students with tended outcomes are from a trainee’s disabilities as well as data collection and perspective and to work within their data cleaning. Therefore, they can be re- limitations to organize engaging, relevant lied on as trainers for national scale-up of and impactful training. activity to identify students with dis- Data cleaning is as important as data col- abilities in all schools across the country. lection. Teams responsible for data gath- ering must accompany the trained staff during data collection through technical support and guidance as data collection happens. During data analysis and re- porting, it is prudent to flag any irregu- larities and make sure that the process has integrity to prevent future issues. Overall, all aspects of the project, includ- ing the data collection and analysis, need to be iterative and grow with the devel- opments in the system. With the intro- duction of TVET wings in most second- ary schools, it is important for MINEDUC to consider TVET to the SNIE MIS to make it possible for TVET schools to conduct identification of students with disabilities in their facilities and capture this data appropriately to make sure these students are not missed out on during policy and intervention planning. SNIE policy dialogue A significant bottleneck has been the lack of awareness about policy and prac- Teacher trainees using the slate and stylus during Braille and Assistive Resources tices at district and sector levels. For CPD programme. Source: Inclusive Education Initiative. 4. Challenges Faced and Lessons Learned n  45 example, pre-test survey results in all capitation grant system (2,750 FrW per provinces and Kigali City showed that a student with a disability compared to majority of education stakeholders had 1,250 FrW normally allocated to students never heard of the SNIE policy. This is an without disability). More clarification indication that the policy has not been should be provided by MINEDUC so widely disseminated. So, there is a need schools can get access to additional fi- to schedule more dissemination events nancing necessary for the realization of and activities to ensure its effective the goals of the SNIE policy at the school implementation. and community levels. With increased knowledge and aware- The use of Individual Education Plans is ness, all education stakeholders are will- not practiced in most schools for plan- ing to join in their efforts and make com- ning, implementing, and monitoring the mitments to the effective implementation progress of students with disabilities of the policy using whatever little re- based on goals set for a student with sources are available. More dialogues on SEN and disabilities. Although, even in special needs and inclusive education schools where IEPs are used, they failed will have a positive impact on the pro- to properly document, update, and show gression of policy implementation. children’s progress in academic, social, and life skills. This can be attributed to There is a need to allocate a budget to the fact that most teachers have a high districts specifically for SNIE to improve number of students which makes it dif- the implementation of the policy and ficult to provide specialized attention to achieve goals at the local level (schools students with SEN and disabilities. More and in the community). specialized SNIE training, including how to prepare IEPs should be provided, and Technical Assistance to regular assessment and monitoring con- REB/SNIE unit ducted to ensure that IEPs are designed Budgetary allocations and clear channels and effectively implemented in every of communication are an impediment to school. the effective implementation of project Schools are not yet properly equipped activities. Findings as part of the work to support students with disabilities, around technical assistance showed that especially students with intellectual dis- out of all schools visited, except for 1, abilities who are not properly assessed none receive additional funding in the to determine whether they are learning form of capitation grants and others for and are often made to repeat grades or students with disabilities. Yet, as per are promoted without any assessment. MINEDUC guidelines and SNIE policy, Therefore, REB should recruit and de- students with disabilities should be allo- ploy special education teachers or cated additional funding through the 46  n   Inclusive Education Initiative in Rwanda: A final report of project activities Group photo of participants at the IEI Knowledge-Sharing and Closing Event on February 7, 2023, in Kigali Rwanda. Source: Inclusive Education Initiative, World Bank. teaching assistants to serve as resources Support to UR-CE for CPD for general education teachers. These module development teachers would mentor and coach other teachers. The CPD program is aimed at ensuring accessibility to education by all learners Many candidates from mainstream including those living with disabilities. schools do not receive appropriate ac- During the development of the curricu- commodations during national examina- lum and training manuals, some lessons tions. This is because examination super- have been learned which are quite visors have very little guidance and instructive. knowledge on what types of accommo- dations are allowable. Therefore, there is Deaf Education (DED) requires expand- a need for NESA and REB to develop and ing of the key concepts to include Deaf validate assessment accommodation Language and Communication. Three guidelines. models of deafness were highlighted as the social model, cultural model, and 4. Challenges Faced and Lessons Learned n  47 medical model, which should be ad- implementation and other policy related dressed together as constructs of Deaf- decisions. The committee needs to de- ness. Any CPD training for teachers needs velop a 5-year ‘Transition Plan’ to Uni- to take this into consideration. versal English Braille (UEB), mobilize re- sources and carry out a baseline study on Braille and Assistive Resources (BAR) de- the knowledge level and preparedness of mands special attention, and Rwanda the Rwandan Braille users. needs to prepare for the transition to the Unified English Braille (UEB) system There is a need for trainer of trainers to enable access to Braille information (TOT) workshops to enable a cascade without hindrances of variation in codes model of Braille literacy for effective in different schools. implementation. There is a need to mitigate the challenge Technology is key to the training pro- of having multiple versions or models of gram as Deaf Education (DED) as well as Braille being applied by users, which Braille and Assistive resources (BAR) are raises confusion especially during na- mandatory for any education sector in tional examinations. support of affirmative action for persons with disabilities. Hence the country needs The World Bank, MINEDUC, REB and to continue working with development URCE need to follow on up policy issues partners to avail technological resources post-Trust Fund intervention arising out so that all appropriate measures are in of the IEI support program. There is a need place, and support provisions are required for constituting a ‘National Steering to ensure equitable access to education. Committee’ to develop and coordinate Students in class with a teacher and two students, including one student who uses a wheelchair writing on a black board in class. Source: Rwanda Basic Education Board. 5. Sustainability and the Way Forward The IEI has made significant investments strengthen systems within the govern- to improve education participation and ment, creating an enabling environment learning outcomes for children with dis- for inclusive education to flourish in a abilities. But it is only a drop in the ocean sustainable manner. given that Rwanda is still in the early im- Right from inception, the CPD training plementation phase of inclusive educa- program was planned and designed with tion. The implementation of inclusive sustainability, embedding and impact as education at scale and with sustainability the overriding foundation for develop- is a complex task and requires an imple- ment and implementation. To achieve mentation mechanism and a range of ac- this goal, government ownership from tors working together towards the same the formative stages of the program was goal. With a strong legal framework of key and had been ensured through sys- laws and policy that provides a clear tematic involvement by Government in- roadmap for making our society inclusive stitutions, notably, URCE and REB. These and a strong will and commitment to institutions took ownership of the plan- moving towards an inclusive education ning, design, development, and imple- system, no barrier is too large that it can- mentation of the CPD program. The IEI not be removed. The establishment of provided support through technical as- inclusive education at scale requires a lot of sistance focusing mainly on coordina- continued investment but, in the long run, tion, pedagogical inputs, and quality as- it is the most cost-effective system that surance. By involving Government will lead to better learning outcomes for institutions (URCE and REB) right from all students, with and without disabilities. inception, ownership was assured and in A core tenet of the activities underlined turn has resulted in the following: here has been to build capacity and 48 5. Sustainability and the Way Forward n  49 Participants sitting around round tables at the IEI Knowledge Sharing and Closing Event on Tuesday, February 7, 2023, in Kigali Rwanda. Source: Inclusive Education Initiative. Teachers have been helped to build the sustainability by government institutions skills they need to navigate and use tech- have been achieved as it will continue to nology and get the best out of Deaf Edu- be used to yield results even after the cation (DED) and Braille training manuals intervention. REB has a responsibility in order to improve the teaching and through its larger and better-funded learning process. training programs to scale implementa- tion and upgrade the CPD certificate to The trained teachers have become more a diploma in Deaf Education and Braille comfortable with finding, accessing, and and Assistive Resources. Development sharing DED and Braille content online in partners have shown interest in using the a short period of time which is a founda- CPD materials in their own training pro- tion for further CPD training programs grams, and some, including USAID, World building on this initial experience. Bank, and others have already indicated The training program has made the DED signs of collaboration by participating in and Braille materials easily accessible, the scale-up of the program, which is a storable, maintainable, and sharable, positive sign for REB’s plan to continue the CPD training program. Thus, in the thereby facilitating the teaching and next few years, Rwanda should have a learning process in Rwandan primary and cadre of trained teachers in Special secondary schools. Needs and Inclusive Education (SNIE) ca- By embedding the design, development, pable of helping students and other and implementation of the CPD program members of the community throughout within URCE and REB, ownership and the country. 50  n   Inclusive Education Initiative in Rwanda: A final report of project activities On the data and MIS front, IEI worked in participants and collecting information close collaboration with the Chief Digiti- on the progress against the commitment zation (CDO) office and the office of the made during the workshop. This will be Director General of Education Sector done on a quarterly basis. Planning, Monitoring, and Evaluation in All activities were conducted through the Ministry of Education to coordinate REB and all reports produced were shared a strong upcoming handover that priori- with relevant staff in SNIE unit and the tizes sustainability of both the SNIE MIS Director General of REB. To ensure sus- and the portal for best practice and suc- tainability and continuation of momen- cess stories. They are both user depart- tum, new SNIE unit staff were provided ments and their offices are critical to the an induction package, including available successful implementation and sustain- SNIE resources and materials necessary ability of the SNIE MIS. to fast-track the implementation and re- IEI has also planned a skills transfer work- alization of SNIE policy goals. shop with the staff of the Ministry of Finally, IEI has developed an action paper Education to prepare them to take over for IEI Activities Sustainability to support both the SNIE MIS and the portal for Ministry and partners to keep the expe- best practice and success stories. rienced ownership during the design and IEI staff provided input to the Ministry of implementation and ensure the activities Education’s application for funding the are mainstreamed in existing and future rollout of SNIE MIS as well as its enhance- plans. ment. The application was successful It is heartening to know that the IEI and SNIE MIS is considered for the next Rwanda and the World Bank have a step in the rollout. strong network on the ground within Furthermore, an important part of the other DPs, REB, and MINEDUC, who are SNIE policy dialogue was to ensure key all committed to ensuring that the strides education stakeholders understand their made through the project’s activities are role in the effective implementation of maintained and built upon. Without this the policy. To this end, participants made strong foundation of trust and a com- commitments to advance the imple- mon purpose, it would have been impos- mentation of the policy. A follow-up sible to engage with so many different mechanism by the Ministry of Education stakeholders through so many chal- was established to ensure commitments lenges, all to ensure inclusive education taken by participants are fully discharged. for every child in Rwanda. This will be done by tracking all Annexes Annex I : Project Activity • To ensure trained teachers on inclu- sive education are supported to train Posters their fellow teachers. Project activity posters can be viewed • To identify children with disabilities online: who are out of school. • To ensure campaigns to bring students https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/ back to school are focusing on stu- 1A3VtAHnM3sRWppB_fBRb60Q dents with special needs. zixEHjb0J?usp=share_linkfind Ministry of Education and Affiliated Agencies commitments Annex II: Commitments • To train more teachers on inclusive made during SNIE Policy education. Dialogues • To distribute special education cur- riculum for students with learning and Eastern Province behavioral disabilities. • To provide specialized materials for Districts Commitments students with disabilities. • To include aspects of inclusive educa- Organizations of Persons with tion in their Monitoring and Evalua- disabilities tion tools. • To ensure special needs and inclusive • To advocate for deaf students to be education is part of Continuous Pro- accommodated during the national fessional Development. exams. • To advocate for Sign Language to be included in the curriculum. 51 52  n   Inclusive Education Initiative in Rwanda: A final report of project activities Western Province • To have a budget line specifically for Inclusive Education. Districts • To partner with development part- • Monitoring and evaluating the use of ners operating in the districts and sen- materials provided to schools sitize them to invest in inclusive • Monitoring the implementation of education. Special Needs and Inclusive Education • To organize SNIE policy dialogue in in schools. the province. • Identification of students with dis- Organizations of Persons with abilities who are out of school and Disabilities conduct awareness campaigns to sen- sitize parents to bring their children to • Advocate for students with disabili- school. ties to enroll and stay in school. • To mobilize parents and local leaders Organizations of Persons with to send children with disabilities to Disabilities school. • Conduct awareness campaigns to sen- Ministry of Education and Education sitize parents to bring children with Development Partners disabilities to schools. • To advocate for more budget for in- • To train more teachers focusing on spe- clusive education. cialized skills (Braille, Sign Language). • To empower and advocate for girls • To provide materials for students with with disabilities. They face double disabilities. challenges in schools. • To allocate budget to districts that are specifically for the promotion of spe- Ministry of Education and Education cial needs education. Development Partners Southern Province • To increase the budget for inclusive education. Districts • To train newly recruited teachers on inclusive education. • Identification of children with disabili- • To train teachers in specialized skills ties who are still out of school. (braille and Sign language). • Work closely with district develop- ment partners and ensure they have Northern Province interventions in the domain of inclu- sive education. Districts • To do regular follow-ups on schools to • Making regular follow-ups with the ensure the policy is effectively schools to ensure trained teachers are implemented. also training their fellow teachers. Annexes n  53 Ministry of Education and Annex III: Final Event Development Partners Report • Continue policy dissemination and The final event report can be accessed dialogues. online: • Harmonize and validate data collec- tion tools for students with disabilities. h t t p s : / /d r i ve . go o g l e . co m /d r i ve / • Continue teachers training with a fo- folders/1yI-PnRufHoyOhTiuq98YyokM- cus on specialized skills and Universal rofXRdiS Design for Learning. • Production of accessible textbooks. • Scale up assessment and referral ser- vices in 12 districts. 54  n   Inclusive Education Initiative in Rwanda: A final report of project activities Kigali City # SNIE Progress and Recommendations Responsible Goal 1: Improved access, retention, and completion of schools 1 The construction of residential facilities for easy access of children with MINEDUC & disabilities to their neighborhood MINEDUC and schools should be expedited as RHA very little progress has been made thus far. This is especially critical in regions of the country where physical accessibility is poor due to hilly and rocky natural terrain. Involving professional experts on universal access and design in addition to organizations of persons with disabilities could benefit processes of land selection (when appropriate and possible) and in the design and construction of residential facilities and schools. 2 Some progress has been made towards making schools more accessible but a lot MINEDUC remains to be done. Rwanda Housing Authority in collaboration with MINEDUC and Rwanda should assess school infrastructure and determine whether they meet the Housing accessibility standards. For example, there are many cases where efforts to Authority improve physical infrastructure raise safety concerns as they do not adhere to (RHA) & IE established standards. Partners MINEDUC’s standards and guidelines for school construction should be widely disseminated from the national level all the way to the school/community levels and school-led retrofitting projects should be assessed and monitored regularly. Furthermore, school management should be trained in physical access and communication accessibility and be required to conduct self-assessment accessibility where a budget is allocated to make modifications as necessary. 3 There remain large gaps in the construction, equipment, and utilization of MINEDUC, resource rooms in schools. The few that are there are not functional due to NESA, REB, insufficient training and equipment. Therefore, more resource rooms should DPs be constructed (at least one resource room should be constructed per school), teachers trained, and awareness raised on their utilization at all levels –but especially at the district and school levels. Every resource room should have a resource room manager who is appropriately trained and certified in special needs and inclusive education. Teachers and school leaders could be involved in the process of reviewing the situation and needed improvements related to the existing and proposed additional resource rooms. 4 The World Bank through its IEI is supporting NESA to review the assessment and WB and NESA inspection tools to ensure that they are disability-inclusive. Partners should be engaged in this review. (Continued next page) Annexes n  55 Kigali City (continued) # SNIE Progress and Recommendations Responsible 5 There is a need to regularly collect and use data and information about children REB, NESA, with disabilities and SEN for decision making including availing enough budget to DPs implement inclusive education. Since resources are limited, the following should be done to reach more learners with disabilities, and SEN. A nationwide survey should be conducted to identify learners with disabilities, especially those students who are deaf and have a visual impairment, so they get the necessary accommodations, including assistive devices, teaching, and learning materials. This data for all schools should be availed yearly. This can be done using the Washington Group questions to provide usable and reliable data on disability. The SNIE tool should be deployed by REB and used at the school level. This will help to provide timely data on students with disabilities (SwDs) to help bridge identified gaps for their full participation and improve academic performance. Goal 2: Development of support services 1 At the moment, no national assessment center has been established but there MINEDUC have been discussions around whether URCE Rukara can become the national center. MINEDUC should further this discussion to establish Rukara Campus as the national assessment center and mobilize different DPs, donors, OPDs, and INGOs to provide the necessary resources to get it fully running. 2 There is a need to harmonize referral and assessment tools because currently MINEDUC, different partners use different tools. MINEDUC’s pilot assessment and referral UNICEF, HI of SwD in collaboration with UNICEF and HI in five districts should become the national standard after a successful pilot. A meeting should be organized by MINEDUC and UNICEF to assess and determine how best to integrate existing tools and establish standardized tools for how to assess and identify students with disabilities and SEN in the classroom. Goal 3: Capacity development for special needs and inclusive education quality services 1 Some progress has been made to develop the capacity of teachers however REB and DPs specialized training in Sign Language, Braille, use and repair of assistive devices, and inclusive pedagogy (i.e Universal Design for Learning) is still lacking. More specialized training should be provided especially at the school level to enhance teacher and school leader confidence and competence to identify and respond to the needs of students with disabilities and SEN. This also requires updating and developing a suite of training resources. 2 A comprehensive SNIE capacity building plan should be developed and shared MINEDUC, with concerned stakeholders to ensure complementarity. REB, NESA (Continued next page) 56  n   Inclusive Education Initiative in Rwanda: A final report of project activities Kigali City (continued) # SNIE Progress and Recommendations Responsible Goal 4: Promotion of special needs and inclusive education quality services 1 The curriculum for students with intellectual disabilities has been developed. REB and DPs Different partners were involved in its development and should be consulted in the development of training guides and other related materials. This curriculum should be printed for distribution and teachers trained for its effective implementation. Goal 5: Promotion of inclusive and child-friendly approaches 1 Some progress has been made to make schools more accessible. New MINEDUC classrooms and schools have been constructed. However, they do not all meet accessibility standards. MINEDUC school infrastructure standards and guidelines should be widely disseminated all the way down to the school/community level and be monitored in their use and implementation. 2 School construction engineers and other concerned personnel should be MINEDUC trained on accessibility and universal design to improve their understanding and implementation of the school infrastructure Standards and Guidelines. Annexes n  57 Endnotes 1. The Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works for Persons Who Are Blind, Visually Impaired or Otherwise Print Disabled, was adopted on June 27, 2013 by the member states of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). The Marrakesh Treaty requires its contracting member nations to create limitations and exceptions to copyright law that will make it easier for those with these kinds of print disabilities to access printed works in accessible formats such as Braille and digital audio files. It also establishes rules for the exchange of such accessible format copies across borders. 2. Education Statistical Handbook 2020-2021. 3. Fifth Rwanda Population and Housing Census, 2022. 4. Ministry of Education, Rwanda, 2022. 5. Ibid. 6. Understanding the Multidimensional Determinants of Disability-inclusive educa- tion: Lessons from Rwanda, Sierra Leone and Zambia.