Going to scale - Inclusive education in Nigeria: Learning from the ESSPIN experience

One of the key questions for UKFIET’s subtheme on Inclusive Education for Sustainable Development is, How can targeted interventions for specific marginalised groups be systematised and integrated into national policy, plans... [ view full abstract ]

One of the key questions for UKFIET’s subtheme on Inclusive Education for Sustainable Development is, How can targeted interventions for specific marginalised groups be systematised and integrated into national policy, plans and strategies so that they become mainstream and sustainable? Social Development Direct has been working with programme partners to develop inclusive education strategies within the seven-year, six-state ESSPIN programme in Nigeria. This paper will describe how inclusive education has been integrated into under-resourced and low-capacity basic education systems, drawing on the presenters’ experience of promoting inclusive education within ESSPIN.

On a foundation of creating demand through community mobilisation, inclusive education approaches have been developed from small-scale pilots and taken to scale in education policy and practice. Practical, low-cost strategies for supporting the access and learning of marginalised children have been integrated into school management and teacher professional development. Significant policy and legal changes have been achieved, articulating a practical framework of responsibilities for implementing inclusive education at state and national level. Since presenting on ESSPIN in 2014, new evidence shows that marginalised learners are receiving measurable benefits from these changes.

Outcomes and results chains will be discussed, drawing on quantitative and qualitative evidence from ESSPIN’s 2016 Composite Survey and Inclusive Education Review. Learning will also be shared on what could be done to create stronger progress in systematising inclusion within complex education systems, and within large donor-supported education programmes.