Inclusive education

Many layers of discrimination lead to unequal learning and school experiences for children. Existing inequalities have been further spurred by recent global shocks, including Covid-19, climate change, and political and economic crises, with the poorest and most vulnerable often worst affected.

We offer high-quality, impact-oriented, and contextually-relevant policy research, technical assistance, and consulting services to governments and development partners to ensure quality learning of all children in line with Sustainable Development Goal 4 of the UN 2030 Agenda.

Our projects encompass a life cycle approach to children's learning and well-being. We view inclusive education as a process rather than an outcome. We work with colleagues across sectors and geographies in diverse teams, through collaboration with other OPM teams and expertise  e.g. social protection, research and evidence, health, and gender.  

We have over a decade of expertise working on gender equality, disability and social inclusion (GEDSI) priorities, including:

• Supporting girls and boys in their right to a quality education, through evidence and system reform;
• Designing and monitoring programmes to reduce inequalities in access and learning for different groups of pupils;
• Advising on the right policy environment to bring children back to school, especially the most vulnerable groups;
• Exploring strategies for learning recovery and pupil transition in response to shocks and crises;
• Research to keep all children safe from violence in and around schools; and
• Collecting data and evidence on disability inclusion and child protection strategies.