Equitable learning assessments for students with disabilities (NEQMAP thematic review)

Asia-Pacific is home to 690 million persons with a disability. Persons with disabilities experience lower educational opportunities as children and therefore also face fewer opportunities as adults. Children with disabilities experience barriers to participating in education that result in enrolment rate drops of up to 53 per cent between primary and secondary education, making it increasingly difficult for persons with disabilities to secure employment. Low participation rates and other barriers have a serious impact on the learning achievement and learning outcomes of learners with disabilities. This thematic review provides an overview of the existing inclusive education policies and practices in the region and specifically focuses on learning assessment of children with disabilities at the school level. By examining extant literature, it discusses key areas that influence the participation of children with disabilities in learning assessments and provides region-specific cases to elaborate on the challenges faced by education systems in assessing learners with disabilities. The review suggests that countries need to focus on integrating children in mainstream education, strengthening teacher education and permitting disability-specific accommodations to ensure assessment accessibility to children with disabilities.