Impact
The Shobai Miley Shikhi (Everyone Learns Together) project is the only USAID project operating in Bangladesh with a focus on improving inclusive education, including children with disabilities, in government/public primary schools across Bangladesh
Objective
Increase learning opportunities for children, especially those with disabilities, in 10,000 government primary schools in Barisal, Chattogram, Dhaka, Khulna, Rangpur, Rajshahi, and Mymensingh divisions of Bangladesh reaching more than 1.5 million children.
Approach
The project partners with the Government of Bangladesh at the national, district, upazila (sub-district) levels as well as with the schools communities to enhance inclusive school environments and instruction; develop adaptive materials and resources for teachers to accommodate learning needs of all children by using Universal Design for Learning teaching practices, promote positive perceptions about diverse learning abilities among caregivers and communities, and expand the government’s capacity to plan, deliver, and manage inclusive education in the long term.
Impact
By the end of the project, expected results include having a more inclusive school environment for students with disabilities and for teachers, education administrators, parents, and communities to be better informed to support disability inclusive education across Bangladesh.
Improving learning opportunities with USAID’s Shobai Miley Shikhi Project
With high primary school enrollment rates, the Government of Bangladesh (GoB) is focused on improving learning opportunities for all students, including those with disabilities. Children with disabilities often face structural barriers and stigma, leading to decreased interest in learning and low enrollment rates.
USAID’s Shobai Miley Shikhi project (2022–2027) supports the goals outlined by the Government of Bangladesh’s 4th Primary Education Development Program (PEDP4) and is designed to help the GoB implement the Special Education Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Framework in support of long-term efforts to address the ongoing needs of vulnerable students.
The project collaborates with the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education, the Directorate of Primary Education (DPE), other government partners, non-government partners, advocate organizations, and private sector contributors.
Enhancing inclusive school environments, instruction, and combating stigma in Bangladesh
Grounded in the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL), the project is working directly in 16 target upazilas to help teachers adjust their instruction techniques for diverse learner-centered needs, reduce barriers to learning, and increase classroom participation.
School community facilitators are supporting the roll-out and use of inclusive learning materials in target schools and communities, including providing UDL kits and booklets, disability referral system and resource guides, along with guidelines for teacher learning circles, which serve as professional development platforms for teachers to share acquired skills and experience. To raise awareness on the importance of inclusive education at the community level, school community facilitators regularly participate in parent-teacher association, school management committee, and mothers’ group meetings in target communities. These interventions in target upazilas will impact more than 1,500 schools and communities, and will reach about 9,000 teachers and 250,000 students. It is estimated that about 1% of the children reached have some form of disability.
Additionally, the project is collaborating with the DPE to train approximately 20,000 teachers from over 80 upazilas on the DPE’s approach to inclusive education, which is based on SEND framework. The project is developing a reflection session to complement SEND training and will deliver it in the 16 target upazilas.
Strengthening capacity to sustain educational support
Shobai Miley Shikhi works closely with the DPE to build capacity, including through a series of UDL trainings at national, divisional, and upazila levels, which will be extended beyond the 16 upazilas targeted by the project. In all interventions, Shobai Miley Shikhi works through relevant government departments in the development, delivery, learning and adapting of interventions.
Learn more about RTI’s work in international education and in Bangladesh.
