The High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development was held in New York on July 9-18, 2019. In preparation for this major event, Africa had organized the Fifth Session of the Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development (ARFSD) in Marrakesh, Morocco, in April.
The purpose of the Marrakesh Forum was to conduct an in-depth review of some of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the corresponding objectives of the Africa Union’s Agenda 2063. For the African continent, it was time to prioritize the crucial role of education, especially inclusive education, in attaining the SDGs by 2030.
The education of persons with disabilities remains a challenge in Africa
The SDGs recognize the crucial role of ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education in the building of a better and more egalitarian world. The specific aim of SDG 4, target 4.5, is to eliminate gender disparities in education and ensure equal access to all levels of education and vocational training for the vulnerable, including persons with disabilities, indigenous peoples, and children in vulnerable situations by 2030.
Four years after the adoption of the SDGs, a brief analysis of the implementation frameworks of educational policies in Africa shows that little progress has been made in ensuring inclusiveness and equity in and by the existing educational systems and programs.