ERIC Number: EJ1361855
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2022-Nov
Pages: 21
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0010-4086
EISSN: EISSN-1545-701X
Available Date: N/A
The Democratization of Inclusive Education: Political Settlement and the Role of Disabled Persons Organizations
Johnstone, Christopher J.; Sefuthi, Nkhasi; Hayes, Anne
Comparative Education Review, v66 n4 p688-708 Nov 2022
Inclusive education is a core initiative of United Nations organizations and national governments around the world. In this article, we chronicle the development of a 2019 inclusive education policy in Lesotho by examining the role of disabled persons organizations (DPOs) and their policy advocacy. A standpoint epistemological approach is used, relaying the direct experiences of DPO leaders. We frame these events through political settlement theory, which states that when there is a policy conflict, settlements are drawn between powerful actors (governments) and those advocating for change. This typically occurs when the political or economic price of ignoring or suppressing advocacy groups becomes too high for governments to bear. In this study, a DPO successfully advocated for a new policy through media campaigns, direct engagement of government officials, leveraging donor support, and arguing for accountability around international treaty commitments. The political settlement of DPOs and the government in Lesotho is instructive about new ways in which inclusive education policies are being developed in the wake of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and increased DPO activism.
Descriptors: Democracy, Inclusion, Politics of Education, Disabilities, Organizations (Groups), Foreign Countries, Advocacy, Educational Policy, Accountability, Treaties, International Organizations, International Law, Activism
University of Chicago Press. Journals Division, P.O. Box 37005, Chicago, IL 60637. Tel: 877-705-1878; Tel: 773-753-3347; Fax: 877-705-1879; Fax: 773-753-0811; e-mail: subscriptions@press.uchicago.edu; Web site: http://www.press.uchicago.edu
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Lesotho
Identifiers - Laws, Policies, & Programs: United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A