Haydn Hammersley
Social Policy Officer
Contact: haydn.hammersley@edf-feph.org
Twitter: @HaydnHammer
Education is central to individual evolution and must be a right for all. It provides each person with the possibility to fully participate in society, to access the labour market and to develop one’s potential.
The European Disability Forum works to make sure that the European Union and its Member States support and invest in quality inclusive education and that freedom of choice becomes a reality for all persons with disabilities in Europe. We advocate on behalf of learners of all ages and at all levels of education.
Article 24 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities affirms the right to education as a fundamental one. Despite the limited competences of the European Union in this field, the European Disability Forum believes that the right to inclusive education should be considered and protected by the EU, as being part of its fundamental values and principles and a universal human right.
The rate of early school leavers is higher for pupils with disabilities due to barriers (architectural, legal, attitudinal) that hamper access to education especially for learners in need of high-level support. The most recently available EU-level data shows that 20.3% of persons with disabilities were early school leavers compared to 10.8% percent of persons without disabilities. Furthermore, only 30.9% of learners with disabilities went on to tertiary education.
The level of inclusivity in mainstream education varies between EU Member States. You can see how different European countries compare to each other in this report on Inclusive Education and COVID-19 by former EDF trainee Eleni Drakopoulou.
Social Policy Officer
Contact: haydn.hammersley@edf-feph.org
Twitter: @HaydnHammer