Education for All: UN, US, and Indonesia

Everybody, with or without disabilities, has a right in getting education. Education is a fundamental human right and essential for the exercise of all other human rights (UNESCO, 2007). The Article 31 of The 1945 Constitution (UUD 1945) notes that education is the right of every citizen.  However, many schools do not give opportunities for people with disabilities to learn in the school because of problems, such as the problem in delivering message. Inclusive school and university is an alternative way to overcome this problem.

United Nations (UN), as intergovernmental organization, supports the program in equal education for people with disabilities. Through United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), UN supports various international Human Rights Treaties and Conventions that uphold the right to education of all persons including article 24 of the UN Convention on the rights of persons with disabilities (UNESCO, 2006). UNESCO promotes policies, practices, and programs to ensure equal education opportunities. Not only making them, but it also offers many books to support the program, such as changing teaching practices, overcoming exclusion through inclusive approaches in education, open file on inclusive education, and others. They are free downloaded books. They help schools and teachers having students with disabilities. In 2008, UN held the 48^th Session of International Conference on Education (ICE), Inclusive Education: The Way of The Future. It focused on the education for all students and paying special attention to the inclusive education of students with disabilities (UNESCO, 2008). In short, as a highest organization, UN provides and develops many programs in education, including equal education for people with disabilities.

The United States (US), as a part of UN, participates in developing inclusive school which provides the curriculum and programs. The interesting program developing education for people with disabilities is Inclusive Schools Week. Inclusive Schools Week is an annual event sponsored by the Inclusive Schools Network (ISN) and Stetson & Associates, Inc., which is held each year during the first week in December (inclusiveschools.org). The week celebrates the progress that school made in providing quality education for the students, including student with disabilities. It also accommodates a discussion in order to ensure the schools continue to improve the quality of education. In that week, there are many interesting activities, both for faculty and students. Briefly, US contribute in developing inclusive schools.

Indonesia has a great homework in providing inclusive schools. Nonetheless, this country is trying to take an important role in developing inclusive schools and universities. It happens in many cities, including Yogyakarta. In this city, there are many inclusive schools and university, such as MAN Maguwoharjo, SMA Muhammadiyah 4, SMAN 1 Sewon, and UIN Sunan Kalijaga. In those, students with disabilities learn together with students without disabilities. UIN Sunan Kalijaga provides Pusat Layanan Difabel (The Service Center for People with Disabilities) which helps them in learning and improving their skill, such as Braille book, learning media, entrepreneurship skills, and other programs. This university, in Jumat sermon, helps deaf students by providing sign language translator and the mosque provide special facilities for students with disabilities. Research in disabilities learning gets more attention and chances in getting research fund. To summarize, Indonesia is still trying in developing inclusive school and provide education for all.

All in all, Education is a fundamental right for people in this world and education institutions should provide education for all, no matter the students’ condition. Government also guarantees this runs well. Education is the only way in making the world better and it is a differentiator among human with other creatures.