Equitable Learning Assessments for Students with Disabilities (NEQMAP Thematic Review)

In 2019, the Network on Education Quality Monitoring in the Asia-Pacific (NEQMAP) conducted thematic reviews to promote inclusion and equity through quality learning assessments. In part, to reinforce the notion that education contributes to building more inclusiveness and equity in society, and also to ensure that learning assessments are inclusive, and truly measure learning outcomes of all. This thematic review provides an overview of the existing inclusive education policies and practices in the region and specifically focuses on learning assessment of children with disabilities at the school level. By examining extant literature, it discusses key areas that influence the participation of children with disabilities in learning assessments and provides region-specific cases to elaborate on the challenges faced by education systems in assessing learners with disabilities. The review suggests that countries need to focus on integrating children in mainstream education, strengthening teacher education and permitting disability-specific accommodations to ensure assessment accessibility to children with disabilities.