We ring the bell: All children welcome to school
90% of all children with a disability in the world are out of school. That is approximately 33 million children. The majority of them live in the poorest parts of Africa, Asia and Latin America*. For several years the Liliane Foundation is pushing to change these figures by promoting good quality and inclusive education for all children.
That’s why on Wednesday 13 March 2019, children at schools in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Netherlands, rang the Bell together with the Liliane Foundation once again. By making a lot of noise, they drew attention to the urgent fact that many children with a disability are not able to, are not allowed to, or do not dare to go to school.
The bell was rung by 270,331 children at 1,321 schools in 27 countries. Because all children with a disability should feel that they are welcome to school, wherever they are in the world.
Welcome to School Case
New this year is the Welcome to School Case, containing tools to assess the accessibility of school by children themselves, in a playful way. All partner organisations will have a Welcome to School Case and will organise demonstrations.
Disability awareness India
Mary lives in India. She was born with cerebral palsy. At school, she was not recognized and teachers did not take interest in her studies. The “We Ring The Bell” Campaign increased awareness among her teachers, Mary says. Now, she is treated equally by her teachers, they always help her and appreciate her.
Sign language training Togo
At High Schools in Bè-Plage and Agbalépédogan in Togo, students with a hearing impairment often drop out because of a lack of teachers with specific skills to help them. After the “We Ring The Bell” campaign in 2018, both schools have made up a list with teachers voluntary to receive a training in sign language. The Parent’s Associations of the schools will insert a budget line in the annual budget to financially support these teachers.
Disability rights Vietnam
At the Ngoc My A primary school in Vietnam, officials, the school board, teachers, students and parents were taught about the rights of children with disabilities during the “We Ring The Bell” campaign. Evaluation after two months clearly showed improvements: children with disabilities felt less timid and alienated, and they had more positive interaction with their peers without a disability. Read the full report.
The Liliane Foundation and education
Education is one of the most important areas of attention for the Liliane Foundation. We pay for immediate support and we also fund structural support, like training for teachers, changes to teaching materials and providing information for, and raising awareness of policy makers. And more than 35,000 children receive day care, primary or secondary education or vocational training with financial support from the Liliane Foundation.
*Source: Education for All Global Monitoring Report (GMR) 2014, UNESCO
“ All children must be welcome to school, including children with a disability ”