Education of Disadvantaged Children in OIC:
The Key to Escape from Poverty
16
employment outcomes, women’s education has positive effects for society in general. Female
education (as well as male education) contributes to a better home environment for child
development.54 More educated women tend to follow a better diet which also ensures children
are well-nourished.55 Children of better educated parents (especially mothers) are also more
likely to attain higher levels of education. In sum, investing in girls’ education eventually creates
a greater good at the individual, household and society level.
Disability and Special Needs
Five per cent of children in the world under the age of 14 have some kind of disability on
a degree from moderate to severe.56 Children with disabilities are more likely to be
marginalised and discriminated in almost every aspect of life, specifically in education and
employment. The likelihood of a disabled child being out-of-school is substantial. According to a
study on DHS surveys of 14 countries from around the world, disabled children of ages 6-17
years old are significantly less likely to attend school and being disabled generally has a larger
impact compared to gender, location or economic status for these children.57 Among those who
attend education, disabled children tend to drop out early compared to their non-disabled
counterparts.58 These problems are seen in low and middle-income countries in a larger scale.
When poverty is combined with a disability, the effects on a child’s educational
development are particularly severe. Lack of availability of disability-appropriate services
obstructs disabled children’s participation in social life, continuing school, and eventually,
developing the necessary skills for labour market participation. This disadvantage begins early
and continues throughout the life of a disabled person. Research demonstrates that disabled
people are more at risk of being worse off in terms of education, employment, living conditions,
and health. They tend to have low-income, and living below the poverty line is a strong
possibility.59
Disabled girls are at a double disadvantage. Research suggests that disabled girls are more
likely to be left out and not be taken care of compared to boys. 60 Traditional gender roles double
the inconvenience for girls and young women with disabilities. Girls with disabilities are not
only more marginalised than their non-disabled fellows but also compared to boys with
disabilities.
Language and minority children
Mismatch of the language spoken at home and school creates a barrier in access to
education. Research shows that in regions where the predominantly spoken language is
different from the official language of the country, the chance of being marginalised in education
54 (Davis-Kean, 2005).
55 (Nyaradi, 2013)
56 (UNICEF, 2013)
57 (Filmer, 2008)
58 (Plan International, 2013)
59 (UNICEF, 2013)
60 (UNICEF, 2013)