UNESCO highlights barriers facing students with disabilities in education systems
Education gaps persist as UNESCO highlights the lack of data on students with disabilities.
Efforts to expand inclusive education in Latin America continue to face structural challenges, as new findings presented by UNESCO highlight persistent gaps in data and policy implementation.
During a regional congress in Paraguay, experts stressed that the lack of reliable and comparable data on students with disabilities remains a major barrier to designing effective education systems. UNESCO presents stronger data systems as essential to making inequalities visible and improving public decision-making.
The analysis draws on the Regional Educational Information System on Students with Disabilities, known as SIRIED, which aims to strengthen evidence-based decision-making across the region through comparable and regularly updated information.
While progress has been recorded in access to education, particularly at the primary level, participation remains uneven. Attendance is significantly lower in early childhood education and declines again in secondary schooling, reflecting systemic issues such as late identification of disabilities and insufficient support mechanisms.
Students with disabilities are more likely to repeat grades, enrol at an older age, and leave school early than their peers. UNESCO’s findings suggest that dropout remains a persistent problem, especially at higher levels of education. Although many students are enrolled in mainstream schools, institutions often lack the infrastructure, training, and resources needed to ensure full inclusion.
The findings also point to gender disparities, with girls facing greater obstacles in access, retention, and progression. Despite improvements in legal frameworks recognising inclusive education as a right, implementation remains uneven across countries.
UNESCO emphasises that strengthening data systems such as SIRIED is essential not only to revealing inequalities, but also to supporting policies capable of delivering meaningful educational inclusion.
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