Advances in Social Norms and Social Change
U Penn-UNICEF Summer Programme
Equity, Social Cohesion and Children with Disabilities
27th June 2014
Will Hall, U Penn
Prepared by
Malar San
Presentations Content
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Country Profile
Myanmar and Global Commitment
Sector Reform Findings and recommendations for Inclusion
ECD Situation Analysis Finding for Children with Disabilities
FB,EP,NP and Social Norms
Norms Creation and Norms Abandonment
Schemata, Script for Norms Creation
Schemata, Script for Norms Abandonment
CHANGE: Intervention: Organized Diffusion of Deliberation
(3 interventions)
 Harmonizing
Norms
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Legal Norms/framework and Social
Core group, Reference Network and Network Nodes
Myanmar Country Profile

New civilian government took office on 1 April 2011

Per capita GDP was US$ 1,093 in 2009

Population was 58.38 million in 2008

135 ethnic groups clustered into eight main groups

Bamar are the largest - 69% of the total population

Over 100 different languages and dialects

17 State and Regions

Children with ECD experience(3-5 yrs) – 22.9%: 2009/10)

Primary Net completion rate - 54.2% per cent

Secondary school Enrollment rate (10-14 yrs) - 58.3%

Religious- Buddhist- 89 %, Christians - 5%, Muslims - 4%

Neighboring countries – Thai, China, India, Lao, Bangladesh
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Located in South East Asia
Myanmar Government and Global Commitment
on Children with Disabilities

The rights of all children, including those with disabilities, to enjoy a
quality education are enshrined in the Myanmar Constitution of
2008

International conventions ratified by Myanmar

In Myanmar, the local launch of the State of the World’s Children in
May 2013 particularly focused on children with disabilities.

Recently, the United Nations General Assembly held a High-Level
Meeting on Disability and Development (HLMDD)
“The way forward: a disability inclusive development agenda
towards 2015 and beyond”
 Convention on Right of Children (1991),
 Convention on Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women
(1997),
 Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), (2012)
Myanmar
Comprehensive Education Sector Review

After a transition to civilian rule in 2011, Myanmar is embarking on
a period of extensive political and social reform under the
leadership of President Thein Sein.

The Government has consistently prioritized education reform
as a key element of its overall socio-economic development
strategy.

In February 2012, H.E. Union President endorsed a Ministry of
Education (MoE) proposal to undertake a two-year
Comprehensive Education Sector Review with three phases
 Phase 1: Rapid Assessment
 Phase 2: In-depth Analysis
 Phase 3: Development of an Education Sector Plan
5
CESR Phase One Recommendations
 Does not exclude, discriminate against, or stereotype on the basis
of difference:
 Provides education that is free and compulsory, affordable and
accessible
 Respects and welcomes diversity and sees as an opportunity (not a
problem)
 Meets the differing needs of individual learners
Situation Analysis Findings
of Early Childhood Care and Development
in Myanmar by MoE and UNICEF, 2012
Children with disabilities or chronic
illnesses

2.32 per cent of the overall
Myanmar population is living with
disabilities,

Urban area - 2.49 % ; Rural areas
2.24%

Males - 2.55 %; Female - 2.10 %

in most low- and middle-income
countries, 10 to 12 % of the
population have with one or more
disabilities.
Relationship Cycle (FB,PB,EE,NE and Social Norms)
NE: we believe that parents and
community should provide
support not only for physical
wellbeing but also psycho-social
support and sustainable
development provision such as
education and vocational
trainings for daily survival.
FE: people
believe that
children with
disabilities
usually
provide
burden to
others and
they aren’t
able to
survive
themselves
and can’t
contribute
anything to
society.
Social
Norms
PE: we believe that parents and
community should provide support
not only for physical wellbeing but
also psycho-social support and
sustainable
developmental
provision such as education
EE: , most of
families with
disable
children only
provide foods,
clothes and
shelter to the
children and
they believe
that they
fulfill their
responsibilitie
s to support
disable
children by
doing so.
Social Norms: : Every parents , teachers, community
members and counterparts from UNICEF project areas
should support to children with disabilities to get equal
access to the Quality Basic Education and appropriate
vocational technical trainings to be able to nurture
their most potential as like other children in the world.
Norm Creation: Everyone should support to
children with disabilities to get equal access to
the Quality Basic Education and appropriate
vocational technical trainings to be able to
grow all potential development as like other
children in the world.
Schemata: Parents, teacher, community and
government will send children to the school to
encourage their confidence level, education,
having professional skills and knowledge to
bale able to survive their lives without
depending on others
Script Parents send disable children to
appropriate schools to learn not only literacy
but also vocational trainings and Teachers and
officials prepare everything for institution
readies.
Norm Abandonment: Children with
disabilities are not capable to learn and work
in society and they cannot survive without
their families’ member support and they
cannot provide any contribution to society..
Schemata: People always help and assist to
disable children not only providing services
but also planning strategically to deliver and
facilitate based on requirement of long and
short term survival.
Script: People help and assist to disable
children based on requirement of sustainable
development for daily survival without
depending on their family members and
environment
CHANGE : Intervention
Norm Creation
 A Study on Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices towards Education of
Children with Disabilities in Myanmar :

To Develop Comprehensive Inclusive Education Policy together with
all stakeholders and fostering private and public partnership for job
creation

To advocate Education. Development and participation rights for
Children with Disabilities while developing Education Laws in
Myanmar
Norms abandonment
 Promoting awareness raising while developing In-service/Preservice Teacher Training manual, Story Books for ECD/NFE/EXCEL,
Education Communication Strategy and Parents Teacher Training in
Education sector in collaboration with social policy, communication
for development and child protection sections
Organized Diffusion of Deliberations
Social Norms: Every parents , teachers, community members and counterparts from UNICEF project
areas should support to children with disabilities to get equal access to the Quality Basic Education
and appropriate vocational technical trainings to be able to nurture their most potential as like other
children in the world.
Inclusive Education
Policy Development:
to raise awareness
and create norm
expectation
Study on Knowledge,
Attitudes and Practices
towards Education of
Children with
Disabilities: to find out
current norms
To advocate Education.
Development and
participation rights for
Children with
Disabilities while
developing Education
Laws in Myanmar
Social
Norms
Promoting awareness raising
while developing In-service/Preservice Teacher Training manual,
Story Books for ECD/NFE/EXCEL,
Education Communication
Strategy and Parents Teacher
Training in Education sector in
collaboration with social policy,
communication for development
and child protection sections
• Norm Creation
• Norm
Abandonment
Policy Level
Dialogue/Advocacy
Package/Tool Kit
for Policy Makers
Dialogue while
developing Education
Laws in country
Children/ ages of
schooling target
groups (Urban and
Rural) by print key
messages in
students exercise
books
Promoting awareness
raising while
developing teaching
guide, story books for
ECD/NFE and
education
communication
strategy
• Norm Creation
• Norm
Abandonment
Harmonization between
Interventions and Norms and
Abandonment
• Methodology: Study design Community-based,
cross-sectional comparative KAP (knowledge,
Attitude and Practice)
• study will be carried out by using quantitative
and qualitative research methods to generate
evidence on the realization of the rights of
children with disabilities
◦ Sample Size: Will use same sample size applied
by ECD Situation team
◦ snow ball approach
A Study on Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices towards
Education of Children with Disabilities in Myanmar
:
• Form technical team
• Form coordination body and advisory group
• Prepared Term of Reference
• Develop work plan with time line
• Organizing series of consultation meeting
with inter ministries level as well as
education key stakeholders
• Organize public consultation to get pubic
consensus
• Summit to parliament
To Develop Comprehensive Inclusive Education Policy
together with all stakeholders and fostering private and
public partnership for job creation
Form technical team
Form coordination body and advisory group
Prepared Term of Reference
Develop work plan with time line
Organizing series of consultation meeting with
inter ministries level as well as education key
stakeholders
• Organize public consultation to get pubic
consensus
• Summit to parliament
•
•
•
•
•
To advocate Education. Development and participation
rights for Children with Disabilities while developing
Education Laws in Myanmar
Promoting Awareness Raising

Promoting awareness raising while developing Inservice/Pre-service Teacher Training manual,

Story Books for ECD/NFE/EXCEL,etc

Education Communication Strategy and

Parents Teacher Training in Education sector in
collaboration with social policy, communication for
development and child protection section.
Promoting awareness raising while developing In-service/Pre-service
Teacher Training manual, Story Books for ECD/NFE/EXCEL, Education
Communication Strategy and Parents Teacher Training in Education
sector in collaboration with social policy, communication for
development and child protection sections
Core Groups :
Development
Right
Policy Level:
Government policy
makers,
parliamentary,
opposition group
leaders, politicians,
celebrities, civil
society leaders
Management
Level: Central
MoE officials and
other related
ministries’
officials
Technician Level
:
State/District/Tow
nship Education
Officials, Education
college officials,
experts and
technicians
Policy Level:
Government policy
makers,
parliamentary,
opposition group
leaders, politicians,
celebrities, civil
society leaders
Awareness Raising Strategies

Focused advocacy to inform about positive attitude toward
children with disabilities for education process and seek
support to accelerate the progress

Broader mobilization ensuring numerous alliances with a shared
interest and purpose

A national campaign to engage everyone to voice and support
the equality and quality education.

Communication from an equity perspective to empower
communities especially worst off population to take control
of their own behavior and attitude on children with disabilities’
education by increasing community capacity to take action
through dialogue and mutual understanding of issues and
potential solutions.
Lgeal Norms:
Moral Norm
Myanmar Constitution of 2008e
Right of Children (1991),
Convention on Elimination of
all forms of Discrimination
Against Women (1997),
Convention on the Rights of
Persons with Disabilities
(CRPD), (2012)
-National Education Law
-Basic Education Law
• We should try to
include children with
disabilities in society
• They are capable
• Treated with respect
full citizens
Social Norms:
Everyone should
support to children with
disabilities to get equal
access to the Quality
Basic Education and
appropriate vocational
technical trainings to be
able to nurture their most
potential as like other
children in the world.
Harmonizing Legal Norms/framework
and Social Norms
Reference Network Nodes
 Community
 State
level
and Regional/Middle level and
 National
level
National Level and UNICEF In-House
Central: UN
agencies, NGOs
and civil society
Bridges ETWG,
JESWG, ECWG,
DPCG
High Minister of
MoE and senior
education officials
from Central
government
Entire Network Nodes
community volunteer,
social workers, civil
society
teachers and head
teachers
UN, NGOS and civil
society
regional authority and
regional ministries
ETWG, JESWG, ECWG,
DPCG
UN agencies, NGOs and
civil society
authority, religious
leaders and most
powerful
S
o
ci
al
Ministry of Education
officials –SDE, SDSE
Minister of MoE and
senior education officials
from Central government
N
or
m
s
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Completed study on A Study on Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices
towards Education of Children with Disabilities in Myanmar – 2014
December
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Advocated Education Law developing teams such as National
Education Law drafting Team, Basic Education Law drafting Team, etc
to be able to development and dialogue education for children with
disabilities concept and express appropriately in respective laws –
2014 December

Promoted and lobbied to develop comprehensive inclusive education
policy and provided and supported policy development process to be
able to articulate well enough for education for children with
disabilities – 2015 December
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(---%) Promoted awareness raising for education for children with
disabilities to key counterparts, teachers, parents and community
members through UNICEF education programme implementation
EXPECTED OUTCOMES with time lines
THANK YOU!