Inclusive learning in crisis-hit regions: UNESCO, partners train non-formal education actors.

The four-day workshop, held in Douala from May 6 to 9 under the Multi-Year Resilience Programme, MYRP. Funded by Education Cannot Wait, it brought together about 90 participants drawn from local NGOs managing Temporary Learning Spaces, TLS, and government non-formal education centres.

The training focused on equipping directors, supervisors and facilitators of non-formal education centres with skills on the use of specialised materials for children with special educational needs.

Speaking during the closing ceremony and handing over of specialised learning materials, UNESCO officials stressed the need to ensure that “no child is left behind” despite the ongoing socio-political crisis affecting access to education in parts of the country.

National Project Coordinator at UNESCO, Wandi Mabel Beikeh, said the initiative forms part of efforts to support the government’s national policy on inclusive education.

“This programme seeks to strengthen the education system so that no child is left behind. For the past four days, we have been working with actors of non-formal education from the North West and South West Regions,” she stated.

According to her, 22 organisations participated in the workshop, which combined theoretical and practical sessions on inclusive education.

She said participants were trained on identifying children with special needs, managing inclusive classrooms and schools, and effectively using specialised teaching materials.

Wandi disclosed that the programme also featured simulation exercises involving children from schools to demonstrate how the materials can be used in real classroom situations.

“In total, we handed over more than 37 specialised items covering mathematics, writing and reading, communication, geography and other subjects,” Wandi said.

She further revealed that the materials were locally produced for the first time in Cameroon by an organisation of persons living with disabilities working in partnership with UNESCO.

“This activity is coming to complement what we have already been doing. We hope that with these materials, the centres will become truly inclusive and serve as examples in their communities,” she added.

The UNESCO official noted that the MYRP currently covers 64 council areas across Cameroon and targets children affected by conflict and other vulnerabilities.

Pedagogic Inspector in charge of literacy, non-formal basic education and promotion of national languages at the Ministry of Basic Education, Ndayi Nee Claudette Elizabeth Segunda Balinga, said the workshop achieved its objectives.

She explained that the training first familiarised participants with the concepts and management of inclusive education before moving to the practical phase centrered on the use of inclusive school kits distributed to beneficiaries.

“At the end of the training and evaluation, participants expressed satisfaction and promised to make good use of the materials in their various structures,” she stated.

According to officials, the programme is not limited to the North West and South West Regions. Similar activities have already been carried out in formal primary and nursery schools in other Regions including the Far North, North, Adamawa, East, Littoral and South West, while the Centre and South Regions are expected to benefit subsequently.

Officials said the initiative aligns with Cameroon’s commitments under Sustainable Development Goal 4, the National Development Strategy 2030 and the National Policy on Inclusive Education, all of which seek to promote equitable and quality education for all learners, including children with disabilities and special educational needs, ensuring that no child is left behind.

Aside that, the programme also seeks to address challenges such as inadequate teacher training, shortage of adapted learning resources and lack of differentiated teaching approaches, which continue to hinder effective inclusive education in the country.

UNESCO and its partners have expressed hope that the trained facilitators and the distributed materials will help transform Temporary Learning Spaces into models of inclusive learning capable of ensuring access to education for vulnerable children, especially those affected by conflict.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3787 of Tuesday May 12, 2026