Inclusion as a Human Right: International Discourse on Disability and National Education Policy in Tanzania, India and Germany

Disability is a global human phenomenon and has been since before recorded history. This paper briefly explains the history of international discourse on disability definition and educational policy pre-1945, and sets it within the United Nations framework post-1945 to the present. The main focus is on the 2006 United Nations Convention on the Rights for Persons
with Disabilities. Within the Convention, among other things, are educational rights and a mandate for Inclusive Education, which is the focus of this paper. Theoretically, a World Society approach is used to examine how and why the Convention is being understood by the diversity of countries that have ratified it - including both ‘peripheral’ and ‘core’ nations. This paper uses documentary research and literature review to establish similarities and gaps between international policy and national policy. Specifically, this paper focuses on Tanzania, India and Germany. By conducting research in a Vertical Case Study approach, the gaps between international norms and national policy can be examined and generalized. In the case of all three countries analyzed, no country is fulfilling its obligations to the Convention. This can be explained by a plethora of factors, including the lack of resources and the lack of political will. Policy recommendations for the expansion of Inclusive Education under United Nations guidelines are presented at the end of the paper.