“Education for All?”

Abstract

Education for All (EFA) has been placed on the international policy agenda, but what is meant by “all”? This historical analysis focuses on 12 major international policy documents pertaining to education of disabled children and youth, over a period of approximately 40 years. Using Foucault's effective history and a conceptual framework of policy-as-discourse, this analysis reveals conflicted discourses and fragmented, reinterpreted, and reworked policies towards rights of individuals with disabilities in relation to EFA. These findings provide a lens for increased understanding of current educational inequalities and the lack of progress toward EFA for people with disabilities.