With coordination and oversight from DSi, an initial draft of the International Guidelines for the Education of People with Down Syndrome, has now been written by experts in the field with the overall aim to improve the availability and quality of education around the world.

The Education Guideline document comprises three separate Guidelines, each with its own set of recommendations:

• Guidelines for Leading (Section 3) 
• Guidelines for Teaching (Section 4)
• Guidelines for Learning (Section 5)

In Section 2 of the Education Guideline document, key considerations specific to the education of people with Down syndrome are outlined and recommendations provided.

The guidelines were officially launched at the annual World Down Syndrome Day Conference at the UN Headquarters in New York on March 21, 2019.  The theme for the conference this year was “Leave no one behind in education”.  At the event a draft copy was formally presented to a senior representative of UNICEF.

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What happens next?

​In order to make the information the guidelines contain as globally useful and relevant as possible, DSi is currently calling on international stakeholders to provide feedback on this work. All feedback is being reviewed and will be included in the final draft where appropriate. 

The aim is to publish the Education Guidelines early in 2020. A process to disseminate the document to member organisations and appropriate bodies is being formulated.