Thank you very much.
I want to thank all of our witnesses for what I think is going to be a vitally important study on something that isn't always given the front of mind.
I'm reminded of 10 or 12 years ago when I was at the launch of the UN Women's approximately 650-page report on the state of the world's women. Somebody in the audience put up their hand and said, “Why, in 650 pages, is there no mention of disabilities?” The head of UN Women, who was there to answer, thought for a moment and then said that it was because nobody who was on the team that was researching and writing the report had disabilities.
This is the importance of being at the table, of having the voices there. As we all know, this is something that people are not opposed to. We've seen all of these conventions, but it is not front of mind if it doesn't have a presence.
I'd like to pick up on the last question, Ms. Richler. You talked about the idea of inclusion in terms of not having segregation. Often, when you look at rights, it is seen as a right to education but not necessarily in the same space, in the same room.
Ms. Sherif, you talked about refugee education. We know that, in many countries, it's very hard to have refugees integrated into national school systems. They're separate. Then, of course, with disabilities, there's a separation there again.
I'll remark on what Mr. Shriver said, on the word he chose: that this is a “humiliated” population. That is a very powerful word. I think it is linked to this idea of separation and segregation.
Then, of course, there was Mr. Jenkins on transforming the entire system. I think that's what this is all about: really transforming entire education systems and how we think about education.
My question is specifically this: Why is it important that children are included within one, single education system and not given separate systems? Why is that important, not just for education but for the development of the child?
I'll go in the order that you spoke originally. I'll give the rest of the time for each of you to answer. Please leave enough time so that everybody has a chance to respond to it in the same order that you did your introductory remarks.
Thank you.