CHAPTER-III-MAKING-SCHOOLS-INCLUSIVE.pptx
- 1. CHAPTER III: MAKING SCHOOLS INCLUSIVE
- 2. A UNIFYING FRAMEWORK ‘’It takes on the social model of disability as its starting point, builds on good practice, and then organizes the index work around a cycle of activities which guide schools through stages of preparation, investigation, development, and review’’ (UNESCO 2005). Figure 3.1. Three Dimensions of the Index (Booth and Ainscow 2002)
- 3. The Dimension and Sections in the Index DIMENSION A: Creating Inclusive Cultures Section A.1 Building Community Section A.2 Establishing Inclusive Values DIMENSION B: Producing Inclusive Policies Section B.1 Developing the school for all Section B.2 Organizing support for diversity DIMENSION C: Evolving inclusive practices Section C.1 Orchestrating learning Section C.2 Mobilizing resources (Sources: The Dimension and Sections in the Index of Inclusion Adapted from Booth and Ainscow, 2002:8)
- 4. I. CREATING INCLUSIVE CULTURE Inclusion is as much the responsibility of society as it is the responsibility of schools. In educational reform, stakeholders are those who are ‘’invested in the welfare and success of the school and its students’’. Stakeholders are important because they play a major role in ‘’connecting what is being taught in school to its surrounding community’’ (www.edglossary.org.). In 2017, UNESCO reported that there has been significant global improvement in accessing education, specifically in the primary level for the last 15 years. However, its 2016 Global Education Monitoring Report reveals that there are still an estimated 263 million children and youth aged 6 – 17 all around the world who are still not in school at this time. With increasing globalization and international migration, the problem pertaining to inclusive education and how it affects PWDs could not be more real.
- 5. 1. What Stakeholders Can Do The rights-based approach to educational programming ‘’insists that no right can exist without a corresponding governmental orientation’’ (Van den Brule-Balescut & Sandkull 2005). The following are some steps stakeholders can take to create inclusive cultures. • Set the parameters for inclusion. - The government has identified key people and professions, and highlighted important factors leading to the success of inclusive education – i.e., placement process, committees, staffing and responsibilities, teacher training and compensation, incentives for private sector participation, and collaboration of the Department of Education with other branches of government. • Build Key People. -The government recognizes the need for teacher training, both in the special needs education and general education levels. It also pushes for the use of evidence-based teaching frameworks, provision of student assistance, and access to instructional materials.
- 6. • Identify and eradicate barriers. UNESCO’s guide for inclusion (2005) advocates for the identification and removal of obstacle that have to do with transforming prevailing attitudes and values on a systematic level. The Philippine Government seems to be in consonance with this aspect in the light of its existing legislative policies that ground the undeniable importance of inclusion.
- 7. Common Barriers to Inclusion • Attitudes, value system, misconceptions, and societal norms – can lead to prejudices and/or actual resistance to implement inclusive practices (UNESCO 2005). • Physical Barriers – the lack of building, facility, transportation, or road accessibility are types of physical barriers that can literally affects one’s mobility. • Curriculum – a rigid ‘’one size fits all’’ type of curriculum that does not allow room for individual differences can significantly stunt one’s learning and opportunity to growth. • Lack of teacher training and low teacher efficacy – whether training in teaching strategies, using curriculum frameworks, or behavior classroom management, lack of training as well as low confidence in one’s own skills can directly affect how inclusive practices are implemented. • Poor language and communication – language barriers may also directly have implications on how well inclusive practices are implemented. • Lack of funding – enough funding can allow for training more teachers as well as coming up with more appropriate programs, instructional materials, or facilities; lack of funds can be limiting and debilitating to schools. • Lack of policies – policies have the ability to unify beliefs and mobilize resources; unfortunately, lack of it can become a convenient justification for inaction. • Organization of educational system – centralized systems may have some type of detachment in terms of implementing policies and seeing the reality of how much policies are affecting learners and other stakeholders. • Too much focus on performance – based standards – schools have also reportedly refused inclusion because of fear that the presence or learners with additional needs will pull down their rankings in standardized test.
- 8. 2. Special Education vs. Mainstreaming vs. Inclusive Education Part of what needs to occur when creating cultures is to also determine distinctions among frameworks and practices. In the previous chapter, we discussed how special education is often regarded as segregated and exclusive. It has to be noted, however, that this perception is entirely due to its nature of addressing cases in a highly individualized way. Both look at integrating the child with additional needs into a general education setting. There are, however, nuances between the two as well (see Table 3.1).
- 9. Special Education Inclusion Mainstreaming Learners Students who are not part of the classroom norm All same-aged peers/learners are in one class regardless of ability. Selected learners are included in a general education class based on their readiness instead of their age. Curriculum Strength-based and needs-based individualized curriculum General education curriculum Learner may have access to both general education curriculum and a more individualized curriculum. Assessment and Evaluation Mostly strength-based but is sometimes is also standards-based Norm-referenced Both norm-referenced and strength- based Learning Placement and Delivery of Services All services happen inside the special education classroom but other services such as therapeutic interventions may be integrated into this setting or delivered separately. All services happen inside the general education classroom. Receives services in both the general education classroom and outside through the use of resource rooms and therapeutic programs. Philosophy Learner-centered: Some learners have very specific needs that may not be appropriately addressed in a general education classroom. Rights-based: All learners have a right to access quality education that is available to others. Preparatory and Integrative: Learners are given access to general education but will need to catch up on skills first. Table 3.1. Comparing special education, inclusion, and mainstreaming
- 10. II. PRODUCING INCLUSIVE POLICIES As reiterated in the previous chapters, the premise of inclusion starts with an acceptance and embracing of diversity. For simultaneous paradigm shifts to happen among its education stakeholders, schools must first create a new culture. UNESCO (2005) realistically acknowledges that a societal change in attitude need not be initially present in a community before inclusion can be fully practiced. Rather, it must be viewed as a perspective or an ideal to work toward. The following is a list of other possible steps that educators can take to facilitate the much-needed societal shift and inform policy:
- 11. · Involve other sectors of society. Current training and awareness campaigns seem to limit the movement of inclusion to a mere home-school relationship. At most, these are extended to the departments for social welfare and health. For instance, those in the business, commercial, security, and religious sectors must also be given representations in trainings. At the same time, they must be specific enough to reach the local churches, the subdivision playgrounds, and the village stores. In recent years, students in the tertiary level from various programs have been showing growing interest in the PWD community. For instance, students belong to architectural and interior design programs have been working on these capstone projects where their main clients have additional needs. The idea is for everyone – regardless of their training and or exposure - to become more sensitive and aware of the PWD population. The more aware a community is, the more it will be able to help. • Collaborate Whether creating an academic program specific to a child with additional needs or creating a new legislative bill for the PWD community, collaboration is crucial. Del Corro – Tiangco (2014) states that the general education teachers are trained in the general curriculum but would not know how to teach and manage children with additional needs; while a special needs education teacher would be equipped to handle atypical behaviors but would not know much about the general education curriculum.
- 12. · Recognize the shift in roles of the teachers. With the shift to inclusive education, the role of special education (SPED) teachers suddenly seems to be reduced to only ‘’as needed.’’ As a result, the SPED teacher’s role no longer becomes that of an implementer but that of a consultative nature instead. The SPED teacher’s role – their trainings, their insights, and their skills as a supposed prime mover in the inclusive education framework – must neither be diminished nor disregarded. Instead, these must be used to ensure a good inclusive program is provided to children with additional needs. Conversely, general education teachers must go through skills training and capacity – building workshops to ensure that they are supporting all types of learners in their classrooms appropriately.
- 13. Include transitions in planning. An abrupt systematic change that is not well-planned or that disregards practices – whether existing or implied – may hinder the shift to inclusion and cause resentment from stakeholders. Instead, current practices have to be respected and honored so as to facilitate a gradual shift to inclusive education. Booth and Ainscow (2002) recommend that schools reflect on their current policies and practices to check their readiness for an inclusive set-up. They also devised a questionnaire that would help administrators, faculty and other stakeholders comprehensively gather baseline data. A move that would greatly help in informing policy would be to examine different aspects of the school and the delivery of its services. Specifically, schools may look at the following: Student admission Accessibility to utilities and facilities Supports available to students, parents, and school personnel Learner accommodations Exclusionary or discriminatory incidents Number of bullying cases Faculty and staff promotions