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Bibliographies : Save the Children (UK) : Towards Inclusion: SCF UK's Experience in Integrated Education - Contents
Planning for IE - Starting Points
SCF's experience has shown that it is not possible to pinpoint a 'best possible starting point' but that the choice of starting point can have a far reaching effect on the development impact, commitment of partners and sustainability for IE.
The IE programmes that SCF is involved with have originated from a variety of starting points, from within a primary education project in Laos, from kindergarten in China and Vietnam, from wider disability work in Thailand, from DPOs as in Lesotho. When looking at staring points it is important to consider the following areas:
Government Legislation and Policy
Is change in
policy/legislation or the interpretation of it important? Is new policy needed
for a project to succeed? In many countries, particularly where SCF is working
closely with government, the answer would be 'yes'. For example, in Ho Chi Minh
City, although some disabled children were already in mainstream schools
unofficially, a DoE circular issued in 1994 to all districts clarified the
policy on the acceptance of disabled children. This has increased teachers'
awareness of disabled children and, given the appropriate support, increased
their willingness to accept them in their class. In Laos, policy relating to
examinations determines whether a child progresses from one grade to the next
and for those with disabilities progression may not be achieved unless this
policy is relaxed.
To bring about a change in policy, there is a need for awareness raising among policy makers. Starting points for this can come from many sectors or from a combination of sectors, for example from NGOs in Thailand, DPOs in Lesotho, INGOs (SCF UK) in Laos, China, Vietnam, from inter-country networking (SCF UK Thailand and SCF UK Laos) from donors, UNESCO's initiative of promoting inclusive education and its Special Needs Resource Pack, as the Lao Case study shows, and so on.
On the other hand it may not be necessary or possible for policy changes to occur at the very start. A successful experiment pilot project may be needed before official policy can be changed. This allows policy makers to carefully consider new directions before making wholesale changes. It may be unrealistic for policy makers to risk changing their regulations before something is attempted under local conditions. In this case, what is needed is the permission to experiment and disregard existing regulations.
Government Organisation
In looking for starting
points within government organisations, identifying the sector that can
implement an appropriate, affordable, realistic and sustainable programme is
vital for a programme's success. Who takes decisions, controls budgets, has the
capacity to absorb and implement new ideas? In Laos and china, people within
government that have both the commitment and power have facilitated and pushed
along the programmes. This has occurred in national level in Laos and at
provincial level in China.
However, it may not be immediately clear who these people are, and it may be necessary to begin work, change direction and find new starting points before people with the power to implement are identified. In Thailand, it took many false starts, for example working with the Ministry of Health and the Bangkok Municipal Authority before linkages with key MoE personnel were identified.
Other ministries, partners, NGOs, DPOs, PAs, mass organisations and individuals can be starting points for IE. They also may be the ones that sustain the implementation by the pressure they can bring to bear, for example the DPOs in Lesotho. Promotion and collaboration between ministries and departments can also create a starting point. In Laos, collaboration between the rehabilitation department which falls under Ministry of Health and the MoE has been a key factor in implementation as has the collaboration between the Department of General Education and the Department of Teacher Training within the Ministry.
School Factors
At school level, implementation of
IE may start because of a decision from policy makers at the top, or may arise
from initiatives from lower down (within or outside formal systems) who through
lobbying have been able to influence government to start IE implementation. In
Vietnam IE started by building on existing good practice in a school which had
already enrolled disabled children, In Laos, awareness raising within the MoE
initiated the start of a pilot school, In Thailand, it was convincing people at
provincial level who then could persuade the MoE to start a pilot project.
Starting points may also arise from work in other sectors, for example CBR
programmes.
There is no right type of school to choose when it comes to starting IE. IE programmes have started from all kinds of schools; in special schools in India, in primary school in Laos and Lesotho, in kindergartens in China and Vietnam, in special teaching units in Thailand and in schools outside the MoE umbrella. In all situations, early intervention (working with the youngest age group possible) is recommended, as this has been shown to make success for children and teachers easier to achieve.
The choice of how many schools to include in a pilot project is not fixed, but it must be manageable. In Laos, China and Vietnam IE has started in one school and has then expanded. In Lesotho, several schools were chosen. In Thailand a school cluster unit (one school acting as a resource and training base for a group of 8 to 12 schools) was used.
Before starting IE in a pilot school or in a group of schools programmes have applied a variety of selection criteria. These have included: that the school has the potential for success. that the school is not atypical; that the school reflects a range of attitudes to children with disabilities; that there is one or more motivated individual at a school committed to integration, and that there is evidence of community support and participation within the school. Selection criteria should reflect the actual real situation and so relate directly to the situational analysis.
An understanding is needed of the level and nature of educational opportunities for the general population of children including what percentage of children attend school and whether they have access to full time school or have to attend school in shifts. We need to be clear as to what level of extra help and attention the disabled child can reasonably expect, without this impinging on the rights of other children. In implementing a programme these rights must be protected. Indeed, one aim of any IE programme should be the improvement of the education of all children in the school. Adhering to this principle has been very important and Anhui has, as much as anything, brought changed attitudes to the disabled in the local community. Disabled children are seen as an asset because, as they enter the school the educational services for all children are improved.
If disabled children are given better opportunities than other children many of the problems associated with special school, where special privileges are given the few, may reemerge; disadvantage is turned into advantage and the disabled child is again seen as not belonging to the community. No amount of local community 'awareness raising' can offset the very real resentment resulting from disability being seen as an avenue to better, rather than, equal opportunities.
These issues are of particular importance during the design and early implementation of programmes when the balance of rights, time allocation, and concern in the classroom must be set. A consideration of this issue must inform the scale of integration attempted at an early stage. If children with very severe problems or older children who have missed early socialisation through being unable to attend school with their peer group or through overprotection or neglect in their family and community are brought into school when teaching skills are underdeveloped it may be impossible for the teacher to reach the necessary balance in the classroom. There is an argument, therefore, for limiting access to those children whose needs are not so difficult to cater for in the early stages of a programme.
Community Factors
Schools and other educational
initiatives do not exist in isolation, they are part of the community and
before starting IE, it is crucial that the community is informed and has an
understanding of IE and how it is a part of whole child, whole school
development, which will be beneficial to all children. If aware, communities
through their organisation can be the starting point. IE developing out of CBR
projects has often arisen in this way. Communities through families, PAs, DPOs,
community leaders and others should be actively encouraged to participate not
only in the start-up of projects, but to play an active role in their
implementation.
SCF through its programmes in the community, can work actively to create awareness of IE and be a catalyst in creating starting points within communities.
Training and Awareness Raising
Who is trained,
the type of training given, and who does the training before starting a
programme, is dependent on needs and resources available and will vary from
country to country.
Who needs to be trained before starting a programme would depend on existing knowledge levels and may involve a wide target audience or a specific one. This audience could include teachers, teacher trainers, children, families, communities, MoE and other ministries, provincial and district educational personnel. In Laos, because there was no knowledge of IE, or provision for children with special needs or disabilities, start-up in schools was dependent on training a large target audience. In other countries, because of existing knowledge and greater awareness the target audience may be narrower.
Who does the training depends on available resources, and may involve the use of specialists or non specialists. Non specialists were initially used in Laos as the programme developed out of a primary education project whose concern was whole school improvement. The preferable choice would be to use local resources wherever possible. Failing this, national or international sources can be drawn on. A starting point within the timeframe of a project may be the need for an outside catalyst/facilitator to be brought in to take the project into its next phase.
External Support and Resource Requirements
Adequate resourcing determines the sustain ability of a project.If resources
are not in place, or can not be assured, there is little chance of project
success. Before starting up IE, the minimum resources needed to sustain a
determined level of improvement (minimum quality level) during the timeframe of
the project must be in place. Determining what factors would provide this
minimal level would vary from country to county, but would include looking
at:-
Guiding Principles
Bibliographies : Save the Children (UK) : Towards Inclusion: SCF UK's Experience in Integrated Education - Contents
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22/10/1997