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This document summarizes a study on the readiness of urban primary schools in Pakistan for inclusive education. The study surveyed 300 teachers from 75 schools on 11 quality indicators for inclusive education. The findings showed that schools are not yet ready for inclusion, as most do not currently enroll disabled students and teachers lack training. Specifically, teachers reported being unprepared in leadership, scheduling, individualized supports, collaboration and professional development. The document recommends reforms to policies and practices, inclusion training for teachers, and advocacy to promote a more positive attitude toward inclusive education.
This document summarizes a study on the readiness of urban primary schools in Pakistan for inclusive education. The study surveyed 300 teachers from 75 schools on 11 quality indicators for inclusive education. The findings showed that schools are not yet ready for inclusion, as most do not currently enroll disabled students and teachers lack training. Specifically, teachers reported being unprepared in leadership, scheduling, individualized supports, collaboration and professional development. The document recommends reforms to policies and practices, inclusion training for teachers, and advocacy to promote a more positive attitude toward inclusive education.
This document summarizes a study on the readiness of urban primary schools in Pakistan for inclusive education. The study surveyed 300 teachers from 75 schools on 11 quality indicators for inclusive education. The findings showed that schools are not yet ready for inclusion, as most do not currently enroll disabled students and teachers lack training. Specifically, teachers reported being unprepared in leadership, scheduling, individualized supports, collaboration and professional development. The document recommends reforms to policies and practices, inclusion training for teachers, and advocacy to promote a more positive attitude toward inclusive education.
Journal of Research and Reflections in Education December 2012, Vol.6, No.2, pp113 -128 Presentation by QURAT UL AIN NAEEM, INCLUSIVE EDUCATION INTRODUCTION
Pakistan is among those 164 signatory countries who have committed to provide quality basic education for all children by 2015 . (UNESCO, 2000).
Achieving this goal seems very challenging; particularly inclusion of disabled children in mainstream primary schools. (Miles & Farhad, 1999; UNICEF, 2003a; Haider, 2008).
LITERATURE REVIEW- INCLUSIVE EDUCATION
Global efforts can be traced back to 1948 when education was recognized as a human right.
Due to the efforts of the global community and advocacy of the disabled people, a series of conventions and declarations materialized including the Convention on,
a) The Rights of the Child (UNICEF, 1989) b) World Declaration on Education for All (UNESCO, 1990) c) UN Standard Rules on the Equalization of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities (1993)
d) UNESCOs (1994) earlier Salamanca declaration and Education for All initiative.
e) The Right to Education for Persons with Disabilities: Towards Inclusion (UNESCO, 1995).
f) Later, in 2006 Global Monitoring Report on Education for All, UNESCO for the first time identifies inclusion of children with disabilities in universal primary quality education as a global priority for education development. INCLUSION: VIEWS OF GLOBAL COMMUNITY Booth & Ainscow (1995), Inclusion aims to maximize the participation of children with disabilities and/or special educational needs in mainstream schools.
Strmstad (2003), Inclusion is not about bringing somebody who has been formerly excluded into an environment that has not adapted to normal diversity. Inclusion is about diversity living and working together
Booth et al, (2000) maintain that the main task of inclusive education is overcoming barriers to learning and participation for all. They further suggest that we must stop categorizing children into special and general categories so that we could emphasize existing variations amongst all children without creating divisions amongst groups of children.
This approach is in line with Article 3 of UNESCO (1994) which state Schools should accommodate all children regardless of their physical, intellectual, emotional, social, linguistic or other conditions. METHODOLOGY This survey based, cross-sectional descriptive study aimed to address two research questions,
I) What is the implementation status of inclusive practices in schools?
II) Are mainstream primary schools educators ready for inclusive education?
The survey questionnaire, adopted from Quality Indicators for Effective Inclusive Education Guidebook (NJCIE, 2010), focuses on eleven quality indicators for effective inclusive education, consisted of 37-item. POPULATION AND SAMPLING o The population of research consists of seventy five (75) public & private primary schools within the city limits of Lahore (Pakistan).
o Three hundred teachers - 231 Female (77%) and 69 men (23%), from these schools participated in this study.
o None of the participant was holding the status of special education teacher in their respective schools.
i. RESPONSES ABOUT THE BEST PRACTICES INDICATOR LEADERSHIP ---(6 ITEMS)
The Mean value (0.24) for the factor Leadership indicates that teachers perceive leadership not ready yet for the inclusion.
Although the high frequency of Not Yet indicates unpreparedness of head teachers for inclusive education, but it does not allow concluding the head teachers have a negative attitude towards inclusion.
ii. RESPONSES ABOUT THE INDICATOR SCHOOL CLIMATE ---(4 ITEMS) The frequency of responses to statement 2.1 & 2.2 indicates that, the educational environment of the sample schools appreciates diversity. Positive relationship among students.
The mean score (1.49) for this factor indicates partial readiness but not substantially ready for inclusive education.
iii. RESPONSES ABOUT THE INDICATOR SCHEDULING AND PARTICIPATION--- (3ITEMS)
High response rate of this factor indicates lack of readiness due to the reason that the target schools do not admit children with disabilities. Only two schools offer inclusive education.
iv. RESPONSES ABOUT THE INDICATOR CURRICULUM, INSTRUCTION AND ASSESSMENT --- (4 ITEMS)
Responses indicate that the teachers are well aware of a variety of learners need and, in their common practice, adopt appropriate pedagogy to enhance their students learning.
High responses of (not yet) indicate it is due to the non-existence of disabled children in the respondents classes which is due to their schools policy of not admitting disabled children. RESPONSES ABOUT THE INDICATOR v. PROGRAM PLANNING AND IEPS DEVELOPMENT ---( 2 ITEMS) vi. PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION AND ASSESSMENT -- -(2 ITEMS) vii. INDIVIDUAL STUDENT SUPPORTS --- (4 ITEMS) viii. FAMILY-SCHOOL PARTNERSHIPS ---(3 ITEMS)
Responses of these factors indicates lack of readiness and absence of the above factors because of the non- availability of disabled children , due to schools admission policies or inclusive education being not a part of schools mission statement so the teachers feel less responsible for preparing IEPs for pupils who are with special needs.
RESPONSES ABOUT THE INDICATOR ix. COLLABORATIVE PLANNING AND TEACHING --- -( 3 ITEMS)
High frequency responses of (not yet) indicates the participants are not practicing collaborative planning and teaching.
It also indicate that a majority of schools do not follow the practice of providing information about teachers roles, responsibilities and required skills to teach and support all students including disabled children in written form. RESPONSES ABOUT THE INDICATOR x. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT --- (3ITEMS) xi. PLANNING FOR CONTINUED BEST PRACTICE IMPROVEMENT --- (2 ITEMS)
Responses of both factors indicates,
Lack of training opportunities is very evident from the participants responses.
A dire need of strategic planning for inclusive education in mainstream schools.
CONCLUSION & RECOMMENDATIONS
Findings of the study reveal that mainstream primary schools are not ready yet to meet the challenges of inclusive education. More efforts are needed to make mainstream schools ready for inclusive education.
Existing educational policies and practices need to be reformed in order to facilitate inclusion.
Inclusive education in-services training should be arranged for teachers, staff and school administration.
Specific incentives should be offered to the administration and teachers for showing positive attitude towards the inclusion of children with disabilities in mainstream schools.
An advocacy and awareness campaign needed to be launched to create a positive attitude of the community towards inclusive education
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