Authentic school partnerships for enabling inclusive education in Hong Kong

Education reform towards a whole school approach to catering for diversity within Hong Kong government schools has seen the initiation of several strategies to support mainstream schools in this transition. One of these approaches is the use of a resource school model. Special and mainstream schools in Hong Kong are being invited to establish themselves as resource support hubs for partner mainstream schools. This paper investigates how this model is being implemented by considering one of each type of resource school. Three broad themes have emerged that relate to the type of support being offered and sought: the school ethos and culture of the partner schools; and management issues. The effectiveness of a resource model is evaluated for its use in Hong Kong.     

SEN inclusion and pupil achievement in English schools

This paper presents and discusses the key findings from a study funded by the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) that explored the relationship between achievement and inclusion in mainstream schools in England. Overall the results indicate that, although there is a small statistical relationship between inclusion and academic achievement, this is unlikely to impact on a school's overall performance. This is partly because of the large degree of variation among schools, suggesting that there are other factors within a school's make up rather than its degree of inclusivity which impact on the average achievements of its pupils. This was confirmed by the findings from a number of case study visits. The overall conclusion from the study is that mainstream schools need not be concerned about the potentially negative impact on the overall academic achievements of their pupils through including pupils with special educational needs (SEN) in their schools.     

How Education Guidance Centres Can Help

Fiona Green, director, and John Bayley, deputy director, Southwark Education Guidance Centre, describe the work of two education guidance centres run for the Inner London Education Authority. They explain some of the underlying assumptions and show how the centres' approach can be applied to mainstream schools in order to help children with severe conduct disorders.     

Integration: the Coleshill Experience

The integration of children with severe learning difficulties into mainstream schools is threatened by the 1988 Education Reform Act. Its continuation and expansion may largely depend on the type and degree of support available from LEAs and individual schools. Barry Carpenter and Jeremy Fathers, head and deputy head respectively at Blythe School, Ann Lewis, lecturer in education, Warwick University, and Rosemary Privett, integration support teacher at Blythe School, describe Blythe's integration projects and the role of the integration support teacher, which will be crucial in maintaining mainstream links 'at a time when … integration might wane'.     

Item format as a factor affecting the relative standing of countries in the third international mathematics and science study (TIMSS)

Abstract

Since the introduction of the Northern Ireland Curriculum, (Education Reform (Northern Ireland) Order, 1989) education in Northern Ireland has been underpinned by a process of continual change. The Department of Education has established new priorities which are no longer purely concerned with academic standards but which are more focused on preparing pupils for life in a modern complex democracy. Many of the key issues which have emerged over the past decade such as a commitment to social inclusion, personal development and balance in the curriculum have been, and continue to be an important part of the Rudolf Steiner philosophy. This paper argues that a critical examination of the Steiner approach to education has the potential to inform and improve practice in mainstream schools. In the same way, Steiner schools would benefit from a careful scrutiny of recent policy developments in mainstream practice.     

SPECIAL SCHOOLS: What future for special schools and inclusion? Conceptual and professional perspectives

In this article, Brahm Norwich, Professor of Education at the University of Exeter, examines the roles that special schools can play within inclusive educational systems. He notes that the percentage of young people in special schools in England has remained broadly stable over a number of years, despite inclusive policy initiatives. Brahm Norwich suggests that policy makers and practitioners have found it hard to understand how a broad and shifting notion like inclusion should be operationalised, especially when valued positions, such as meeting individual needs and providing a sense of belonging and participation, can appear to generate such tensions and contradictions. Brahm Norwich summarises findings on teachers' attitudes towards this crucial ‘dilemma of difference’ from three countries and argues that it is time to develop more sophisticated ways of thinking about provision. Rather than insisting on locating ‘mainstream’ and ‘special’ at opposite ends of a one‐dimensional placement continuum, Brahm Norwich puts forward a multi‐dimensional model in which a number of attributes can be considered when analysing provision. The ‘flexible interacting continua’ provided in this model concern identification, participation, placement, curriculum and teaching and governance and Brahm Norwich shows how schools, whether mainstream or special, need to strive towards commonality in terms of all five dimensions rather than simply in terms of placement. Policy makers as well as staff in both mainstream and special schools will be interested in exploring the implications of these ideas.     

‘Pulled in off the street’ and available: what qualifications and training do Teacher Assistants really need?

As more Teacher Assistants (TAs) take on the responsibility of supporting students with disability and learning difficulties questions arise as to the appropriate qualifications for such work, the adequacy of training, and the policy and practice of schools employing TAs. A qualitative study, informed by multiple perspectives, was conducted in four mainstream primary schools in an Australian capital city to examine the actual qualifications of the TAs as opposed to those required by their employer. Despite role changes since the 1990s, TA qualifications remained unchanged and TAs could be employed with no post-school qualifications. Little training was provided, no training policy existed and access to training across schools differed. Participants' perspectives on the qualifications and training required by TAs also varied. While this paper examines qualifications and training of TAs in Australia, findings are relevant to educators internationally where TAs support students with disability and learning difficulties. Tying TA qualifications to salary incentives and a career structure in which TAs are responsible for supplemental instruction only, is recommended. A Certificate IV in Education Support or School Age Education and Care, complemented by literacy and numeracy tests, are recommended minimum requirements. Finally, teachers should be included in TA recruitment and supervision.     

Whole School Policies in the New Era

Now that mainstream schools have a duty under the 1993 Education Act to state their policies on provision for special educational needs, they will have to decide on the content of their policies in detail. Hazel Bines, School of Education, Oxford Brookes University, offers some suggestions.     

Evolution or Revolution: dilemmas in the post ERA management of special educational needs by local authorities

Abstract

The management by local education authorities (LEAs) of provision for special educational needs has long proved problematical, especially in mainstream schools. In the period following the 1981 Education Act, many LEAs sought to develop a ‘continuum of provision’ by the central direction of resources into the mainstream, but with limited success. In the wake of the 1988 Education Act, LEAs will need to pursue a more collaborative approach to the development of special needs policy. Examples of such approaches are studied and a model of an interactive relationship between schools and LEAs is proposed. Finally, the implications for LEA support services are discussed together with suggestions of a distinctive role for institutions of higher education.     

'But I Wouldn't Want to go Back'

Reflections on the re-integration of children with emotional and behavioural difficulties into mainstream schools are offered by Hilary Askew, teacher in a day school for maladjusted children, and David Thomas, senior lecturer in the Department of Education, Liverpool University.     

The Concept of Inclusive Education: Teacher Training and Acquisition of English Language in the Hearing Impaired

Three languages are widely used in schools in Kenya – English, Kiswahili and Kenya Sign Language. Many pupils with hearing impairments are taught separately from the mainstream, in specialist settings. The fact that most of the formal teaching, assessment and examination processes in Kenyan schools rely upon spoken and written English compounds the separation of these pupils from the mainstream of education and, potentially, from the mainstream of society. In this article, Gertrude Wamae, graduate assistant in the Department of English and Linguistics at Kenyatta University, and Rachael Kang'ethe-Kamau, lecturer in the Department of Special Education at Kenyatta University, discuss the relationships between language, hearing impairment and inclusion in the Kenyan context. The article suggests that the use of signed exact English would enhance opportunities for inclusion for those with hearing impairments and that programmes of teacher training need to take account of persuasive research in this area. The article closes with a plea for further research, carried out collaboratively by educationalists, linguists, teacher trainers and practitioners, to develop policies and practices suited to more inclusive futures. The article is based on a paper presented to the International Conference on Inclusive Education run by Maseno University in September 2002.     

Factors associated with staff perceptions towards inclusive education in Singapore

In this study, we sought to examine the perceptions of teachers and other school professionals towards the inclusion of secondary school students with special educational needs (SEN), and the associated factors. The Sentiments, Attitudes and Concerns about Inclusive Education Revised scale (SACIE-R) was completed by 131 teachers and school professionals from two mainstream secondary schools in Singapore. The findings revealed an overall neutral attitude towards inclusion. Together, confidence in teaching students with SEN, the level of training SEN support, as well as experience teaching students with SEN account for a large proportion of the variance in ratings of inclusive perceptions. Further analyses revealed that confidence in teaching or supporting students with SEN was found to be a significant predictor of inclusive perceptions. The findings suggest that schools seeking to engage in inclusive practices should focus on ways to develop the confidence of personnel to support students with SEN. Professional development and mentorship were suggested as possible avenues.     

‘I don't have time to be this busy.’ Exploring the concerns of secondary school teachers towards inclusive education

The trend towards inclusion in mainstream Australian schools has seen the numbers of students with disabilities educated in regular schools grow significantly. This trend has been supported by legislation such as the Disability Discrimination Act and the Education Standards. For inclusion to be successful, a number of factors are vital and teacher support for the programme is crucial. While there is research in the area of teachers’ concerns at the primary school level, little research has been conducted at the secondary school level. Research in this area is needed as the secondary school has differing factors from the primary sector that need to be explored.     

Exploring the impact of supplementary schools on Black and Minority Ethnic pupils’ mainstream attainment

This paper reports findings from a study commissioned by the (then) Department for Children, Schools and Families. The research mapped the provision, and explored the impact, of supplementary schools and aimed specifically to develop further understanding as to how supplementary schools might raise the attainment of Black and Minority Ethnic pupils. Drawing on a national survey and case study data from 12 supplementary schools, we highlight a range of perceived impacts identified by teachers, pupils and parents and problematise the concept of impact. We identify the unique contribution and impact that supplementary schools make to the mainstream school attainment of pupils from diverse (linguistic, cultural, ethnic) backgrounds. We suggest that there is much to be learnt by the mainstream school sector about the difference supplementary school education makes to minority ethnic children, while questioning whether mainstream indicators of impact should be applied to supplementary schools.     

Northern Ireland head teachers’ perceptions of inclusion

Inclusion has been a central educational issue for well over a quarter of a century, with continuing emphasis worldwide on initiatives by governments, Higher Education Institutions and schools that respond to the needs of children and young people with learning difficulties, disabilities or other disadvantage. This paper reports how Northern Ireland head teachers interpret inclusion in the nursery, primary, post‐primary and special sectors. Those in mainstream schools showed whole‐hearted commitment to the philosophy and practice of inclusion, and could critically examine what they have achieved so far. However, they recognized persistent and varied constraints both within and beyond their schools. Head teachers in the special sector perceived their schools to have a multiple role in providing for pupils with the greatest need, reintegrating those on placement into their regular schools, and offering outreach support to mainstream colleagues. The implications for all aspects of teacher education were identified, for beginning teachers, for more experienced practitioners and for the head teachers themselves. A number of key factors were suggested to make inclusion work.     

Social relationships and friendships among young people with Down's syndrome in secondary schools

More young people with Down's syndrome are being taught in mainstream schools and interest in the educational aspect of inclusion has grown over the last few years.
In this article Pat Cuckle, Senior Research Fellow at the University of Leeds, and June Wilson, a support teacher working for Education Leeds, explore patterns of friendship and social relationships among teenagers with Down's syndrome. The young people who took part in the study either attend mainstream schools or resourced provision in mainstream schools. The enquiry provides fascinating insights into the participants' views of friendship and into the range of their social experiences. Pat Cuckle and June Wilson conclude their report with a set of recommendations focusing on the need to create more opportunity for social interaction for young people with special needs.     

HELIOS Education Gold Award Winner

ABSTRACT

This paper describes a collaborative project between the staff of twelve mainstream schools and Suffolk Local Education Authority staff which has aimed to develop differentiated teaching strategies. The project has developed teaching and assessment techniques for pupils with literacy difficulties and approaches to delivering aspects of the whole curriculum to pupils with special educational needs. The project recognizes the central importance of mainstream teachers if integration for pupils with special educational needs is to be a truly meaningful educational experience.     

Drifting Towards Segregation

Information collected in Sheffield during the last 10 years indicates that the growing number of children with Down's syndrome who begin their school life in the mainstream drift towards special schools as they grow older. At every change of school some children move from ordinary schools into schools for children with varying degrees of learning difficulty. While all six pupils receiving education at pre-school stage were integrated only one child in the 13–16 years age range was still in the mainstream. Why should this be? Dr Phil Budgell, educational psychologist with Sheffield School Psychological Service, suggests some possible answers.