Inclusive ECCD: - Consultative Group on Early Childhood Care and ...

INCLUSION Coordinators’ Notebook, Issue 22
UNICEF/HQ96-0280/Nicole Toutounji
It is not true that only those with specialised training can provide appropriate experiences for children
with special needs.
working with children with special needs are to a large
extent using strategies that help all children succeed.
(Ainscow 1994, 24)
I have to say that during my career I have spent
considerable time and energy attempting to find
special ways of teaching that will help special
children to learn successfully. My conclusion now
is that no such specialised approaches are worthy
of consideration. Whilst certain techniques can help
particular children gain access to the process of
schooling, these are not in themselves the means
by which they will experience educational success.
Furthermore, framing our response in this way
tends to distract attention away from much more
important questions related to how schooling can
be improved in order to help all children to learn
successfully. Ainscow 1994, 19
Logistics and
Practicalities
This set of issues relates to the on-the-ground realities
that confront people when they attempt to create
inclusive programmes. They include:
■ The increased pressure in many countries
to make preschools into primary schools,
and the related pressure to begin formal
education at a younger age
By formalising the experiences of children prior to
entry into primary school, there is a limit on the
child-centred kinds of activities that make it possible
for children with differing abilities to participate in a
group setting. As was noted, the typical approach in
quality early childhood settings is highly consistent
with the inclusive education perspective. The trend
to formalise preschools as a step toward school
readiness is likely to create an exclusive rather than
an inclusive environment.
■ The lack of resources allocated to the
development of inclusive programmes
With the focus on expansion of basic education
throughout the Majority World, it is extremely difficult
to be in the position of arguing for resources to
be allocated for children with special needs. Yet
these children are a part of the society and have
rights to education as do all other children. What
tends to happen, however, is that the education budget
is viewed as a finite percentage of the national
budget. In that instance, funds for children with special
needs (when they are made available) may well
be diverted from the general education budget. This
leaves even less funding for basic primary education.
In addition, as noted earlier, the school system itself
may well be creating children with special needs. As
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