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

CASE STUDIES
lem-solving strategies when faced with novel
situations presented by the diversity of
the children;
■ changes in school regulations regarding assessment
and promotion were needed;
■ if inclusion was to become the norm for primary
schools (thus achieving the goal of education
for all) it could not be accomplished
with the level of training and support that
the pilot school had received. It would have
to be done quickly, and cheaply, and the
training and leadership team would need to
be expanded;
■ teachers had found it quite difficult to accomplish
inclusive teaching, and it was realised
that the major difficulties could and
should be eased for any new schools. It
should be recognised that both teachers and
schools needed time to develop skills and
asking too much early on only created anxiety
and dependence on the training and
support team.
Looking at the pilot school, it could be seen
that the following situations had caused the most
difficulties. Most of these are related, not to the
ongoing situation, but to the early period when
there had been no services and when the demand
grew so quickly that children outside the school’s
normal catchment area were being enrolled:
■ the recruitment of older children (10+)
whose long-term exclusion had led to low
social skills and subsequent behaviour problems;
■ the recruitment of some children with severe
learning problems;
■ over-recruitment, so that some classes had
more than two children with special needs
—this distorted the normal classroom and
placed too much of a burden on teachers;
■ using the old curriculum (the new curriculum
was being introduced one year at a
time—thus grade one in 1994, grade two in
1995, grade three in 1996 etc.)
In considering these issues and formulating the
next step, the project board felt that introducing
early intervention for children with special needs
could be advantageous.
Special Needs
and Early
Intervention
There is clear evidence that early intervention
can be very beneficial for children with special
needs. When early intervention is available, children
do not suffer the additional problems caused
by social isolation and the lack of stimulation and
training which comes from distress, low aspirations,
and low understanding in many families.
During the kindergarten period, with its understanding
of the all-round development of the
child, special attention can be paid to the child’s
needs, and families can come to have a truer picture
of the child’s potential and their role in helping
the child to achieve this. Furthermore, there
are no problems with discrimination by other
children at this age; the child will grow up with
his or her peers, and they can continue together
through the primary school with the more able
children supporting and helping their friends.
The pre-school is the strong
central post around which the
house of primary education is
built. If we compare the children
who have had access to pre-school
with those who did not, we can
see very clearly how well they
do later on. Integration is so beneficial
for young children [with
special needs]. It helps the children
to overcome their difficulties, to be
independent; it prevents isolation
and gives them access to a social
life.—MONE KHEUAPHAPHORN,
DIRECTOR, DONG DOK KINDERGARTEN
The Pre-school
Programme
In Laos a small, but effective, kindergarten system
was available. It was felt that such kindergartens,
with the understanding of child development, improved
methodology, positive attitudes toward
working with parents, and a strong emphasis on
social development could provide, for at least
some children, a strong start. In addition, it
would be possible to recruit an additional layer of
trainers and support personnel onto the team
who would bring with them the skills and understanding
of child development that could help
teachers, particularly primary school teachers, as-
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