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

CASE STUDIES
schools and families and the community. This cooperation
is based on an acknowledgement of the
rights of disabled children to have a full part in
society.
Teachers acknowledge the additional work involved
but also understand the key foundation
they are laying down for the children in guaranteeing
their rights and the contribution the children
are making to society. Furthermore, the
large and small successes that they have achieved
are creating a more confident and enthusiastic
workforce. As one person said “Sometimes we can’t
explain what has happened because we are so thrilled at
what we have done.”
The Next Step
In 1996 a second group of schools joined the project.
This included starting in new schools in
both Vientiane province and in Khammoune
province in central Laos. Essentially the same
programme has been followed with only small
changes to the training programme. The experience
in Savannakhet had suggested that it is easier
to start in a group of schools so that each
school has a close neighbour (i.e., the smallest
group should be two kindergartens and two primary
schools not one primary and one kindergarten),
and this plan was followed. There are
demands for additional formal training, but the
implementation team and the project board feel
reluctant to go down this line at this stage because
of financial, and more importantly, personnel
resources. Instead they are seeking to put
extra knowledge into the widened implementation
team so as to increase access to informal
training available at the school and the school
group level. If, for example one of the head
teachers in Savanakhet was able to lead discussions
of issues and provide help in the problemsolving
strategies, would this be a more long-term
benefit than an additional formal workshop? The
balance between formal training and informal
school development needs to be carefully
thought through.
The team also aims to produce the following:
■ a newsletter to be used to spread experiences
and good practice between all those
involved;
■ a training manual, based on a combination
of items from the UNESCO pack and other
items, which, our experiences suggest, are
needed and which is straight forward
enough for it to be used locally;
■ management guidelines;
■ materials for teachers and parents.
It is also clear that some thought will have to
be given to the problem of child assessment and
how to provide access to information and help
when schools are faced with unknown situations.
There will be a need for at least some staff at a national
level with a much higher level of training
than is currently available. At present some outside
help can be drawn upon but this expertise
will have to be available within the service at
some point in time.
Conclusion
The prognosis for children is better when help is
available at an early age; it is also easier to give
that help to younger children. Bringing in the
kindergarten sector makes sense. Perhaps it is also
worth asking whether integration may not be just
a little easier when it comes in with the very start
of services rather than when the ‘mature wood’ of
a fully developed special school system makes
‘bending’ in new directions more difficult.
The experience of the Lao Integrated Education
Project has shown that with careful planning
and implementation, and by using all the resources
available, the twin goals of improving
quality for all and providing for children with
special needs can go hand in hand, with each initiative
in the process feeding into the development
and in turn benefiting from the combined
effort. Determination and co-operation are the
keys to successful inclusive education.
REFERENCES
Asian Development Bank. 1993. Education and Development
in Asia and the Pacific Series, vol.1. Lao PDR.
Emblen V. and Vonsay D. 1991. Pre-school Education in
the People’s Democratic Republic of Laos. In Primary
Teaching Studies, vol. 6, no 2. London: Polytechnic of
North London Press.
Holdsworth J. C. and Kay J. (eds.). 1995. Towards Inclusion—SCF(UK)’s
Experiences in Integrated Education.
SCF(UK) South East Asia and the Pacific Regional Office
Documentation Series, Discussion Paper 1.
Kay J. 1994. Learning to See. SCF(UK) Report.
Lao PDR, Ministry of Education. 1990. Evaluation de l’État
Actuel de l’Éducation en RDP Lao.
Lao PDR. 1996. Policy on Compulsory Education.
Lao PDR MoE General and Pre-school Department.1996.
Child Development and Assessment of Pre-school
Children.
Sacklokham K.and Inthirath S. 1993. Special Needs in Lao
PDR. Country report for the UNESCO Regional
Seminar on the Policy, Planning and Organisation of
Education for Children and Young people with Special
Needs.
UNESCO. 1993. Special Needs in the Classroom. Teacher education
resource pack.
UNESCO. 1994. The Salamanca Statement and Framework
for Action on Special Needs in Education.
UNICEF. 1992. Children and Women in Lao PDR.
43