Promoting the Rights of Children with Disabilities, UNICEF
Promoting the Rights of Children with Disabilities, UNICEF
Promoting the Rights of Children with Disabilities, UNICEF
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Both where <strong>the</strong>re is an absence <strong>of</strong> facilities and in <strong>the</strong>presence <strong>of</strong> segregated structures, a growing body<strong>of</strong> experience indicates <strong>the</strong> feasibility <strong>of</strong> successfullyimplementing inclusive practices in education. Thisis demonstrated by two very different countries:Italy, where <strong>the</strong> shift to inclusive education began asearly as <strong>the</strong> 1970s (see box 6.6), and Uganda, whichhas recognized <strong>the</strong> crucial importance for nationaldevelopment <strong>of</strong> ensuring that Education for All is nota distant goal but a reality (see box 6.7).Training teachers for inclusive educationIn any country, and especially where material resourcesare scarce, <strong>the</strong> key resource in <strong>the</strong> learning environmentis teachers <strong>the</strong>mselves. It is important thatteachers have a commitment to teaching all children.Where teachers can receive relevant pre-service andin-service training and have access to continuingsupport, <strong>the</strong>y are well placed to become leaders andpacesetters in inclusive education.Inclusive teaching at <strong>the</strong> level <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> classroomis no more than good teaching anywhere. Manyteachers are already teaching inclusively <strong>with</strong>out <strong>the</strong>benefit <strong>of</strong> additional specialist training (see box 6.8for an example from Lesotho). But faced <strong>with</strong> <strong>the</strong>challenge <strong>of</strong> admitting children <strong>with</strong> disabilities into<strong>the</strong>ir class, it is understandable that teachers maydoubt <strong>the</strong>ir ability to meet all needs. But what <strong>the</strong>ylack is not competence but confidence – because <strong>the</strong>skills required to teach children <strong>with</strong> disabilities areessentially those already possessed by all competentteachers. These include:• <strong>the</strong> ability to assess pupils’ strengths and needs;• <strong>the</strong> skill to individualize teaching procedures tosuit a wide range <strong>of</strong> abilities;• <strong>the</strong> flexibility to adapt <strong>the</strong> content <strong>of</strong> subject matterto pupils’ interests and abilities and ensure itsrelevance to <strong>the</strong> social and cultural context;• teamwork <strong>with</strong>in <strong>the</strong> school and <strong>with</strong> outsidepr<strong>of</strong>essionals, linking <strong>with</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r learning environmentsfor reinforcement;• a working partnership <strong>with</strong> parents;• using available technologies capable <strong>of</strong> supportinglearning, and monitoring <strong>the</strong> success <strong>of</strong> approachesbeing employed. 102Even so, teachers need to be able to call on specialis<strong>the</strong>lp from teachers <strong>with</strong> experience <strong>of</strong> teachingchildren <strong>with</strong> disabilities, particularly children <strong>with</strong>sensory or intellectual impairments. For example,specialists can advise on lighting conditions and lowvision aids, as well as <strong>the</strong> use <strong>of</strong> Braille materialsand computer-based instruction where this might bemade available. Similarly, it is helpful to have informedadvice on sound amplification, <strong>the</strong> use and repair <strong>of</strong>hearing aids and <strong>the</strong> use <strong>of</strong> sign language for children<strong>with</strong> different types <strong>of</strong> hearing impairment and, onoccasion, for <strong>the</strong> class as a whole to ensure <strong>the</strong>inclusion <strong>of</strong> a child <strong>with</strong> a severe hearing impairment.Box 6.8 Empowering teachers in LesothoIn Lesotho, a project was initiated in whichintensive training workshops on inclusion wereprovided to local teachers. i Despite large classesand an absence <strong>of</strong> basic resources in <strong>the</strong> 10 pilotschools that were selected, most teachers werefound to be already teaching along inclusive linesby ensuring that all children − even those in <strong>the</strong>largest classes − were participating, understandinginstructions or getting appropriate support fromo<strong>the</strong>r children.Additional training received by <strong>the</strong>se teachersprovided <strong>the</strong>m <strong>with</strong> basic information aboutimpairments and helped <strong>the</strong>m to develop positiveattitudes towards children <strong>with</strong> disabilities. Thistraining gave teachers <strong>the</strong> confidence to referchildren to local health workers for treatment <strong>of</strong>common eye and ear infections that can affect achild’s learning. The success <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> pilot schoolsencouraged <strong>the</strong> government to adopt <strong>the</strong> inclusion<strong>of</strong> children <strong>with</strong> disabilities as a national policy andto expand <strong>the</strong> number <strong>of</strong> schools involved.Source:iAs quoted in Mittler, Peter, ’International Experience inIncluding <strong>Children</strong> <strong>with</strong> <strong>Disabilities</strong> in Ordinary Schools’,paper prepared for <strong>UNICEF</strong> seminars in Tunisia andItaly, October 2002, .Advice and support can sometimes be found in specialschools and classes or from strategically placedresource centres in <strong>the</strong> community. It is important toensure that such specialist support gives teachers inordinary schools <strong>the</strong> skills and confidence to assumesome elements <strong>of</strong> a specialist role <strong>the</strong>mselves.The same principle applies to <strong>the</strong> advice that canbe provided by speech and language <strong>the</strong>rapists,physio<strong>the</strong>rapists and psychologists.With <strong>the</strong> aim <strong>of</strong> increasing <strong>the</strong> confidence <strong>of</strong> teachersand promoting <strong>the</strong>ir sensitivity to <strong>the</strong> individualneeds <strong>of</strong> children, UNESCO has prepared a range <strong>of</strong>useful resources, including teacher-training materialsin a Teacher Education Resource Pack that includesboth written and video material. This pack has beenused and adapted in over 90 countries and translatedinto more than 30 languages. It is supported by aninternational resource team engaged in national, regionaland international training and dissemination.The resource pack includes a Guide for Teachers, 103which is particularly useful in countries where specialistresources are scarce. The guide can be usedfor self-study or in <strong>the</strong> context <strong>of</strong> a workshop led bya facilitator. In addition, UNESCO provides accounts<strong>of</strong> developments from individual countries 104 andschools around <strong>the</strong> world. 105 It also publishes <strong>the</strong>Open File on Inclusive Education, which providesmaterials for managers and administrators and is intendedto facilitate <strong>the</strong> implementation <strong>of</strong> inclusion. 106Innocenti Digest No. 13<strong>Promoting</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Rights</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Children</strong> <strong>with</strong> <strong>Disabilities</strong>30