Tania Afreen Khan, Muhammed Mahbubur Rahman :
Garry Hornby, Dean Sutherland, John Everatt, Janinka Greenwood
(From previous issue)
During the last two decades, budget allocation for the education sector has been between 12 and 15 percent of GDP, which is, however, far from the UNESCO prescribed level of 20 percent of GDP. It is also noted that budget allocation for education has been decreasing in recent (Raju & Rahman, 2012). This is a concern, as an increase in the allocation fm education will be needed in order to successfully implement inclusive education. In addition, the Government of Bangladesh needs to provide an allocation for researchers in the field of inclusive education. This support is required to ensure that research continues to support the government, as well as policy makers, to implement inclusive education in schools.
For example, in the research that has formed the background to this chapter, interviews of teachers have reported that a lack of resources, such as assistive technology, is limiting the provision of inclusive education. Assistive technology is well documented to support students with disabilities in regular classrooms. (Mitchell, 2008). For example, the absence of Braille materials or hearing aids creates learning obstacles for students with visual or hearing impairment. Educational professions, such as speech therapists, audiologists and educational or school psychologists are needed to support general teachers.
The establishment of school-based resource centres and support services could also go some way to solving some of the barriers identified (see also point 1 above). These services are likely to be costly and would need to be supported by ensuring teachers were capable of providing appropriate assessment and teaching strategies.
In addition, further research is needed to provide a more complete picture of teachers’ perspectives of inclusive education and ways to overcome barriers. For example, additional data on the number of students with disabilities and their educational needs will contribute to understanding the resources needed to support. IE in Bangladesh.
Another line of research that focuses on supporting teachers to determine how much adaptation of curriculum, or change of the learning environment, will be needed to support the participation of students with disabilities will enhance the development of inclusive education settings in Bangladesh.
6) Strategies for inclusion of marginalised groups without disabilities
Some of the initiatives described above can also be applied to facilitate inclusion in education of economically disadvantaged and ethnically different groups as well as the retention In education of girls. In particular, inclusion of marginalised groups can be helped the raising of community awareness, development of home-school relationships, encouragement of community events in the school and the development within teachers’ training and professional development of courses that prepare teachers to understand difference and to adapt their teaching to the needs and life experiences of disadvantaged groups.
International practice and research indicates that learning in the mother tongue (Glynn, Berryman Loader & Cavanagh, 2005) leads to readier assimilation into the environment of schooling, to the development of literacy (in other languages as well as the mother tongue) and to belief that education is a useful too] for community development as well as personal employment opportunities. Initiatives that have been found to be effective in other countries are the training of community members as teachers and the development of a core repertoire of teaching resources written in the mother tongue and grounded in the values and life Contexts of the community. The experience of New Zealand suggests that integration into mainstream is not only option for inclusive access to education. Many indigenous tribal groups have developed their own schools within the government system and not only use their own language for instruction but also base all the protocols of the school and the context for curriculum content on their own cultural values (Macfarlane, 2004) In addition there are a number of strong nationwide professional development programmes to develop teachers’ cross-cultural awareness and to make them more responsive to the needs of their culturally different learners (Berryman & Bishop, 2011).
It needs be acknowledged that educational reform and innovation alone cannot change widespread poverty. Poverty has international as well as local causes and global solutions are required. Nevertheless, while poverty makes it harder for families to support their children’s schooling, it need not prevent it if schools are within walking distance and free, if teachers are sensitive to the needs and life styles of the students, and if families are encourages to see the school as part of their communities and feel welcome within it.
Conclusion
It is evident that a concerted effort at the national level is essential for the implementation of inclusive education in Bangladesh. In this regard, government initiatives like the Teaching Quality Improvement in Secondary Education Project, and the Primary Education Development Programme are helpful for implementing inclusive education, These projects provide continued training and learning teaching and learning materials for primary and secondary school teachers.
However, these projects will need further support to overcome the barriers discussed in this chapter. Inclusive education is currently one of the greatest changes in the educational sector in Bangladesh, and on the way to the implement of IE in Bangladesh, there will be enormous challenges.
The aim of this chapter, and the research on which it was based, was to explore the key challenges to IE implementation and to highlight some recommendations for educational changes. The main barriers identified were insufficient teacher training, negative society and educational attitudes, a lack of knowledge of IE and policy clarity, the inadequacy of teaching materials and resources, and large class sizes. Recommendations included involving key people from the community, creating special units and professionals in the work of regular schools, training teachers from minority groups and disadvantaged communities, enhancing teacher training provisions both pre-service and as part of continuous professional development, and the allocation of sufficient resources to support teachers and students in their teaching and learning activities. These recommendations for addressing the challenges associated with the effective implementation of inclusive education in Bangladesh will need to be introduced over a period of time and built upon following the initial introduction phase. However, they have the potential to provide Bangladesh ‘with the opportunity to fulfil its educational goals for the 21st century. They will not only lead to greater inclusion, but should lead to better trained, more informed and effective teachers, as well as communities that understand the importance of education for the learner.
(Concluded)
Garry Hornby, Dean Sutherland, John Everatt, Janinka Greenwood
(From previous issue)
During the last two decades, budget allocation for the education sector has been between 12 and 15 percent of GDP, which is, however, far from the UNESCO prescribed level of 20 percent of GDP. It is also noted that budget allocation for education has been decreasing in recent (Raju & Rahman, 2012). This is a concern, as an increase in the allocation fm education will be needed in order to successfully implement inclusive education. In addition, the Government of Bangladesh needs to provide an allocation for researchers in the field of inclusive education. This support is required to ensure that research continues to support the government, as well as policy makers, to implement inclusive education in schools.
For example, in the research that has formed the background to this chapter, interviews of teachers have reported that a lack of resources, such as assistive technology, is limiting the provision of inclusive education. Assistive technology is well documented to support students with disabilities in regular classrooms. (Mitchell, 2008). For example, the absence of Braille materials or hearing aids creates learning obstacles for students with visual or hearing impairment. Educational professions, such as speech therapists, audiologists and educational or school psychologists are needed to support general teachers.
The establishment of school-based resource centres and support services could also go some way to solving some of the barriers identified (see also point 1 above). These services are likely to be costly and would need to be supported by ensuring teachers were capable of providing appropriate assessment and teaching strategies.
In addition, further research is needed to provide a more complete picture of teachers’ perspectives of inclusive education and ways to overcome barriers. For example, additional data on the number of students with disabilities and their educational needs will contribute to understanding the resources needed to support. IE in Bangladesh.
Another line of research that focuses on supporting teachers to determine how much adaptation of curriculum, or change of the learning environment, will be needed to support the participation of students with disabilities will enhance the development of inclusive education settings in Bangladesh.
6) Strategies for inclusion of marginalised groups without disabilities
Some of the initiatives described above can also be applied to facilitate inclusion in education of economically disadvantaged and ethnically different groups as well as the retention In education of girls. In particular, inclusion of marginalised groups can be helped the raising of community awareness, development of home-school relationships, encouragement of community events in the school and the development within teachers’ training and professional development of courses that prepare teachers to understand difference and to adapt their teaching to the needs and life experiences of disadvantaged groups.
International practice and research indicates that learning in the mother tongue (Glynn, Berryman Loader & Cavanagh, 2005) leads to readier assimilation into the environment of schooling, to the development of literacy (in other languages as well as the mother tongue) and to belief that education is a useful too] for community development as well as personal employment opportunities. Initiatives that have been found to be effective in other countries are the training of community members as teachers and the development of a core repertoire of teaching resources written in the mother tongue and grounded in the values and life Contexts of the community. The experience of New Zealand suggests that integration into mainstream is not only option for inclusive access to education. Many indigenous tribal groups have developed their own schools within the government system and not only use their own language for instruction but also base all the protocols of the school and the context for curriculum content on their own cultural values (Macfarlane, 2004) In addition there are a number of strong nationwide professional development programmes to develop teachers’ cross-cultural awareness and to make them more responsive to the needs of their culturally different learners (Berryman & Bishop, 2011).
It needs be acknowledged that educational reform and innovation alone cannot change widespread poverty. Poverty has international as well as local causes and global solutions are required. Nevertheless, while poverty makes it harder for families to support their children’s schooling, it need not prevent it if schools are within walking distance and free, if teachers are sensitive to the needs and life styles of the students, and if families are encourages to see the school as part of their communities and feel welcome within it.
Conclusion
It is evident that a concerted effort at the national level is essential for the implementation of inclusive education in Bangladesh. In this regard, government initiatives like the Teaching Quality Improvement in Secondary Education Project, and the Primary Education Development Programme are helpful for implementing inclusive education, These projects provide continued training and learning teaching and learning materials for primary and secondary school teachers.
However, these projects will need further support to overcome the barriers discussed in this chapter. Inclusive education is currently one of the greatest changes in the educational sector in Bangladesh, and on the way to the implement of IE in Bangladesh, there will be enormous challenges.
The aim of this chapter, and the research on which it was based, was to explore the key challenges to IE implementation and to highlight some recommendations for educational changes. The main barriers identified were insufficient teacher training, negative society and educational attitudes, a lack of knowledge of IE and policy clarity, the inadequacy of teaching materials and resources, and large class sizes. Recommendations included involving key people from the community, creating special units and professionals in the work of regular schools, training teachers from minority groups and disadvantaged communities, enhancing teacher training provisions both pre-service and as part of continuous professional development, and the allocation of sufficient resources to support teachers and students in their teaching and learning activities. These recommendations for addressing the challenges associated with the effective implementation of inclusive education in Bangladesh will need to be introduced over a period of time and built upon following the initial introduction phase. However, they have the potential to provide Bangladesh ‘with the opportunity to fulfil its educational goals for the 21st century. They will not only lead to greater inclusion, but should lead to better trained, more informed and effective teachers, as well as communities that understand the importance of education for the learner.
(Concluded)
