www.britishcouncil.org1 supporting inclusive education for sen students in mena
TRANSCRIPT
www.britishcouncil.org 1
Supporting inclusive education for SEN students in MENA
OUTLINE
• Overview of the British Council
• Our understanding of inclusion:
- Access and Engagement
- Medical and Social models
- Single, two-track and Multi-track approaches
• Our work on inclusion in MENA
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ABOUT US
UK's international organisation for educational opportunities and cultural relations
Founded in 1934, we work in over 100 countries
Our purpose: “to create international opportunities for, and trust between, the people of the UK and other countries worldwide”
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ABOUT US
Three core activity areas:
Education and SocietyEnglishArts
Our belief is that every child needs high
quality education that is suitable for their
needs
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Inclusion is not a PRODUCT it is a PROCESS.
It is not a destination at which we arrive, it’s a road upon which we travel.
Inclusionthis way!
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Inclusion means promoting...
Children attending school...
Children’s needs being met when they do attend...
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ENGAGEMENT
ACCESS
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Access and engagement are the two major
components of an inclusive school or classroom.
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ENGAGEMENTACCESS
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Access and engagement are not
necessarily finance driven solutions.
They can be equally driven by
innovation and creative thinking.
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© Mat Wright
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Medical and social models of inclusion
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© Mat Wright
© Mat Wright
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12Developing Inclusive Schools and Classrooms
MEDICAL MODEL THINKING SOCIAL MODEL THINKING
Child is faulty Child is valued
Diagnosis and treatment Removal of barriers
Labelling and categorisation Acceptance of individual
Inputs identified and delivered Outcomes identified and planned
Therapy programmes are centralResources are made available to
ordinary services
Segregation and alternative services Fully integrated services
Professionals identify needs Individual rights are expressed
Isolation is perpetuatedDiversity is welcomed; child is
included
Society remains unchanged Society Evolves
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Approaches for Inclusion
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© Mat Wright
• All children within the same school
• All services focus on the school
• All policies work towards all children
being in a mainstream setting
• No need for special schools
A ‘single track’ approach
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• Based on establishing two distinctive systems
• Special schools & units for special needs groups
• Pupils in special sector not following mainstream
requirements
• Often different legislation for different sectors
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A ‘two-track’ approach
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A ‘multi-track approach’
• A multiplicity of approaches
• Two systems run in parallel
• Special schools as ‘resource centres’
• Heavy emphasis on ‘integration’
• Offers more flexibility and responsive
to individual needs
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There is no right or wrong way to travel down the road of inclusion, but it isimportant to be clear about the track you are on.
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Background about the British Council
work on Inclusion in MENA
• MENA Inclusion Conference Abu Dhabi, February 2013
• Study Visit to UK, October 2013
• Second MENA Inclusion conference Oman, May 2014
• Commissioned research on the successful British Council inclusion work in Lebanon and Yemen, November 2014
• Global Inclusion conference Dubai, December 2014
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The impact of the British Council events
• Significant changes in attitudes towards SEN
• Initiating and implementing change at a national policy level
• Inclusive approaches refined and improved
• Creating a forum for influencers and policy makers to work together and share best practice
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Thank You