Addressing barriers to implementing inclusive education in the Pacific

ABSTRACT

Countries of the Pacific region are currently undergoing significant reforms. While disability inclusive education has been identified as a regional priority by all member nations, implementing inclusive education in the countries of the region can be quite challenging as many barriers continue to hamper the progress of the countries. Unless the barriers are identified and systematically addressed, it is unlikely that the countries will be able to implement a robust and holistic inclusive education strategy. In this paper, we present possible ways in which the countries of the Pacific could make significant progress in implementing a sustainable inclusive education strategy. We used a collaborative approach of co-examining potential barriers that are likely to impede the growth of countries in implementing a comprehensive inclusive education plan of action. We then identified possible strategies that are likely to result in an improved and perhaps more culturally responsive implementation of inclusive education in the Pacific. The most significant barriers identified by the members included: inadequate teacher preparation, stigma and negative attitudes towards people with disabilities, and limited engagement with the local leaders and key stakeholders. Possible strategies for addressing the barriers are outlined and discussed with possible implications for local, regional, and international researchers and policy makers.

KEYWORDS:

• Pacific island countries
• inclusive education
• barriers
• strategies

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Umesh Sharma is Professor in the Faculty of Education at Monash University, Australia where he is the Academic Head of the Educational Psychology and Inclusive Education Community. Umesh has led a number of projects for Departments and Ministries of Education in Australia, Bangladesh, India, China, Solomon Islands, and Fiji on education of children with disabilities. His main areas of research are: positive behaviour support, inclusive education for disadvantaged children and policy and practice in special and inclusive education.

Ann Cheryl Armstrong is an Associate Professor in Inclusive Education and the Associate Dean, Research and International at the Faculty of Arts, Law and Education at the University of the South Pacific. Over the past 21 years, she has worked in several countries across the world and has contributed to the transformation of many education programmes and systems. She has published widely on inclusive education, professional learning in education and education in developing countries.

Laisiasa Merumeru has worked in inclusive education policy and practice across the Pacific Island Countries over the past 17 years. Over the past 6 years, he was the Disability Coordination Officer (DCO) with the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS). He is currently working in Inclusive Education at the School of Education, University of the South Pacific where he is contributing to the re-conceptualisation of inclusive education courses. Lai has also published widely on inclusive education in the Pacific.

Janine Simi is a lecturer in the School of Education and Humanities (SOEH) at the Solomon Islands National University. She is currently completing her doctoral programme in inclusive teacher education at Monash University. Janine has worked closely with a number of professionals in the field of special and inclusive education especially in developing countries in the Pacific (Fiji, Vanuatu, Samoa, and Solomon Islands) and has participated in numerous Pacific projects on inclusive education.

Hannah Yared is a Master of Psychology (Educational and Developmental) and Doctor of Philosophy candidate at Monash University, Australia where she is involved with various inclusive education and developmental psychology projects. Her main research interests include: social-cognitive development, implicit attitudes, prejudice, classroom based interventions to reduce prejudice and sustainable inclusive education.

ORCID

Umesh Sharma http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5198-9379

Laisiasa Merumeru http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8560-3924