Why is inclusive education important to my country?

Abstract

This article presents a collection of personal perspectives of three academics and one ministry official from various countries in the Asia-Pacific region, namely, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Thailand, on the importance of inclusive education. These perspectives offer an insider's understanding of the universal and country-specific contributions of inclusive education, as well as their individual visions for the future of their countries. Although discernibly different in terms of the issues raised by the authors specific to their individual countries, these perspectives, nonetheless, echo and announce the same hope and call – to build a better and more inclusive future for all in society.

Vivian Heung (Hong Kong)

My personal vision attaches special significance to inclusive education for building the future of Hong Kong in an era of change. With the political reunification with China since 1997, the society of Hong Kong is evolving rapidly. Under the principle of ‘One Country, Two Systems’, Hong Kong is now much closer to the Mainland and its culture; at the same time, it is guaranteed a high degree of autonomy. Many share the view that Hong Kong should aim to become, in the long term, not only an outstanding city in China, but also a diverse, dynamic and democratic international city embracing the cultural essence of the East and the West (Education Commission 2000). The creation of such a future society is reliant on an education based on the principles and practices of inclusion. In fact, the concept of inclusion has been embedded in the newly formulated aims of education for the twenty-first century. Hong Kong will strive to give everyone, regardless of their social origin or family background, all-round, balanced, and lifelong learning opportunities (Education Commission 2000). Providing education for all learners, particularly to those who have traditionally been excluded (UNESCO 2001), and changing schools to enable all children to have access to the best education possible (Thomazet 2009) should be considered the gateway to help Hong Kong nurture the valued qualities of equity, respect for difference, and democracy.

Though Hong Kong seems to be doing well in education, there exist large numbers of young Hong Kong students who do not realise their potential. Hong Kong has introduced nine years of compulsory education as early as 1978 and policies supporting integration since the 1970s; however, many students with disabilities and special educational needs and those who have difficulties in coping with the academic curriculum are excluded from mainstream education. The figure for segregated provision in 1998 was 1.01% of the total school-aged children (Heung 1999). The apparent success of Hong Kong in the Programme for International Students Assessment and similar studies such as the Third International Mathematics and Science Study where Hong Kong was highly ranked in mathematics, science, and reading (Martin et al., 2000; Mullis et al., 2000) masks variability in achievement and the fact that there are many underachieving students in Hong Kong coming from different backgrounds (see, for example, Chen 2007). Examination-driven learning, academic achievement, and excellence are deeply rooted ideology and scant attention is paid to developing a student-focused education system.

Hong Kong has sought change through rigorous reform in order to respond to learner diversity and inclusion of all learners. Reforms in the curricula and assessment are important milestones. The launch of integrated education has opened opportunities for students with special educational needs to study in ordinary schools. Increased resourcing, improved teacher training, and teacher competence will help to remove serious barriers (e.g. Samsoniene et al. 2006; Yuen and Westwood 2001). In order to help Hong Kong move from integrated education to inclusive education, I would advocate for fundamental changes in the culture of learning and teaching and the promotion of a culture of viewing diversity not as a problem but as an asset. Teachers should be inspired to personalise learning in order to engage all learners through the use of diverse teaching methods as well as diversified assessment mechanisms. In conclusion, inclusive education should serve as the pillar for educating a new generation of diverse learners. The future of Hong Kong has to rely on not a particular group of elite learners but all learners.

Zalizan M. Jelas (Malaysia)

Since independence in 1957, Malaysia's system of education has strived to bring together its multiethnic, multilingual, and multi-religious population to understand and respect one another and to live in harmony. However, while national unity and social cohesion transcend issues of ethnicity and linguistic and religious dimensions at the group level, they also need to address the individual with a specific focus on those who are vulnerable to marginalisation and exclusion.

The following questions could be taken into account when discussing inclusive education in Malaysia: Which social groups have more access to education than others, and in cases where everyone has access, do they have the opportunity to fully develop their education potential? A significant group that still lacks access to mainstream education is that of children with disabilities. Education in mainstream classes for these children is meant only for those who can fit in and who can meet the expectations of schools and can cope with a highly academic, rigid, and examination-oriented curriculum. Educational trends are beginning to show that boys are lagging behind girls in terms of achievement and that they have a higher tendency to leave school early. In addition, children from minority groups, particularly the aboriginal population, do not find schooling relevant to their culture and way of life.

Inclusive education entails an accepting and socially diverse environment and effective learning opportunities tailored to the expectations and needs of each child. It provides a wide scope for educational reform to respond to the needs of diverse cultural and social groups at the policy, curricular, pedagogical, and assessment levels. The discourse on inclusive education in Malaysia implies addressing a belief system that values diversity as a way of life, and inclusive schooling is a means for its citizens to acquire, appreciate, and respect those values. As such, it is crucial for Malaysia to address the extent to which these values are transmitted in society at large and in schools in particular.

Sujinda Phongaksorn (Thailand)

The turning point in the history of education for the persons with disabilities in Thailand came with the promulgation of the National Education Act B.E. 2542 (1999) and Amendments (Second National Education Act B.E. 2545 (2002)). The Act protects the rights of persons with disabilities to education in accordance with their rights under the Constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand B.E. 2540 (1997) and entitles them to 12 years of quality basic education free of charge, governmental support in terms of access to early intervention services at birth or at first diagnosis, educational materials and facilities, flexibility in the educational management of a child with disability, and provisions for home schooling.

In recent years, in Thailand, there has been a greater recognition of the need for all children to be provided with an education that would help them develop relationships and prepare them for life in the mainstream, and this inclusion has the potential to build friendship, respect, and understanding in the classroom and society at large. With this acknowledgement came the implementation of inclusive education in 390 schools throughout Thailand in 2004. The aim of this was to promote the education of students with and without disabilities in regular classrooms. To ensure the success of the project, the Ministry of Education also launched several projects to support inclusive education such as the training of all teachers in special education, public awareness campaigns to address attitudes towards disability, the development of teaching and learning materials, and the encouragement of greater collaboration between all stakeholders. Thailand presently has a policy on the inclusive education system with 5000 regular schools now required to accept students with disabilities. It is mandatory for these schools to develop an individualised education programme for each student with disability and for teachers to differentiate curriculum, instruction, and evaluation to meet diverse needs.

Inclusion is important to Thailand for many reasons. First, in terms of human rights, inclusion can play an important role in providing Thai citizens with equal opportunities to receive quality education without discrimination. Second, it offers students with disabilities opportunities to develop to their fullest potential. Third, inclusion can promote social cohesion, providing students with and without disabilities opportunities to develop relationships, to build friendships, and to respect and understand diversity. Fourth, it allows all students to prepare themselves for their future life in society. Fifth, inclusion encourages school and society to accept persons with disabilities and allow them to fully and equally participate in school and social activities, and lastly, it fulfils the internationally mandated goal of education for all.