Inclusive Education PDF

Education For All Ø A girl gets married at the age of 14 and is prevented from education. Ø A boy at the age of 10 has to quit school to join his dad, working on the farm. Ø Some girls don’t get access to higher education due to quota access system of admission while boys with similar grades ge...

Education For All Ø A girl gets married at the age of 14 and is prevented from education. Ø A boy at the age of 10 has to quit school to join his dad, working on the farm. Ø Some girls don’t get access to higher education due to quota access system of admission while boys with similar grades get access easily. ØAt this time of disruptive education (Covid-19), children of some villages in Oman don’t have access to education due to unavailability of internet. How do you feel about these situations? Ø The Education for All (EFA): Movement led by UNESCO Ø EFA goals were established at Jomtien, Thailand in 1990; reaffirmed at the 2000 World Education Forum in Dakar, Senegal Ø In the Millennium Development Goals, established in 2000, the world’s governments committed to achieving universal access to free, quality and compulsory primary education by 2015. Ø In ‘A World Fit for Children’ outcome document from the United Nations General Assembly Special Session on Children in 2002, governments reaffirmed these commitments and agreed to a range of strategies and actions to achieve them. § A resolution adopted by the U.N. General Assembly in 2015. § The Agenda is “a plan of action for people, planet and prosperity”. § It comprises of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These goals are indivisible and encompass economic, social and environmental dimensions. § Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4) is the education goal https://sdg4education2030.org/the-goal It aims to “ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.” § Why is SDG4 important to sustainable development and prosperity of the world? § How do we ensure inclusive and equitable quality of education? https://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/sustainable-development-goals/goal-4-quality-education.html “Achieving inclusive and quality education for all reaffirms the belief that education is one of the most powerful and proven vehicles for sustainable development. This goal ensures that all girls and boys complete free primary and secondary schooling by 2030. It also aims to provide equal access to affordable vocational training, to eliminate gender and wealth disparities, and achieve universal access to a quality higher education.” [Stress added] https://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/sustainable-development-goals/goal-4-quality- education.html#:~:text=This%20goal%20ensures%20that%20all,to%20a%20quality%20higher%20education § Inclusion: At the core of the EFA movement. (a refined EFA agenda) § For EFA to be achieved, inclusion must be seen as the guiding principle. § “Inclusive education means all children in the same classrooms, in the same schools. It means real learning opportunities for groups who have traditionally been excluded – not only children with disabilities, but speakers of minority languages too.” https://www.unicef.org/education/inclusive-education § “a process of addressing and responding to the diversity of needs of all learners through increasing participation in learning, cultures and communities, and reducing exclusion from education and from within education.” http://www.ibe.unesco.org/fileadmin/user_upload/Policy_Dialogue/48th_ICE/Press_Kit/Interview_Clementina_Eng13 Nov.pdf § “Inclusive education is an approach to schooling in which students with many different kinds of disabilities and learning needs are educated in classes with non- disabled and typically developing students.…. in an inclusive classroom, there is a strong emphasis on trying to meet the diverse learning needs of all students without removing them from the classroom.” (Kirschner, 2015) “is a dual and controversial issue, as it appears among the strategies and objectives planned at international and European levels, but its application and real development is still far from being a right with guarantees.” (Medina-García et. Al., 2020). Ø No one should be left behind Ø Education for all Ø Learners’ diversity Ø Inclusive education for children with disabilities (Special needs students) Ø Quality education for all Ø Equal opportunity § In groups list what you think makes an inclusive school??? § What is your role as a teacher in making school inclusive? Ø Girls lag far behind in getting access Ø Underachievement by boys Ø Poverty Ø Ethnic minority and indigenous communities Ø Rural areas IN THE OMANI CONTEXT: § What are the challenges of inclusive education? EDUCATION MUST BE PROVIDED IN A WAY THAT IS CONSISTENT WITH HUMAN RIGHTS, INCLUDING: Ø equal respect for every child Ø opportunities for meaningful participation Ø freedom from all forms of violence Ø respect for language, culture and religion Ø To assure every child a quality education that respects and promotes her or his right to dignity and optimum development. Ø Education has been formally recognized as a human right since the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948. Ø The right to education is to be achieved on the basis of equality of opportunity. § The right of access to education § The right to quality education § The right to respect within the learning environment ü Provide free and compulsory primary education. ü Develop forms of secondary education that are available and accessible to everyone. ü Introduce measures to provide free education and financial assistance in cases of need. ü Provide higher education that is accessible on the basis of capacity by every appropriate means. ü Provide accessible educational and vocational information and guidance. ü Introduce measures to encourage regular attendance and reduce drop-out rates. ü Provide education on the basis of equal opportunity. ü Ensure respect for the right to education without discrimination of any kind on any grounds. ü Ensure an inclusive education system at all levels. ü Provide reasonable accommodation and support measures to ensure that children with disabilities have effective access to and receive education in a manner conducive to achieving the fullest possible social integration. ü Ensure an adequate standard of living for physical, mental, spiritual, moral and social development. ü Provide protection and assistance to ensure respect for the rights of children who are refugees or seeking asylum. ü Provide protection from economic exploitation and work that interferes with education. ü Develop children’s personalities, talents, and mental and physical abilities to their fullest potential. ü Promote respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, and prepare children for a responsible life in a spirit of peace, tolerance, equality and friendship. ü Promote respect for the child’s, his or her parents’ and others’ cultural identity, language and values. ü Promote respect for the natural environment. ü Ensure the child’s access to information from a diversity of sources. ü Ensure that the best interests of children are a primary consideration. ü Promote respect for the evolving capacities of children in the exercise of their rights. ü Respect the right of children to rest, leisure, play, recreation, and participation in arts and culture. ü Respect every child equally without discrimination on any grounds. ü Teach respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, for difference and for life in a society where there is understanding, peace, tolerance, equality and friendship. ü Give primary consideration to the best interests of the child. ü Respect the evolving capacities of the child. ü Respect the right of children to express their views on all matters of concern to them and have those views given due weight in accordance with children’s age and maturity. ü Recognize the right to freedom of expression, religion, conscience, thought and assembly. ü Respect the privacy of children. ü Take all appropriate measures to ensure that school discipline is administered in a manner consistent with the child’s dignity and all other rights in the Convention on the Rights of the Child. ü Protect children from all forms of physical violence, injury or abuse, neglect or negligence, maltreatment or exploitation, including sexual abuse. ØDiversity is everything that makes people different from each other. ØDiversity is any dimension that can be used to differentiate groups and people from one another. ØRefers to the existence of variations of different characteristics in a group of people (e.g. race, age, gender, religion, sexual orientation, cultural background). Ø Student diversity should be clearly understood by teachers Ø The uniqueness of each person Ø Mutual respect for all §List four characteristics that make you different from others. Google Discussion Question Diversity consists of different types, characteristics, dimensions or factors. § What are they? § Can you give examples? § Characteristics related to situations that a person is born into. § Things that a person didn’t choose and are impossible to change. § some examples of internal diversity: ü Race ü Ethnicity ü Age ü Origin ü Cultural identity ü Gender ü Physical ability ü Mental ability https://www.alliant.edu/blog/what-are-4-types-diversity § Aspects that are related to a person § Characteristics that a person was NOT born with. § They can be influenced by other people and environment/context § They are things that a person can change. § Some examples of external diversity include: ü Personal interests ü Education ü Appearance ü Citizenship ü Beliefs (religious, political) ü Location ü Familial status ü Relationship status ü Socioeconomic status ü Life experiences https://www.alliant.edu/blog/what-are-4-types-diversity  External factors can be controlled Work Experience Education Appearance Mental/Physical Age Political Belief Ability Gender Internal Identity or Factors Expression Race/Ethnicity cannot be Religion Sexual Family controlled Orientation Gender National Origin Income Organizational Role Language and Communication Skils Inner circle: internal Outer circle: external § important to incorporate diversity and promote inclusion § In an inclusive classroom, teachers: ü are aware of the diversity of students. ü work to create a safe and collaborative learning environment for all students. ü recognize that students learn in different ways. ü use multiple methods to deliver course content. ØMust be acknowledged and taught appropriately ØMaterials and procedures should be modified to address the special needs of each student Ø Should be given appropriate attention by governments Ø Specialized schools are needed for some groups of special needs. § considers education as the key to all dimensions of sustainable development § Education is a right for all guaranteed by the Basic Statute of the country § gender equality and quality education are among the fundamental principles guiding educational work in Oman. § What are some challenges facing education in Oman? § government as the main source of funds is the most prominent challenge facing the education sector. § The requirements of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and its impact on the future of jobs and the skills required in the labour market are also among the main § challenges. § It is estimated that 65 percent of primary school children will be employed in jobs that do not yet exist. Source: First Voluntary National Review of The Sultanate of Oman 2019 § Oman’s education system needs to be upgraded, developed, and prepared to meet the challenges of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. § Education is part of the strategic directions of Oman 2040 Vision, which emphasizes inclusive education, lifelong learning, and scientific research that leads to a knowledgeable society and competitive national talents. Source: http://www.majalisna.com/g/vp.php?PID=2718 and MOI § How has Oman addressed diversity in its education system? § What kind of laws, strategies and programs have been adopted by Oman to provide education for all and ensure inclusive education? § Goal 4: Quality education (2020). United Nations Development Programme. Available from: https://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/sustainable-development- goals/goal-4-quality-education.html § Kirschner, S. (2014). Inclusive classrooms. In W. Scarlett (Ed.), The sage encyclopedia of classroom management (Vol. 1, pp. 404-407). SAGE Publications Inc., https://www.doi.org/10.4135/9781483346243.n165 § Medina-García, Marta & Doña Toledo, Luis & Higueras-Rodríguez, Lina. (2020). Equal Opportunities in an Inclusive and Sustainable Education System: An Explanatory Model. Sustainability. 12. 4626. 10.3390/su12114626. § Sustainable development goal 4 (SDG4). (n.d.) Sustainable development goals. Available from: https://sdg4education2030.org/the-goal § What are the 4 types of diversity (n.d.) Alliant International University. Available from https://www.alliant.edu/blog/what-are-4-types-diversity