Learning Lessons

from Experience:

good practice case

studies

Inclusive Education Title: Cluster schools & Resource centres (school & authority level)

Countries: Rwanda & Ethiopia

Specific Topic Area: Developing Cluster schools & Resource centres

Presented by: Vincent MURENZI (Rwanda)

Desalegn MEBRATU (Ethiopia)

Date: 28th May 2013

113

Cluster schools are schools that become inclusive due to

being sensitized and developed by their neighboring pilot

schools to accommodate learners with special educational

needs including those with disabilities and meet their needs

in the same practices and approaches as the ones used in

pilot schools.

A resource room is a classroom where students come for

part of their instructional day to receive special education

services. It benefits to the students with special educational

needs in addition to what they receive in the regular

classroom placement.

What do we mean by

Cluster schools & Resource centres (school &

authority level)

114

Summary of IE context

• Rwanda In Rwanda, 36 pilot schools have developed 104 cluster schools in

two years. The latter brought positive and significant achievements

notably the change of mindset, the change of pedagogical practices

with respect of inclusive principles and approaches, the enrollment

of 2961 vulnerable pupils including 1475 children with disabilities

(647 female and 828 male).

Parallel with this increment in size, the 36 model inclusive schools

have developed resource rooms with available local means and

support from parents. The resource rooms helped parents to assist

teachers and regularly support their children with provision of

learning materials. It served for special educational assessment,

guidance and counseling, multidisciplinary team meeting,

educational materials production, private rooms for boys and girls for

eventual first aid, parental advice and supplementary teaching.

115

Summary of IE context

•

• Ethiopia

In Ethiopia, six pilot cluster schools have

developed inclusive environment Especially, the

enrollment of children with disabilities in the six

pilot clusters has increased to 791 from 535 in in

a short time, just a year and half. 30 schools

which are satellites to the pilot cluster schools are

taking lessons and practicing inclusive principles.

116

Summary of IE context-CONT

Ethiopia

The six pilot schools have developed their own

resource centers which also serve the 30

satellite schools. Special needs teachers who

are in charge of the centers provide professional

assistance to mainstream teachers, school staff,

parents and individual students. Excluding

teachers and students from the 30 satellite

schools, the resource centers have benefited 17

270 students / 791/ with disabilities.

117

Cluster schools & Resource centres (school &

authority level): main barriers

• Cluster schools are so many that they are

not easily manageable;

• Some schools do not have enough rooms

to develop resource rooms.

118

Description of the good practice

and measures taken to overcome

barriers

Rwanda

• To empower cluster schools in a bid to

render them autonomous in the future;

• To advocate for availing resource rooms

throughout the process of building Nine

Year Basic Education (9YBE) classrooms.

119

Description of the good practice and measures taken to

overcome barriers

ETHIOPIA

1.Establishment of functional resource centers in cluster

schools: managed by SNE teachers, where mainstream

teachers can look for support to improve their skills.

2.Involvement of DPOS in the promotion and practice of

inclusive education for vulnerable groups together with the

cluster schools.

3.The involvement of children in the IE process through

students‘ parliament and various clubs.

120

Most significant changes

Rwanda • In sum, 104 clusters were born and 2961 vulnerable children

including 1475 children with disabilities were included in them;

• The assessment of children‘s needs was done;

• The individual Education Plans were done and evaluated by the

schools;

• The culture of inclusion was developed by the pioneer teachers;

• Schools were equipped through teachers and head teachers‘ own

initiatives;

• The relations between the community, cluster and model inclusive

schools were tightly tailored.

121

Most significant changes Ethiopia

1. Positive change towards the education of the most

vulnerable groups among parents and improved IE practice

by service providers and better physical accessibility which

has all lead to an increase in enrollment of children with

disabilities from 535 to 791 and better learning environment

for another 17,270 students

2. Active participation of DPOS in the expansion of

education for the most vulnerable groups and the

establishment of inclusive education steering committee at

school level.

3. Interest and recognition for the promotion of inclusive

school environment by satellite schools, Regional

Education Bureaus and Ministry of education.

122

Impact statements

• Quotations + photos Trained teachers created a multiplier effect

A teacher of NYAGISOZI cluster school in KAMONYI district said: ‗‘ At first, I was not

sure of what to do when I saw CwDs coming to my class. I wondered if I could

manage to handle them as I was not trained in inclusive pedagogy. Once the trained

teacher from MUGINA primary school came to train us, I felt comfortable and became

used to. In turn, I do mobilize and sensitize my peer teachers on a regular basis ‘‘,

end of the statement.

Resource rooms enriched the capacity of teachers to conduct assessment and

use individual Education Plan

A teacher of St Stephen SHYOGWE Secondary School, said: ’’the development of

resource room was a good opportunity to me to conduct special educational needs

assessment and plan individual education plans for those who were seen to be

deviating from the normal curriculum. More importantly, I taught a learner who could

not keep attention any more supplementary way. With toys, I managed to develop his

attention slowly’’, end of quotation.

123

ETHIOPIA : Impact statements

• PHYSICALLY DISABLED CHILD AND HER MOTHER TALKS ABOUT ACCESS

―I stayed in bed all day and did nothing,‖ ―I didn't have friends,

I didn't go to school—I knew nothing about the world.‖ says

Hodan Abedulqader, 17 years old child with physical

disability seen on the photo / middle/ below , when

describing her situation before joining school,

On April 2013, Hodan had the opportunity to meet privately with Jessica Cox, the

world's first armless pilot (she flies with her feet).

124

Ethiopia: SNE TEACHER AND A STUDENT EXPLAINS ABOUT RESOURCE CENTER

―Now we have a center with various materials to assist the

students,‖ says Genet Wolde, SNE Teacher. She added,

―Mainstream teachers come to the resource center

looking for technical support from us and we do our‖

Tiyan Bushira, visually impaired students said , ― now, we have braille ,

and other audio visual equipments helping our learning,‖ she

concludes, ― i wish all children who are blind like me get the chance .‖

125

Replicating or scaling up this

practice – what do we need to do?

• District authorities need to set strategies for supporting

the emerging cluster schools to remain on the inclusive

track.

• Other schools need to replicate this practice of

developing resource rooms.

126

Replicating or scaling up this practice – what do

we need to do?-ETHIOPIA

1. All schools in the regions and country need to take

lesson promote and practice inclusive principles to

reach more vulnerable children.

2. All schools should establish resource centers, managed

by SNE teachers to provide technical assistance to

mainstream teachers and to provide additional teaching

–learning resources to students and teachers.

3. People with disabilities and Disable People

Organizations should be exploited as a resource,

especially in awareness raising campaigns for parents.

127

Summary points

Our experience in developing cluster schools and

resource rooms in Rwandan schools shows that

cluster schools have helped teachers to build

capacity for their peers to accommodate needs of

children with disabilities in mainstream schools and

resource rooms have enabled teachers to offer

supplementary teaching services.

128

Summary points-ETHIOPIA

In Ethiopia a cluster school serves us a hub of resources

and technical support for at least five satellite schools in the

locality.

Our experience indicates that senior teachers and SNE

teachers in the cluster schools have served as trainers for

beginner and junior teachers from satellite schools

regarding inclusive education, on ways of teaching children

with disabilities and quality education in general. The

resource centers in the cluster schools have benefited

teachers and students including those from the satellite

ones.

129

I. THE RESOURCE ROOM HAS TWO PRIVATE

ROOMS FOR EVENTUAL FIRST AID

130

II.VENUE FOR EXCHANGE, PARENTAL ADVICE

AND COUNSELING.

Scenario before: Scenario today:

Under a tree In the resource room

131

III. RESOURCE AND DOCUMENTATION ROOM.

Teachers have made a study trip: they are receiving explanations from their peer teachers.

132

IV. Synergy: Teachers, parents and children

work together 133

V .VENUE FOR ASSESSMENT AND ORIENTATION (BY

SCHOOL MULTI DISCIPLINARY TEAM)

134

ETHIOPIA: Teachers Attending Training, Dire Dawa, Photo

February 2013

135

ETHIOPIA:SNE TEACHER HELPING A STUDENT READ BRAILLE

136

THANK YOU

INCLUSION IS POSSIBLE!

137