Learning Lessons from Experience: good practice case studies

Inclusive Education Title: Inclusive education planning in school and local authority levels

Countries: Rwanda & Indonesia

Specific Topic Area: Action plans for developing inclusive education (school & local authority level

Presented by: Vincent MURENZI (Rwanda) Singgih PURNOMO (Indonesia)

Date: 28th May 2013

The Inclusive Education development action plan was developed as an innovative and responsive action suitable to enable district and sector officials, school practitioners, parents, educational officials, children and other actors to

own the issue of Inclusive Education, get involved in its implementati  

Practically, it involved different stakeholders mainly the District Education Officer (DEOs), the Sector Education Officers (SEOs), head teachers and other people sampled on a representative basis. Overall, they sat in a participatory approach and analyzed the needs they had in inclusive education, assessed the current

baseline matrices in the area, planned for the next activities to be done, identified people who should be involved in the accomplishment, set goals and

indicators to achieve, strategies to use and target dates of evaluation and review.

What do we mean byAction plans for developing inclusive

education (school & local authority level)

Exchanges with District Education Departments helped them to identify actions to support the implementation of inclusive education and implement it based on their

resources. Education Department identified the budget available and defined action based on their role for the implementation of inclusive education.

The process involved head of inclusive school, school supervisor, member of DPO, teacher, and strategic officer of District Education Departments to define an inclusive

education action plan in line with challenges of implementation in the field.

The action plan document will serve as guidance for District Education Department in ensuring adequate support for inclusive education in term of activities and budget in

the annual District action plan..

What do we mean bySupport to provincial and district education authorities for upgrading their action plans

Summary of IE context

• RWANDA In Rwanda, since the year 2012, the Inclusive Education

development plans were annually done at district level. This practice was an opportunity for school head teachers and Sector Education Officers (SEOs) to plan for the future of IE in their respective schools. The achievements were evaluated on a regular basis at the end of every semester. At this event, head teachers had to present their achievements upon the prior planning made. As a result, successful schools were congratulated and slow ones encouraged. The utmost purpose of the innovation was to empower local actors to enable them set new strategies for a more brilliant success of IE and stimulate a better monitoring process by SEOs.

Summary of IE context (with specific relation to the topic – not a general description of the country or project)

INDONESIA • In 2009, release of Ministry Policy No.70 supporting the implementation of inclusive

education. This policy is not well implemented yet in the provincial and district level. In Lombok island, there are no local regulations (District), systematic plan and budget for the development of inclusive education. Level of understanding Education Department staff in provincial and district level about inclusive education and policy no.70 are still limited. The situation affect the inclusive education implementation.There are no specific plan to improve implementation in districts. At school level, despite 36 schools recognized as inclusive schools, they are not inclusive in the implementation. To improve education department’s support for inclusive education, HI and education department work together to develop an action plan to define specific support measures in each District for a better implementation of inclusive education.

Action plans for developing inclusive education (school & local authority level): main barriers

Rwanda • Untimely implementation of Inclusive Education

development and action plans;• Few resources allocated to the implementation

of the District Inclusive Education action plans.

Indonesia • High staff turn over in Education Departments

District and provincial level• Budgetting system in Education Departments

refer to district annual budget

Description of the good practice and measures taken to overcome

barriers

Rwanda

• Keep regular meetings with head teachers and SEOs to review implementation process and mechanisms;

• Advocate for including the IE development and action plans in the district annual budget.

Description of the good practice and measures taken to overcome

barriersIndonesia • Maintain regular coordination and meeting, formal and

informal with Provincial and District Education key person

• Develop action plan in Education department level. Build capacities of Education Departments ( District level) who will bring the action plan to the level of parliaments and governments developments committee for budgeting.

Most significant changes

Rwanda• Change of behavior for district, sector and education officials

towards ownership and understanding of IE;• The District strategic documents took IE into account in long,

medium and short plans;• School head teachers worked on pre-determined and set targets;• It enhanced commitment of all IE stakeholders, created synergy and

lead to optimum and effective use of resources;• Effective school monitoring by Sector Education Officers (SEOs);

• Quick and positive changes within school in terms of IE

development.

Most significant changes

Indonesia• Number of inclusive school in are increase ; from 9 to 19 in Lombok Barat and 7 to 76

(70 elementary school) in Lombok Tengah. • In Lombok Barat and Lombok Timur District, inclusive school forum are established

as media to sharing an experience of head teachers and teacher of inclusive school, and partners of Education Department in giving an information related to inclusive education issues.

• Establishments of inclusive education policy in Lombok Tengah and Lombok Timur. This ensures inclusive education is sustained as part of district government concern.

• Activity related to support the good implementation of inclusive education are inserted in district annual action plan with budget.

• Identification of children with disabilities in all Sub Districts at school level in Lombok Tengah (PADATI) and Lombok Barat.

• Increase awareness of head of school and school supervisors in inclusive education through dissemination of information in school supervisor meeting and school cluster.

Impact statements

• Quotations + photos Change on everyday school practices A head teacher of St John Bosco KAMONYI Secondary School, said:

‘’before planning in a participatory way at sector level, I was not sure of what do. I thought HI would come with a ready- made plan and, for sure, was ignorant in IE concepts. As now I’ve been involved in planning activities for IE in my school, I really feel comfortable and responsible. I had to coach myself to understand IE concepts and monitor the process of implementing the IE development plan in my school’’ end of quotation.

Impact statements

• Quotations + photos Change on everyday school practices A head teacher of Jembatan Kembar Elementary school Imanto Said, said:

‘’Through my involvements in inclusive education action plan, I can share the difficulties i faced in my school to Education Department. I am very happy because now my school already formally mentioned as inclusive school with another 19 schools. I am more confident to share inclusive concept to another school through cluster meeting”

Replicating or scaling up this practice – what do we need to do?

• HI needs to disseminate the good practice to different actors and practitioners at policy, service and community levels;

• Other districts need to replicate this type of practice in the plannings (District Development Plans, Medium Term Expenditure Framework and Annual Performance Contract).

Replicating or scaling up this practice – what do we need to do?

• HI continue working in developing inclusive education action plan with wider stakeholders involved in regulation and policy development such as District planning and developments Departments and Parliaments members.

Summary points

Our experience in planning activities for inclusive education in Rwandan schools shows that IE programs are owned by head teachers, district and sector education officials and have transformed them into active activists.

Summary points The development of District action plan shows that :

1. Participatory method in developing action plan which involves all inclusive education stakeholder ( teachers, head teacher, school supervisor, DPO,and higher level of Education Departmets staff ) give a clear pictures on the challenge faced and helps to define suitable action by Education Department based on real situation

2. Establishments of inclusive education action plan by Education Departments helped Education Departments decision-makers to propose a clear support for inclusive education in the formal development of district annual action plan and ensure support activity, budget, regulation or policy related to inclusive education support are included.

3. The development of the action plan by Education Department helps teacher, head teacher, school supervisor and officer of education departments to be more commited and confident in the implementation of inclusive education within their specific roles

More photos