Using the ILFE Toolkit to Using the ILFE Toolkit to promote promote

Inclusive EducationInclusive Education

What is the “Embracing Diversity: Toolkit for What is the “Embracing Diversity: Toolkit for Creating Inclusive Learning-Friendly Creating Inclusive Learning-Friendly

Environments (ILFE)?Environments (ILFE)?

Practical, holistic resource to assist schools to Practical, holistic resource to assist schools to become more inclusive and learning-friendlybecome more inclusive and learning-friendly

Based on real experience gained over many years Based on real experience gained over many years by families, schools, communities and others by families, schools, communities and others involved in developing inclusive schools and involved in developing inclusive schools and communities.communities.

Activities and question to help us think about Activities and question to help us think about what we do in schoolswhat we do in schools

Activities to guide us through continuing to Activities to guide us through continuing to develop our skillsdevelop our skills

User-friendly for teachers, parents, community User-friendly for teachers, parents, community

How can it be used?How can it be used?

Contains 6 booklets that Contains 6 booklets that can be used in any ordercan be used in any order

Can be used by schools, Can be used by schools, students, families & students, families & communities – hopefully communities – hopefully in collaboration with one in collaboration with one anotheranother

Can be used to progress Can be used to progress development in any type development in any type of educational situation – of educational situation – formal, non-formal, rural, formal, non-formal, rural, urban, etc.urban, etc.

Toolkit BookletsToolkit Booklets

1.1. Becoming an Inclusive, Learning-Friendly Becoming an Inclusive, Learning-Friendly EnvironmentEnvironment

2.2. Working with Families & Communities to Working with Families & Communities to Create an ILFECreate an ILFE

3.3. Getting All Children in School & LearningGetting All Children in School & Learning4.4. Creating Inclusive, Learning-Friendly Creating Inclusive, Learning-Friendly

ClassroomsClassrooms5.5. Managing Inclusive, Learning-Friendly Managing Inclusive, Learning-Friendly

EnvironmentsEnvironments6.6. Creating a Healthy & Protective ILFECreating a Healthy & Protective ILFE

Exploring what we mean by Exploring what we mean by “Inclusive”“Inclusive”Including ALL children who Including ALL children who

are left out or excluded are left out or excluded from school & from from school & from learning. This includes:learning. This includes:

Children with disabilities Children with disabilities – difficulties seeing, – difficulties seeing, hearing, walking, slower hearing, walking, slower to learn, etc.to learn, etc.

Children who have to Children who have to work – in the plantations, work – in the plantations, selling items in town, selling items in town, etc.etc.

Children who are poorChildren who are poor

Children who live in Children who live in isolated situationsisolated situations

Children who are Children who are affected by health affected by health situations (AIDS/HIV)situations (AIDS/HIV)

Girls who are pregnantGirls who are pregnant Children who do not Children who do not

speak the local speak the local languagelanguage

Children from different Children from different religions or castereligions or caste

Children who come to Children who come to school but are not school but are not taughttaught

What do we mean by What do we mean by LEARNING-FRIENDLY?LEARNING-FRIENDLY?

Child-friendlyChild-friendly Teacher-friendlyTeacher-friendly Learning as a Learning as a

shared experienceshared experience Learning as active Learning as active

participationparticipation Learning as a long Learning as a long

term & on-going term & on-going goalgoal

The Samoa example..The Samoa example.. Samoa MESC in Samoa MESC in

conjunction with conjunction with UNESCO have been UNESCO have been working together to working together to utilize the UNESCO utilize the UNESCO “Toolkit” to promote “Toolkit” to promote and develop Inclusive and develop Inclusive Education in SamoaEducation in Samoa

The Toolkit has been The Toolkit has been the key learning, the key learning, development and development and planning toolplanning tool

SNEAC chose 3 SNEAC chose 3 booklets & 4 pilot booklets & 4 pilot schoolsschools

Booklets 2,3 & 5 Booklets 2,3 & 5 4 Pilot schools 4 Pilot schools

involved - Vaimoso, involved - Vaimoso, Letogo, Lalomanu & Letogo, Lalomanu & Tutaga (Savaii)Tutaga (Savaii)

Training held with all Training held with all pilot schools, NGOs, pilot schools, NGOs, MESC, NOLA, MESC, NOLA, Parents & other Parents & other interested groups or interested groups or individualsindividuals

Support/monitoring Support/monitoring teams set up to visit teams set up to visit each school & assist each school & assist

Training – Practice what you Training – Practice what you preach!preach!

Think – Pair – ShareThink – Pair – Share Role playsRole plays Cooperative LearningCooperative Learning Group workGroup work Peer tutoringPeer tutoring Discovery LearningDiscovery Learning Lots of fun!Lots of fun!

Each school developed goals AND Each school developed goals AND an Action Plan!an Action Plan!

Need to recognise…end of year, exams, etc Need to recognise…end of year, exams, etc have not made this commitment an easy have not made this commitment an easy one…and still they have been able to….one…and still they have been able to….

Professional development for all teachersProfessional development for all teachers Public awareness programmePublic awareness programme Home visitsHome visits Identification of students needing to Identification of students needing to

attend schoolattend school Student placement – from segregated to Student placement – from segregated to

includedincluded

Some real examples…Some real examples… All teachers working All teachers working

through Booklet 2through Booklet 2 Community partnership Community partnership

with Pulenu’u, village with Pulenu’u, village council & school council & school committee to build committee to build another class (not for another class (not for segregation but in segregation but in anticipation of more anticipation of more children attending school)children attending school)

School committee & School committee & village council providing village council providing subsidies for school fees subsidies for school fees for those children whose for those children whose families cannot pay school families cannot pay school feesfees

Sharing “Toolkit” training with Sharing “Toolkit” training with other schools in the district (6 other schools in the district (6 out of 8 schools attended!)out of 8 schools attended!)

All “slow learners” moved All “slow learners” moved into peer/age classesinto peer/age classes

Teachers starting to use more Teachers starting to use more “group” work“group” work

Parents volunteeringParents volunteering Database used to help “find” Database used to help “find”

childrenchildren Parents involved – Parents involved –

volunteeringvolunteering Students achieving beyond Students achieving beyond

expectation expectation

Fa’afetai tele lava, ko raba, Fa’afetai tele lava, ko raba, vinaka vakalevu, tank yu vinaka vakalevu, tank yu

tumas, tumas, meitaki ma ata, ta muchly!!meitaki ma ata, ta muchly!!