Inclusive Education in Lao PDR

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Inclusive Educationin Lao PDR
Presentation in Roundtable 3 on Disability
Mainstreaming in Practice Focusing on
example of disability mainstreaming in education
sector 04-06 May 2005 Phnom Penh,
Cambodia Sithath Outhaithany Ministry of
Education in Lao PDR
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Lao PDR (Laos)

• Land-locked in the Centre of South-East Asia
• Bordering China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand and
  Myanmar
• Area 236,800 sq.km.
• Population 6 million
• Density 22/sq.km.
• Ethnicity 47
• Capital Vientiane
• GDP US 350 per capita
• HDI Rank 131 out of 162

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The project in Laos was based on the following
conditions

• No problem with fear so no awareness
  raising needed as advocated internationally
• No extra staff or resources so no
  Individual Educational Plans as advocated in
  developed countries
• Low Capacity so supportive framework needed
  a system which we call managed experience was
  used and extra technical support was needed
• Weak enforcement of regulations so no
  difficulties before regulations changed

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Policy and Practice

• In Laos it usually is the case that practice
  precedes policy. There was no specific policy
  about IE before it started to be implemented.
• It is only after policy changes that policy can
  become explicit.
• Some policies and legislations supported to IE
• National constitution all Lao population has
  equal right to education (1991)
• Education for all (UNESCO 1990 2000)
• Salamanca conference (UNESCO 1994)
• Decade for disable people (ESCAP 1993 2003)
• Prime Ministers decree on primary compulsory
  education (1996)
• Child Right Convention (CRC)
• Education law (2000)
• - Policy on Poverty Eradication

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Parameters of IE Project in Lao PDR

• Welcome all learners, regardless of their
  characteristics, disadvantages or difficulties.
• Focus on physically and mentally disabled
  children.
• Certain changes are made in the education system,
  the school and classroom so as to enable these
  children to learn successfully.

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Goal and Objectives

• Development Goal
• Protect and ensure the right to quality education
  for all children in the Lao PDR.
• Objectives
• To improve the access to basic education for
  children with special need, nationwide in the Lao
  PDR by 2007.

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Why Inclusive Education?

• All children have a right to education (CRC, EFA,
  constitution / laws, compulsory education
• Children have a right to stay at home with
  families and their local communities
• Segregation increases negative attitudes towards
  those who are different
• It is also cheaper for most systems to maintain
  segregated provision
• More children with special needs have access to
  school/ education.

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The pattern of expansion

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Phase III - National institutionalization
Phase II - National Expansion
Phase I - National Experiment
Pilot
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Cont...

• Pilot stage (1993-95)
• Phase I National experiment (1995-2000)
• Phase II National expansion (2000-04)
• Phase III National institutionalization
  (2005-07)
• The quality standard
• - in classrooms
• - in schools
• - in districts
• - in provinces
• The annual plan
• - training for teachers, supervisors,
• administrators including provincial
  implementation teams
• - annual review meeting - in March of each year
• - annual planning in July of each year

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IE structure

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Capacity building

• NIT capacity building
• - External advisers/experts
• - Learning from practice
• - International Workshops/conferences
• PIT capacity building
• - TOT workshop and trainings conducted by NIT
• external experts
• DIT capacity building
• - Training workshop conducted by NIT
• School teacher capacity building
• - Training workshops conducted by PIT (5 days 3
  days)

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Cont...

• Annual review meetings
• Exchange visits
• Newsletters

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7 Principles

• Quality of education
• - an opportunity to improve the quality
• - limitation of enrolment in IE classroom
• 2. Full integration
• - variety of teaching methods activities
• - making small changes extra helps
• - additional activities in school at home

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Cont.

• 3. Starting young
• - the earlier the better to start
• - recruitment in pre-schools if
• possible
• 4. Developing human resources
• - training
• - exchange of experiences
• - building capacity of IE local teams

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Cont

• 5. Families
• - working relationship with families
• - day-to-day cooperation
• 6. Community support
• - eradicating old ideas superstition
• - explaining the right of children the goals
  
• benefit
• 7. Cooperation
• - between teachers within schools between
  schools
• - with other services, such as health, and mass
  organisations

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Methods

• Training supported experiences
• Continuous support from within
• Clear directions
• Regular exchange
• Monitoring as a process of help

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Cont

• Use a variety of teaching methods and styles
• Give importance to Early years
• Develop own training materials
• Cooperation at all levels

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Achievement

• 364 IE schools total in all 18 provinces of the
  country
• Change of attitudes parents, communities,
  teachers, children.
• Capacity built at the national and provincial
  levels.
• Teachers are well prepared to help children with
  special needs.
• Creativity promoted.
• Government policy and strategies supporting IE
  available.
• Cooperation strengthened at all levels.
• Able to show that IE works in low resources
  context.

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From our experience IE project requires

• Long term commitment from MoE
• Small funding over a relatively long time
• Good technical advice
• Excellent monitoring and support systems
• Sensitive and common sensed approaches
• Flexibility
• Best practice in development sustainability and
  local ownership
• Involvement of parents and community

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Future plans/2005-07

• Improve quality of education for CSN in
  designated schools
• Integrate IE mechanisms in education strategies
  and systems at all levels
• Mainstream CRC AIDS training into the project
  activities and in-service training curriculum
• Create a greater involvement of parents and
  communities