Open File on Inclusive Education

This Open File is intended to support all those who are concerned with promoting inclusive education in their countries. In particular, it offers a means whereby administrators and decision-makers in different countries can draw on international experience in guiding their own countries’ systems towards inclusion. 

The users of the Open File are likely to be staff with leadership responsibilities working in national education ministries, local government, district services and resource centres, voluntary organisations, NGOs and so on.

Acknowledgements 9
Introduction. 11
The Rationale for inclusive education 15
1 Inclusive education and human rights 16
2 Education for all 17
3 Inclusive education 19
3.1 Inclusive education, disability and special educational needs 21
3.2 Inclusive education and the social model of learning diflculties 21
3.3 Progress towards inclusive education 22
4 Implications and questions 24
Topic 1
Managing the Development of Inclusive Policies and Practices Rationale 26
Examples of Strategies 26
1 Initiating change 26
1.1 Developing a philosophy of inclusion 26
1.2 Inclusion as a system-wide development 27
1.3 Mobilising opinion and building consensus 28
1.4 Developing a situation analysis 29
1.5 The role of legislation 30
1.6 Developing inclusive education through small scale initiatives 32
1.7 Success factors in local projects 33
2 Changing administrative structures 34
2.1 Merging separate structures 34
2.2 Creating a focus 34
2.3 Devolved management 3.5
3 Mobilising resources for inclusion 36
3.1 Identifying resources 36
3.2 Building partnerships 36
3.3 Top-down and bottom-up approaches to involvement 37
3.4 Involving international organisations and NGOs 38
3.5 Making the most of limited resources 39
Implications and Questions 40

Topic 2
Professional Development For Inclusive Education Rationale 42
Examples of Strategies 42
1 A whole-system approach 42
2 Supported school development 44
3 Cascade models 46
4 Distance learning 47
5 Reviewing the structures of teacher education 47
5.1 Initial training 49
5.2 New roles for special educators 50
6 Training the trainers 51
7 Making training systematic 52
Implications and Questions 53

Topic 3
Education Assessment as Part of Quality Education
Rationale 56
Examples of Strategies 56
1 Purposes of Assessment 56
1.1 The use of assessment to inform planning and provision 56
1.2 The use of assessment for teacher planning 57
1.3 The use of assessment for school development 58
2 Teacher assessment techniques 60
2.1 The qualitative assessment of learning 60
2.2 Principles of inclusive teacher assessment 6 1
3 Developing teachers’ skills 62
4 Building assessment teams 62
5 The role of parents and students 64
6 Early assessment and intervention 65
6.1 Assessment and intervention in the early years 66
6.2 Early assessment and intervention in the school years 67
6.3 Early assessment in the school years: curriculum-based assessment 68
6.4 Early assessment for transition from school to adult life 69
Implications and Questions 69