Embracing Inclusive Education: Back To School

“Inclusive education is a process that requires a profound cultural shift to attain one education system for all learners with the provision of supports, inclusive of all marginalized and/or vulnerable groups.”- The World Bank. As the new academic year begins stakeholders in the education circle must take a reality check in order to come to grasp regarding the learning loss of students that occurred over the summer holidays. However, on the other side we must ask what is being done in our schools across the primary and secondary levels in order to remedy the learning loss. The reality for a significant number of students is one rooted in economics. Most students are forced to work during this time off from school in order to prepare themselves financially to assist in back to school supplies. Unfortunately, another cohort of those students who worked during the summer will not return to school especially young men in the upper grades at the secondary level who are indifferent to the formal education system as well as those girls who will become teenage mothers. The return to school is intended to be a time for re-acquaintance, where students arrive prepared to learn, and educators are ready to teach. However, in too many cases, students often return to school after summer break academically unprepared. Interestingly, there are studies done in North America that suggest that summer separation from scholastic instruction contributes significantly to the academic disparity students face upon their return from vacation. We must then ask ourselves what scaffolding measures are in place to address the needs of such students. The learning loss that students face is also along the socio-economic classes as students from households with more income will likely fare better than their counterparts from lower socioeconomic classes. The recent Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) results in Mathematics for Jamaican students clearly points to a crisis not only concerning the teaching of Mathematics but also the retention of teachers of Mathematics. Disturbingly, for the 2024 CSEC sitting, only 38.9 per cent of students who sat the exam received a pass. Additionally, only 18 per cent of this year’s cohort obtained five subjects, including Mathematics and English. Without a doubt there is a correlation between students’ outcome and their socio-economic status. It is evident that a more detailed interrogation of the CSEC results is necessary in order to identify those areas in need of remedial attention. A Culture of Inclusivity . Inclusive education plays a vital role in creating a fair and empowering educational journey for every student. Each learner deserves a nurturing and welcoming environment that validates their individuality. Inclusive education presents several challenges and barriers that require urgent attention in order to overcome them. These challenges can manifest at different levels, including attitudes, policies, infrastructure, and support systems. Regrettably, we live in a society in which boys who display school smarts are often ridiculed as effeminate by peers and even adults in areas where academic excellence by males is typically devalued. Curricula Barriers to Inclusion. As educators, inclusion should be at the core of our planning and execution regarding the teaching and learning process. Implicit biases negatively impact educational expectations such as characteristics like disability and socioeconomic status present themselves. As a result we must as educators engage in retrospection so as to identify and address any personal biases that we may entertain. Unfortunately, multiple systemic obstacles still prevent equitable learning environments for all. One area that is frequently neglected is that of community involvement. Collaborating with parents, communities, and stakeholders fosters a supportive environment that encourages the participation of all students in the learning process. Schools can conduct regular meetings and engage parents in decision-making processes to address the unique needs of their children. Rigid, testing-focused curricula based on same-age peer benchmarks overlook individual needs, preferred learning styles and talents. A one-size curriculum may suffice average developing students but marginalizes others. We must always take into consideration that classes and indeed schools are not homogeneous groups; they tend to operate as heterogeneous groups. Acknowledging Intersectionalities. Policy makers must also take into account the intersectionalities within the society such as sex, social class and the other socializing agents when crafting a curriculum. We need to pursue an inclusive curriculum to impact the realities of our students. This is a best practice as is evident in an article by Reginald Williams where he states that poor and disadvantaged students experience more considerable summer reading losses than their middle-class counterparts, and all students experience similar losses in math. In order to explain this finding, scholars have relied on surveys of summer activities, which show that children in poverty have fewer opportunities to practice reading than middle-class children. As a result, socioeconomic gaps in reading are heightened during vacation, suggesting that differences in family backgrounds not differences in school quality create achievement inequalities. These challenges interconnect, like curricula barriers compounding social isolation when unresponsive to diverse backgrounds. Thus, progress demands systemic transformation through multifaceted intervention – from resourcing and training to culture shifts, flexible curricula and person-centered assessments supporting marginalized populations. The Center for American Progress, a public policy organization dedicated “to improving the lives of all Americans through bold, progressive ideas,” maintains that systemic racism colors education. According to the organization wide-reaching changes to America’s education indoctrination must start with a change in the curriculum. Coach Alfred Powell argues that by connecting the curriculum to their students’ lived experiences and cultural backgrounds, educators can motivate them to pursue excellence, exceptionalism, and determination. A curriculum must be responsive and include the experiences and identities. Although Jamaica does not have an issue with systemic racism the National Standards Curriculum may be in need of more interrogation in order to identify the gaps given that students from wealthy backgrounds tend to perform betters academically given the extra support their parents can extend to them. Such students are then placed at the school of their choice. The public perception is that some schools at the secondary level provide better student outcomes. The other students who are not fortunate enough to have been placed at their first or even second choice are then placed in other schools. Sustainable Development Goal. SDG4 speaks to inclusive and equitable quality education and the promotion of lifelong learning opportunities for all. The United Nations (UN) states that only 58% of students worldwide achieved at least the minimum proficiency level in reading at the end of primary schooling in 2019. A large share of countries is moving backwards in learning outcomes at the end of lower secondary school. Improvement in upper secondary completion rate has slowed since 2015. Some regions are facing teacher shortages, high student-teacher ratios, and inadequate training and lack of professional development opportunities for teachers. UN data indicates that between 2018 and 2022, based on learning outcomes at the end of lower secondary schools across 81 The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and partner countries, mean performance in mathematics fell by a record 15 points while reading fell 10 points. However, reading and mathematics scores had been declining for these countries prior to 2015, suggesting that COVID-19 explains only part of the decline. The Way Forward. Regrettably, too many of our students are being left behind, especially given that so many schools are not considered as safe spaces. Studies indicate simple changes like preferential seating, adjusting lighting or noise levels, using fidget tools, personalized timetables and flexibility in due dates can greatly reduce barriers for students requiring additional support. Assistive technologies including audio books and speech-to-text programs also enable independent learning without dependency on adults or stigma when used appropriately. The profession extracts a lot and educators must take check of their overall health including their mental health in order to give of their best. The World Bank makes a compelling argument by stating that the process towards more inclusive education systems will not happen overnight. Inclusive education requires a holistic and targeted, whole-of-government approach, and consideration of specific minority, marginalized and/or vulnerable groups. In the words of Desmond Tutu, inclusive, good-quality education is a foundation for dynamic and equitable societies. Wayne Campbell is an educator and social commentator with an interest in development policies as they affect culture and or gender issues. waykam@yahoo.com @WayneCamo © #inclusiveeducation