Paul Wagstaff Measuring Change: A summary evaluation of the British Council’s inclusion support in...
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Paul Wagstaff
Measuring Change: A summary evaluation of the British Council’s inclusion support in Lebanon and Yemen
1www.britishcouncil.ae
Background
2
Lebanon and Yemen
A history of instability but seeking to drive forward educational reform
Educational Inclusion: A need for change
• A regional issue
• Inclusion awareness and the need to change
• Lebanon and Yemen specific challenges
• International donor recognition of the need to expand reform to include provision for special educational needs
www.britishcouncil.org 3
Inclusion in Lebanon and Yemen Pre-2012
• 1999 – 2006
• Framework for Action
• Identifying particular categories of students
• Policy slow to change
• Inconsistencies between different groups of schools
• Student attrition
• Attitudes and perceptions of teachers and society
www.britishcouncil.org 4
Lebanon
www.britishcouncil.org 5
Yemen
Inclusion in Lebanon and Yemen Pre-2012
• Poor visibility and conviction to initiate change
• Lack of financial resource
• Education reform for mainstream rather than minorities
• Decentralisation in planning
• Poor teacher knowledge and awareness
• Limited services or recognition beyond the deaf and blind
• Student attrition
• Attitudes and perceptions of teachers and society
The British Council: A Regional Strategy
• The Connecting Classrooms Programme 2012-2015
• Policy Dialogue
• MENA Inclusion Conference: Abu Dhabi 2013
• UK Inclusion Study Tour
• MENA Inclusion Conference: Oman 2014
www.britishcouncil.org 6
• Building upon existing networks
• Promoting ‘Access and engagement’
• Building local partnerships with policy makers and NGOs
• Support for strategy into action
• Achievable goals and outcomes
• Seed funding
• Training and professional development for teachers or leaders
• Supporting awareness raising
www.britishcouncil.org 7
The British Council: Local Strategy
One Case Study:
National Day - Lebanon
www.britishcouncil.org 8
National Day: Lebanon
• Strategic partnership
• Supporting local strategy
• Seed funding for a National Day event
• Galvanising support from schools in the Connecting Classrooms programme
• Building a long term strategy and partnership with CERD and SKILD
• Supporting an annual event
www.britishcouncil.org 9
www.britishcouncil.org 10
National Day: Impact Lebanon
• Significant shift in awareness within communities
• National Directory of Inclusive Schools’ for parents
• Raised confidence and awareness in schools
• Building on increased awareness with professional development
• In-school support through strengthening networking
• Facilitating national school networks and interest groups
• Continued dialogue and joint working with CERD, the Ministry and NGO partners
• Developing strategy in public schools
What has changed?
• Greater awareness among the general public in some areas
• Greater confidence among parents to articulate and question their rights
• Raised awareness of a broader range of categories of SEN
• Raised understanding among teachers that SEN is their responsibility
• Confidence among some school groups to pursue inclsuoon practices
• Better access to professional development
• Better engagement with partners
www.britishcouncil.org 11
The next steps
• Stepping from a Regional Strategy to a Localised Strategy that better meets the individual needs in countries and builds upon their current context and achievements
• Strengthening policy dialogue and helping turn policy into action
• Providing expertise needed to strengthen policy makers’ skills to tackle difficult issues e.g. legal framework, curriculum and ‘Inclusion’ standard operating procedures for schools
www.britishcouncil.org 12
What has the British Council achieved?
• It has helped facilitate knowledge sharing
• It has introduced the concept ‘Access and Engagement’
• It has successfully introduced policy and school influencers to the practice of UK inclusive schools and approaches
• It has provided a model and engaged enthusiasm
• It has supported developing interest and projects designed to raise awareness and understanding
• It has directly contributed towards professional development and training for teachers, principals and policy influencers
www.britishcouncil.org 13
The next steps
‘Achieving fully inclusive schools and both access and engagement for all is a marathon and not a sprint. Much
more needs to be done but we have now broken the attitudes of ignorance and avoidance among teachers. We have unleashed a desire to change and an understanding
that change is both essential but also achievable.’
School Principal: Lebanon
www.britishcouncil.org 14