Feb 8, 2016 - Batticaloa. 2 .... Funds are allocated for infrastructure development and maintenance ...... Parents like us who actually make an effort to bring the ...
Report No: Year of Publication: 2016 Publication Series: xxxxxx
Title of the Report: Barriers and Opportunities in the Provision of Education for Children with Learning Disabilities in Sri Lanka Name of Author: Priyanka Jayawardena and Manavee Abeyawickrama
Research Unit: Human resource development for sustained development Abstract:
This report sets out the findings and recommendations of a study which was commissioned by UNICEF to assess existing barriers and opportunities in the provision of education for children with learning disabilities. The study evaluates how well the present interventions are working, and how successful they are in either integrating children to mainstream schools, or in providing alternative special education. The study provides recommendations for developing and changing approaches to improve special education provisions within the national education system and supporting children who have barriers to access education.
Keywords: education, disabled children, children with learning disabilities
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INSTITUTE OF POLICY STUDIES OF SRI LANKA
Signature & Date
Barriers and Opportunities in the Provision of Education for Children with Learning Disabilities in Sri Lanka
Priyanka Jayawardena Manavee Abeyawickrama
Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka
Acronyms NIE UNICEF MoE ISA NCOE LD JICA SIDA
National Institute of Education United Nations Children’s Fund Ministry of Education In Service Advisers National Colleges of Education Learning Disabilities Japan International Cooperation Agency Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency
1. Introduction The Sri Lankan state continues to provide free education since its introduction in 1945. Over the years, several measures have enabled the country's general education system to improve on equity in the provision of education for all persons, irrespective of socioeconomic and regional disparities. The Education Ordinance of 1939 and the principle of free education embraced in 1945 were among the earliest policies aimed at achieving universal and equal access to education at all levels. Sri Lanka is committed to supporting “Education for All,” adhering to ethics and standards as proclaimed by provisions in international conventions. In this context Sri Lanka has almost achieved the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) in terms of the indicators of education (Goal 2). However, despite primary school enrollment rates of 98 per cent (World Bank , 2013) , many children with disability are still excluded and attrition rates of children with disability remain high. For instance, 23.5 per cent of schooling-aged children (aged 5-14) with disabilities are excluded from education (DCS, 2012). Children with disabilities have become the most marginalized. They face many barriers in obtaining a quality education. Mainstream school teachers lack the skills required to teach them, while schools lack infrastructure to facilitate their needs. The literature recognizes opportunities for the expansion in curricula such as offering sign language and Braille as subjects for students and developing recognized examination methods for disabled students. (Ministry of Social Welfare, 2003) There is also a dearth of nonformal education opportunities offered to children with special needs. Implementation of policies and reforms aimed at children with disability has proven to be very challenging. High attrition rates were attributed to the quality of education accessible to those with disability: a recurring issue discussed in the literature (Mendis, 2004). The literature further emphasizes the lacuna in educational policy directly addressing those with disabilities. Scope of children with disabilities is large and their requirements for education vary by the type of disability. Therefore, this study is focused on the issue of children with Learning Disabilities (LD) and their rights and access to education.
This report sets out the findings and recommendations of a study which was commissioned by UNICEF to assess existing barriers and opportunities in the provision of education for children with learning disabilities. The study evaluates how well the present interventions are working, and how successful they are in either integrating children to mainstream schools, or in providing alternative special education. The study provides recommendations for developing and changing approaches to improve special education provisions within the national education system and supporting children who have barriers to access education.
2. Objectives The objective of this study is to investigate the barriers and opportunities in education for children with Learning disabilities in Sri Lanka, and to suggest ways forward on how to improve the provision of education for children with LD. Accordingly main tasks of this study are: • •
•
Identify what initiatives and policies are currently being supported under special/inclusive education Investigate the experiences of barriers and opportunities in the education of children with learning disabilities from both a supply and demand perspective Suggest ways forward for improving special education provision
3. Methodology 3.1
Study focus
The study concentrated on schooling aged children who have Learning disabilities (mild, moderate severe). Public sector is the main provider of education in Sri Lanka. Therefore, this study is focused on the state provided or privately managed, but government assisted education provisions for children with Learning disabilities. Accordingly this study has covered education provisions for children with special needs in the special units of mainstream schools or special schools which are assisted by the government.
3.2
Concepts and definitions
This report defines ‘Learning Disability’ as a condition which gives rise to difficulties in acquiring knowledge and skills to the level expected of those of the same age, due to reasons other than physical handicaps. Learning disabilities result from impairments in one or more processes related to perceiving, thinking, remembering or learning. These include, but are not limited to: language processing; phonological processing; visual spatial processing; processing speed; memory and attention; and executive functions (e.g. planning and decision-making).1 Learning disabilities range in severity and may interfere with the acquisition and use of one or more of the following:
Oral language (e.g. listening, speaking, understanding); Reading (e.g. decoding, phonetic knowledge, word recognition, comprehension); Written language (e.g. spelling and written expression); and Mathematics (e.g. computation, problem solving).
The most common disabilities that affect Sri Lankan children include reading disorders like dyslexia, disorders of written expression, and Dyscalculia (difficulties in performing quantitative tasks). People with specific conditions such as Down syndrome, Autism, ADHD, CP etc. with learning disabilities are included. For the purpose of this study, children with Learning Disabilities are also referred to as ‘LD children’. ‘Special needs children’ refers to a broader set - children with both learning disabilities and physical impairments. ‘Special Education’ or ‘Special Needs Education’ is the practice of educating students with special educational needs in a way that addresses their individual differences and needs. Ideally, this process involves an individually planned and systematically monitored arrangement of teaching procedures, adapted equipment and materials, and accessible settings. These interventions are designed to help learners with special needs achieve a higher level of personal self-sufficiency and success in school and their community, than may be available if the student were only given access to a typical classroom education. 1
Learning Disabilities Association of Canada, http://www.ldac-acta.ca/learn-more/ld-defined/official-definitionof-learning-disabilities
‘Inclusive Education’ is when all children, irrespective of their disabilities participate and learn together in the same classes with their peer groups. 3.3
Sampling frame
With the aim of identifying education provisions for children with Learning Disabilities throughout the country, this study was carried out in three provinces -- Western, North Western and the Eastern province. The study covered both schools with special education units and special education schools. A systematic sampling procedure was adopted to select schools which represent urban/rural; resourced/under-resourced; national/secondary/primary school differences. Sampling framework
Schools with Resourced special education unit Underresourced
WP
NWP
EP
Dharmapala V National school (Pannipitiya)
Nishshanka M.M.V (Kurunegala) National school Rathnalankara M.V (Alawwa) Secondary school Agbowa Primary school (Alawwa)
Total schools 2
K.M.K.M Riyalul Janna V. Primary school Ampara
4
Aluth Ambalama Primary school (Kosgama)
Chitra Lane Special Zahira 2 Special school Special school education Batticaloa school Notes: Resourced/under resourced was categorized based on student to special education teacher ratio. M.M.V denotes - Madya Maha Vidyalaya
3.4
Information collection
This report is based on documentation analysis and in depth visits to schools involved in special education, and information collected through key informant interviews, focus group discussions, and classroom observations at the central and school levels. There is very little published or unpublished information available on the education provisions for children with disabilities. The information gathered though key informant interviews and focus group discussions are based on semi-structured questionnaires. At the central level, the study team visited all government offices and institutes involved in special education activities and collected information through interviews and documentation analysis. In particular, the study team visited:
MoE National Institute of Education (NIE), Open University Department of Social Services
Key informant interviews were conducted with principals, teachers conducting special education classes, primary teachers, and provincial and zonal level education officials. Also, focus group discussions were conducted with parents of special needs children to obtain their views on the available opportunities and barriers for special education. List of the key officials interviewed is annexed.
4
Background on education provisions for Children with Learning Disabilities
Statistics on LD children
According to population census estimates of 2012, around 9 per cent of the 5 and above population have a disability (see Table 1). Further, 21 per cent of the disabled population reported a cognitive disability. Among schooling aged (5-14) disabled children this rate was 35.5 per cent.
Table 1: Disabled population with cognitive disabilities (2012)
Total Cognitive Age Group Population Total Disabled disability 5-14 3,387,804 59,072 20,964 population aged 5 and 343,689 1,617,924 above 18,615,577 Source: DCS (2012), Sri Lanka Census of Population and Housing
Cognition rate as a % of total population 0.62
Cognition rate as a % of disabled population 35.49
1.85 21.24
Further, it reveals that nearly one fourth of the 5-14 year old disabled children are not schooling (see Table 2). Furthermore, the participation in educational activity reduces with age. Around 55.4 per cent of the disabled population aged 15-19 and 86 per cent of the disabled population aged 20-24 were not engaged in any educational activity or vocational training. Children with disabilities are, rarely pursue education beyond the primary level. Around 46.6% of the disabled population aged 5-24 were enrolled in schools, while a very small proportion, (4%) were engaged in tertiary education -- university, vocational training or other higher educational courses. Among disabled population who pursue tertiary education, more females were enrolled in degree and postgraduate degree programs, while males were engaged in technical and vocational training (see Table 3). Table2 : Engaged in educational activity of 5-24 year old group, with disabilities
Age group
Total Disabled
% of disabled population not engaged in Not Engaged in Educational educational Activity activity
31,545 5 -9 6,404 20.3 27,527 10 - 14 7,460 27.1 15- 19 29,668 16,444 55.4 27,810 20-24 23,905 86.0 59,072 5-14 13,864 23.5 Source: DCS (2012), Sri Lanka Census of Population and Housing
Table 3: Educational activity of the aged 5-24 disabled population (2012) Male 1,132 28,440
Female 1,010 25,871
Total 2,142 54,311
Pre-school School Undergraduate 802 2,076 /Postgraduate 1,274 Vocational/ Technical 1,606 839 2,445 Other educational activity 4,312 3,954 8,266 Not engaged in educational activity 25,833 21,477 47,310 Population with disabilities (5-24) 62,125 54,425 116,550 Source: DCS (2012), Sri Lanka Census of Population and Housing
As a % of disabled 6.8 46.6 1. 8 2.1 7.1 40.6 100
Special education provisions
Special Schools and Special Units In Sri Lanka, the main providers of education for children with special needs are special education units attached to schools and special schools (also known as assisted schools). In keeping with the Gazette proposals of 1997, the Ministry has sent circulars to schools and regional offices to ensure that LD children in each educational division have access to special schools and special education units. Special units are attached to mainstream schools. Admissions to units attached to national schools are administered by the Ministry, whereas admissions to units attached to provincial schools are handled by the respective zonal offices. Zonal Education Directors and ISAs coordinate with school authorities to ensure the smooth functioning of the units in the area and to ensure they have access to necessary facilities and resources. Teacher training for special education teachers is also conducted at provincial and zonal level. Funds are allocated for infrastructure development and maintenance by the zonal education office. They also receive financial aid from international organizations such as UNICEF, SIDA and JICA. Special schools are exclusive to children with special needs. They are registered at the Ministry of Education (MoE) and are assisted by the government. Teachers’ salaries for an approved carder are paid by the MoE. These schools are however run by a separate management. They have the power and discretion to hire and fire teachers. The
Ministry provides additional learning equipment and special aids for students in special schools. Sri Lanka currently has 27 special schools and 704 special education units throughout the island catering to students with a variety of learning disabilities. 8 special schools and 450 special units cater to children with learning disabilities such as Down syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, and Autism. There is also a government-run Autism centre in Maharagama.
Table 4: Special Education Teachers and Special Needs Students studying in Units and Special Schools Province
Special Needs Students
Teachers Special National Provincial Schools
Total
ID
Other
Total
Western
24
156
191
371
1,950
9,136
11,086
North Western
18
66
42
126
1,088
4,720
5,808
Eastern
15
15
10
40
939
5,567
6,506
Southern
26
46
73
145
1591
6,076
7,667
Central
6
48
30
84
1043
7,396
8,439
North Central
4
25
16
45
544
2,644
3,188
Northern
3
8
28
39
398
2,930
3,328
Uva
18
8
38
64
559
3,308
3,867
Sabaragamuwa
18
45
24
87
1060
4,004
5,064
452
1001
9,172
45,781 54,953
Total 132 417 Source: Ministry of Education, 2013.
Social welfare programmes
The Ministry of Social Welfare and Empowerment, the National Secretariat for Persons with Disabilities (NSPD), and the Department of Social Services have established many programs and guidance centres to assist children with disabilities in Sri Lanka. However, these services are not widespread enough to reach all families in need, especially those families with special needs children. The Ministry of Social Empowerment and Welfare provides funds and collects donations for the welfare programs conducted by the Social Services Department. The Department of Social Services has established Child Guidance Centres in the Colombo, Ratnapura and Gampaha districts. These centres provide a range of services from early childhood care to vocational training and assistance in finding jobs for disabled youth. They provide expert counseling for parents, and assist them with school admissions. They also have a home-based development program for disabled children in all districts. Provincial Social Service Departments conduct annual sports meets, art exhibitions and cultural programs for children with disabilities to encourage their participation in society. The NSPD provides financial aid to support the education of schooling-aged children with disabilities from low-income backgrounds. One such benefit is the monthly transport allowance of Rs. 750 awarded via the Social Services Department to deserving families with disabled children attending schools. However the study revealed that many deserving families were excluded from these welfare benefits.
5
Legislation and policies
Theme 1: What is the legal framework and policy content on special education including specific legal requirements for schools? Government policies in Sri Lanka on education for children with disabilities have been greatly influenced by international conventions. Sri Lanka is a signatory to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Article 29 of the Convention states that education should be directed towards developing a child’s personality, talents, mental and physical attributes (UNHRC, 1989). It emphasizes the need for a holistic approach to education with aims of producing well-rounded individuals and respectable members of society. Subsequent to the Salamanca Conference on special needs education held in 1994, Sri Lanka signed an agreement for the implementation of inclusive education (UNICEF,
2003). The Conference focused on policy reforms to facilitate inclusive education, thereby enabling schools to accommodate all children, especially those with disabilities and special needs. Following these, National disability-specific legislation was introduced under The Protection of Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act No. 28 of 1996, setting the foundation for non-discrimination in education. This led to the establishment of a National Council for Person with Disabilities (NCPD) addressing educational and vocational training, and the establishment of institutions for accommodating people with disabilities (UNICEF, 2003) . In keeping with international conventions, the National Policy on Disability for Sri Lanka (2003) addressed strategies to achieve policy goals of inclusion in the education system. Policy recommendations included the establishment of an ‘Inclusive Education Unit’ within the Ministry of Education to administer educational reforms, policy, planning, logistics, and to monitor the quality and efficiency of education provided to children with disability. Further recommendations included the introduction of preservice training for primary teachers in all national colleges, community involvement in developing schools, providing infrastructure to accommodate special needs, and publicity campaigns to bring awareness to policy regarding the right to education for all. (Ministry of Social Welfare, 2003). The World Declaration on ‘Education for All’ (EFA) (1990) set out a vision of universalizing access to education and identifying barriers and opportunities for marginalized groups. Following the ‘Dakar Framework for Action’ in 2000, which reiterated commitment to achieving ‘Education for All’, a special branch for EFA activities was established at the Ministry of Education, and came into action in May 2001. (Ministry of HRD, Education and Cultural Affairs, n.d.). Sri Lanka’s move towards inclusive practices was supported by its legislation. The Compulsory Education Ordinance of 1997 made education compulsory for all children aged 5-14. (Ministry of Social Welfare, 2003) It is worth to note that, in the Sri Lankan policy context education rights of children with disabilities are mostly protected under this legislation. This legislation ensures that all children, irrespective of their disabilities, have access to education. With the enactment of compulsory education regulations in 19982 (Ministry of Education , 2013), School Attendance Committees were established at village-level to ensure enrollment of all children reaching the schooling age (Ministry of Education , 2004).
2
Gazette Notification No. 1003/5 dated 25th November 1997.
The National Policies and Proposals for General Education by the National Education Commission (NEC) in 2003, recommended the establishment of at least 3 primary and 1 secondary inclusive school (with necessary infrastructure and resources) in each divisional secretariat. It furtther recommended the establishment of one special school (with residential facilities) in each district to accommodate children with severe disabilities. The policy also addressed the upgrading of teacher-training courses to degree-level which would include a 6 month compulsory training on educating special needs children. (Ekanayake , et al., 2016). NEC recommendations have been taken into account when establishing and implementing policy. Sri Lanka became a signatory to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD, 2006) in March, 2007. Under the convention, states are to ensure equal access to primary and secondary education: a fundamental human right, and equal opportunities in an inclusive educational setting. It further states that access to tertiary and vocational education should be provided. Support services and accessible formats of communication should be adopted to facilitate needs of those with disability. It emphasizes that education for the disabled should foster both academic and social development, creating responsible and respectable members of society. (United Nations, 2006-2007) Sri Lanka ratified the CRPD on 8th February 2016 and became the 162nd state to ratify this convention. (Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka to the UN , 2016). Recent Sri Lankan policy on education takes an inclusive approach, having adopted many of the CRPD strategies. The Cabinet approval in 2013 for the implementation of the National Action Plan for Disability (2013), through its seven interconnected pillars of ‘education, employment, mainstreaming and enabliing environmnets’ supports the full participation of the disabled in all aspects of community living and devlopment. (Ekanayake , et al., 2016). Provision of special education is complemented by Government circulars that have been released within the school system; including ammendments to the ratio of children with disabilities to the number of trained teachers in special units. According to the Ministry of Education circular3, there should be a trained special education teacher for every 5 students in a special unit (1:5 teacher-to-student ratio). Further, special education trained teachers are given 10 per cent incentive payment. To qualify for this benefit, special education teachers have to be registered at the MoE as a special education trained teacher, teaching for special needs students. For this, they need to
3
Circular number 12/2015 dated 26th March 2015 (Determination of the Academic Staff in a School)
either complete the Special Education course offered at NCOEs or have over one year’s experience in the field coupled with a Ministry-recognized training. However, policy makers face many barriers in implementing disability-specific policy, especially in remote areas where resources are scarce. The MoE proposed several strategies to increase the access to education in these areas. Primarily, the MoE looks to develop instruments and data collection tools to identify children with disability as it is vital to adopting new policy (Ministry of Education , 2007). Although the right to education is protected under compulsory education legislation, very few schools show a genuine interest and effort to provide facilities for children with disabilities. This raises concerns on the requirement of educational policy directly addressing those with disabilities. (discussed further under Theme10)
6
Institutional structure for special education -- designated national institutions to promote special education, curriculum preparation, teacher training
Theme 2 : What institutional mechanisms, processes and coordination exists to oversee the implementation of special education policies? Institutional structure A Special Education Unit dedicated to the education of special needs children was first established in 1971 at the MoE. Today, the responsibility of implementing policy and facilitating the education of special needs children lies with the Non-Formal and Special Education Branch at the MoE. The Branch is responsible for providing alternative education opportunities for those who are left out of the formal education system (Ministry of Education, 2004). The functions of the Branch include the provision of education for children of school-going age, planning entrepreneur and technical education opportunities to school leavers and facilitating special needs children. National schools come directly under the purview of the MoE. Student enrollments and teacher recruitments in National schools are determined by the Ministry. Responsibility of similar functions in provincial schools is delegated to the provincial and zonal education offices. Educational zones are further sub-divided into educational divisions. Each province has a Special Education Director and ISAs to support educational
provisions for Children with Learning disabilities in that region. The MoE also handles teacher placements and recruitment. Teacher training Teacher training for special education in Sri Lanka saw advances with the establishment of a ‘Department of Special Education’ at the National Institute of Education (NIE) in 1989, today known as the ‘Department of Inclusive Education’. (Mendis, 2004). The NIE designs training courses for teachers and is also involved in developing special curricula for the children with hearing and visual handicaps, especially at the primary level. The NIE has also established core teams (attached to the provincial education offices) to provide in-service training and guidance to all teachers in the area (UNICEF, 2003). Special curricula and programs were created for school teachers and ISAs. A general course on special education is also available for parents and caregivers, providing basic training in supporting children with disabilities (Ministry of Education , 2013). At present, the main special education training institutes are the NCOEs, the NIE and the Open University. The NCOEs in Hapitigama, Jaffna and Addalachchenai offer special education training programs for teachers. The Special education course at Hapitigama was first introduced in 2002. Training at Hapitigama is conducted in the Sinhala medium, while training in Jaffna and Addalachchenai is conducted in the Tamil medium. Training at NCOEs is offered to A/L qualified students wanting to pursue teaching as a career. Entrance to NCOEs is based on the z-scores4 determined by the applicant’s A/L result. The Hapitigama NCOE can accommodate around 300 students (in total). The government determines the intake for each year by considering the demand for teachers in each field. The current batch at Hapitigama consists of 90 trainees, while the previous batch consisted of only 30 trainees in Special Education. Jaffna and Addalachchai had a batch of 15 trainees each. This raises concerns of underutilizing training resources, while there is already a deficiency of special education teachers in the country, unable to meet the demand. A two-year full-time teacher-training course is also available at the Teachers’ College in Balapitiya. Courses at Teachers’ Colleges are for those who are already employed as
4
The z-score is the main criterion for University admission in Sri Lanka. It compares each student’s A/L result to the mean of the results of all students in that stream.
teachers (in-service training). It is important to note that prior to the establishment of NCOEs, all training was conducted at Teachers’ Colleges. Having recognized the need for teacher training in special education, the UGC established the ‘Department for Special Needs Education’ at the Open University of Sri Lanka in 2003. (Dhanapala, 2006).
Government investment Theme 3: What government investment and private funding exists for inclusive and special education, including investment into teacher training? Following a decentralized financing system of the education sector, provincial-level budget allocations are made for special education in provincial schools, while the MoE allocates funds for national schools. The Provincial council’s annual budget allocation for special education is around Rs. 3.5 million. Accordingly, each zone receives around Rs. 200,000 for teacher training programmes, infrastructure, learning material, awareness programmes, and resources to facilitate children with disabilities. According to Provincial Non-formal Education Directors of Western and North Western province, funds are fairly sufficient for special education. In addition to this, the MoE finances the construction of at least 5-6 buildings a year to accommodate special needs children. For an approved carder Ministry pays the salaries of registered special education teachers in special schools. The MoE also provides learning supports and aids like spectacles, hearing aids etc. Further, special needs teacher-training programs conducted by the Ministry are funded by NGOs-- UNICEF, JICA and SIDA. Past Pupils’ Associations of schools and other private organizations also contribute towards the maintenance and development of special units. For instance, the PPA of Dharmapala Vidyalaya constantly evaluates the unit and provides necessary funds to maintain the standards. Privately managed schools like the Chitra Lane Special School are predominantly funded by private organizations and donors whose contributions are used to pay staff salaries (unregistered academic staff, and non-academic staff salaries), and conduct in-service training.
7
Situational analysis – what is the current situation
Ground level system for education provision for Children with learning disabilities Theme 4: How does the ground level system support inclusive education– zonal level system and school management?
Special education provisions – overview of school facilities
Special Education needs to be prioritized in education. The Compulsory Education Ordinance urges all parents, guardians and the community to ensure all children between 5 and 14 have access to schools. However, due to the lack of regulations legally binding schools to accept students with learning disabilities. Although the country’s policies have propagated the concept of inclusive education, principals and teachers of schools tend to prioritize students’ results at national examinations. Hence many children with Learning disabilities are denied access to a proper school education. Discussions with education authorities revealed that a majority of regular schools are reluctant to admit Children with learning disabilities. Special education provision facilities are very limited in Sri Lanka. Overall, only 7 per cent of schools have special education provisions. Of the 365 national schools in the country, only around 25-30 show an interest in facilitating children with disabilities. According to the Western Province special education director, around 25 per cent of school principals in the Western Province have extended their support in facilitating children with special needs. North Western provincial schools are relatively more accepting- the Provincial Education Director stated that most of the schools in the province are willing to facilitate special needs children. According to MoE officials, the Western, North Western and Sabaragamuwa provinces have better special education provisions, while the Eastern Province is the least developed in this respect. Due to limited resources, special schools and units enroll children with a variety of disabilities in the same class. In the case of special units, this is mainly due to the lack of space and teachers. The special units visited for the study had around 16-21 special needs students with a variety of disabilities, were enrolled in each. Teachers found it difficult to teach students with diverse disabilities in one class. Furthermore, teachers were of the view that the 1:5 teacher-to-student ratio specified by the MoE should also depend on the type of disability of the students. For example, a teacher stated that she could realistically teach only 2 Autistic students at a time, as they are very demanding
and are difficult to control; whereas they are able to handle more than 5 students with Down syndrome at a time. Special schools with sufficient resources such as Chithra Lane school, managed to group students according to the type of disability and their competency levels. The Chitra Lane Special School and the Zahira Special School operate differently to the special units. They cater to 202 students and 39 students respectively. Zahira Special School was the only school visited which had residential facilities. The Chitra Lane School has 3 sections–junior, intermediate and senior with around 3-5 classes in each. Each class has around 5-13 students and a teacher. Teacher’s assistants are available in the junior section. The school also has classes dedicated to vocational training in cookery, sewing, printing and paper recycling. Also the students have access to play areas, a music room with instruments, a sports centre, and even a swimming pool. In contrast, the Zahira Special School only has one classroom which is divided into two and lessons are conducted simultaneously.
Teacher Recruitment
Teachers who have completed a recognized training course at NCOEs or those who have over one year’s experience in special needs education and have undergone Ministry-recognized in-service training are registered as ‘special education teachers’ at the MoE. Lack of trained teachers for special education is a major concern in most of the provinces. In most of the special education units, exceeds the recommended number of students per teacher. For instance, the Western province has only 158 special education teachers for the 1200 students in special units. This badly affects the special education provisions of the country. For instance, North Western province Education director explained that although there is a demand for around 43 new special units they have not been able to open new units due to the lack of trained special education teachers. Furthermore, director explained that only 3 special education teachers were recruited from the previous NCOE batch to schools in the North western province. One visited special education unit in the Western province had just one teacher for 21 students. However, in these circumstances, some teachers were assisted by parents. Also, teacher retention for special education is very low. Other than the insufficient supply of special education teachers, even among qualified teachers, only a few
continue to teach in special education units. For instance teachers who are trained for special education prefer to teach general subjects and opt out of special education. Teachers who have completed training at NCOEs have to sign a bond assuring that they would work for at least 5 years in the school and field they have been specialized. However, many NCOE teachers give up Special Education and pursue other fields despite their 5 year appointment in Special Education, mainly due to the lack of a follow up program after the appointment. Ambiguous recruiting procedures are also affect teacher deficiencies in special education. For instance, in many occasions principals recruit trained special education teachers as regular primary teachers as these principals give less priority for special education. The majority of teachers who remained in Special education was from Teachers’ Colleges or had an informal training background. This is mainly because these teachers had chosen the special education field while they were already in the teachers’ service (rather than being appointed the field).
Administrational support – principals, zonal level officials
In accordance with the Compulsory Education Ordinance of 1997, School Attendance Committees and School Attendance Monitoring Committees have been established by the Branch to ensure enrollment of all children in the formal school system. (Ministry of Education, 2004). The Ministry has further advised the provincial education offices to ensure there is at least one special unit for children with disabilities in each division. Provincial and zonal education officers carry out surveys on out-of-school children and ensure they are identified and admitted to schools. For example, around 200 children who were excluded from the school system in the North Western Province were enrolled in schools, many of whom had a LD. The Ministry spearheads training, research and development, and awareness for special education with the help of the NIE and NCOEs, and the zonal offices and schools at the grass root levels. The Ministry undertakes training of ISAs, and provincial and zonal Education Directors. They in turn train the teachers in their respective zone. Provinciallevel meetings are conducted once every two months to evaluate and discuss the progress of special needs education in the respective provinces. Ministry officials, along with the provincial and zonal Education Directors, visit special units in these areas to discuss their requirements and scope for improvement. Zonal-level meetings with school teachers and principals are held once a month to discuss issues and introduce new developments in the field of special needs education. However, lack of administrative support has a great impact on implementing the government measures
towards improving special needs education. MoE officials highlighted the need for Special Education Directors around the island. Unfortunately, there are less than 10 qualified Directors. Visibility of Children with learning disabilities Theme 9 : How visible are Children with Learning disabilities and what is the level of awareness around LD? Children with learning disabilities have become a marginalized group in society, often overlooked and misrepresented. Studies conducted on educational provisions for children revealed that disability is one of the main reasons for exclusion from education.5 The study revealed that one of the major challenges for children with Learning disabilities was the lack of information and awareness within the educational sector and the community, and the negative attitudes towards children with disabilities. Children with Learning disabilities are cornered by society due to the lack of knowledge on LDs. Many do not consider them as children with ‘special needs’. Most go unnoticed due to the ignorance of parents and the community. FGDs with parents confirmed this fact, as many of them were unaware of their child’s exact condition. Many of the children were diagnosed too late. This may also be due to the socioeconomic situations of these families, as many of them cannot afford to pay for medical consultations and assessments. Intervention is needed at a very young age. Some LD students have studied in mainstream classes for years without being identified. A teacher from a special unit in Alawwa (North Western province) expressed her concerns about late detection: “Some parents bring the child when they are too old. They lack basic reading, writing and speaking skills, and it is difficult to fix these issues when they are too old. A perfect age would be 4 ½ years.” Identification of Learning disabilities is exceptionally tricky as many do not show physical signs of disability. Their difficulties and needs are often discovered after professional diagnosis or evaluation by an experienced teacher. A major concern raised throughout the interview process was the inability of teachers to identify children with Learning disabilities. Interviews and FGDs revealed that 5
UNICEF, 2013, Out of school Children in Sri Lanka, UNICEF.
Special education training is not a compulsory component in Primary teacher training. At primary levels, teachers are known for punishing the so called ‘slow learners’. This is often due to the teachers’ inability to identify the special needs and disabilities of their students. Many of them lack the skills to teach children with disabilities, especially those with Learning disabilities. Studies conducted by the NIE found that many children who have failed exams such as the Grade 5 scholarship exam, O/Ls and A/Ls have learning disabilities that have never been detected. Having recognized this issue, the Primary Education Branch at the MoE has worked closely with experts in the field to develop specific guidelines for the identification of children with learning disabilities. Around 140 ISAs have been trained by medical experts on how negative experiences, Down syndrome, Autism, ADHD etc. affect children and their learning abilities. Similarly, the NIE conducts short courses and workshops on learning disabilities, IDs, Autism, in collaboration with zonal offices in places like Kandy, Trincomalee and Colombo, targeting a wide range of teachers throughout the island. Theme 10: What are the attitudes and aspirations of parents, schools and the community around ID and inclusive education for Children with learning disabilities? The principal’s role is pivotal in creating overall acceptance of children with Learning disabilities within the school community. Schools are constantly competing with each other to perform well at the national examinations. There is also a stigma against children with Learning disabilities studying alongside other students. Contrary to this some school principals give priority to children with Learning disabilities, especially to those living nearby (within 1.5 km from the school). They ensure that all requests for admittance to the school coming from parents of disabled children are fulfilled, as long as all the documentation is fulfilled (submission of medical reports, test results etc.). The principals’ initiatives such as giving them an opportunity to join in main school activities -- school assemblies, concerts, talent shows, sports meets etc. have helped change the negative attitude towards Children with learning disabilities among their peers. Some schools even offer awareness programs for students and parents to educate them on Learning disabilities. Teaching children with disabilities is a tedious task, with very little opportunities for professional development. Teachers are generally reluctant to teach in special units and schools. Special education is looked down upon by teachers engaged in other fields. Teachers specifically trained in special education often end up teaching other subjects. Nevertheless, some teachers recruited in units and schools are very committed and
dedicated towards teaching LD children. They consider it as a good deed and a blessing to be able to teach and support them. Parents’ attitude towards education is vital for the educational development of a special need child. From initial diagnosis, to providing medication, to spending on transport, parents play a major role in facilitating the education of Children with learning disabilities. Other socio-economic factors such as poverty and family dynamics also determine the sending of a child to school. In many cases, the home environment had an effect on the student’s attendance and attitude towards school. The parents interviewed for the study were very supportive of their children’s education, and were determined to send them to school. “I am happy about the progress my child has made in school. My hope for him is that he could one day integrate into society and interact with others.” Parent-teacher meetings are constantly held in schools offering special education. Teachers continuously brief parents on the child’s progress and advise them on how they could support the child at home. A parent who participated in one of the FGDs said, “I am very thankful to the teacher for helping my child to improve. When I first brought him to the unit, he could barely speak or move his arms. Today, he is able to communicate with others and even hold a pen in his hands- which is a great accomplishment.” However, teachers revealed that some parents never attended meetings and would discourage the child from going school. Further, interviews with principals and zonal officers revealed that many parents were embarrassed to admit their child had a disability and refused to enroll them in special units or special schools. In accordance with Ministry circulars, schools encourage the integration of students to mainstream classes. Principals and teachers agreed that integration will improve practical abilities of students due to interaction with peers. However, many practical issues arise when students are integrated: Students with physical disabilities have a higher probability of being integrated compared to LD students who learn at a slower pace. Mainstream teachers are reluctant to teach students with disabilities as they have to cover the syllabus, and teach over 50 students, while catering to the needs of both slow learners and integrated students. The special needs of students are ignored in such a situation. Teachers would require an assistant to give special attention to the integrated students. Teachers believed that the educational development of LD students is much slower in a mainstream school environment. Except for a few cases, integration in general has not been successful in these schools.
Parents had contrasting views on integration. Some hoped that their child would one day be integrated into mainstream classes or regular schools. Others, especially parents of children with severe Learning disabilities, felt their child would be cornered in a regular class, as they require special attention, and would not be able to rise up to the level of their peers. They also did not have confidence in the primary teachers to look after their children and cater to their learning needs. Children with learning disabilities should be given the opportunity to join in main school activities. Children with learning disabilities have a natural talent for the aesthetics, they are encouraged to join regular classes for art and music lessons. Children with learning disabilities should be given the opportunity to join in main school activities. They should be included in school assemblies, concerts, talent shows, sports meets and special events such as ‘Children’s Day’ and New Year celebrations. Also, the Ministry of Cultural Affairs, along with the MoE and the zonal offices hold annual competitions, cultural shows and sports meets for children with disabilities which gives them the opportunity to show their talents. Parents were unaware of their child’s future aspirations. They did not have specific plans for the child for when they leave school. They were eager to keep their child in school for as long as they were allowed to. Many hope to enroll them in vocational training so they could one day work for a living or start their own at-home business. A parent of a child with severe disabilities said, “I can’t support my child forever. I don’t know if anyone will care for him when I am old and frail. I hope that residential vocational training centres will open in this area, so that our children will be able to earn a salary, while being nursed and supported.” Some teachers incorporate sewing, art and music lessons into their school programme, so the students can develop these skills in the future. As an example, the Chitra Lane School has a ‘Vocational Training Division’ that offers training in cookery, sewing, printing, paper recycling and IT for their senior students. Education plan for Children with learning disabilities Theme 8 : What special assessment systems and procedures exist for ID disabled children? A proper assessment system to identify children with Learning disabilities has not been established in Sri Lanka. Early detection and childhood care is vital for Children with
learning disabilities. Once parents request to enroll their child in a school, the relevant authorities carry out an assessment of the child and the medical report is reviewed. Next, the Special Education Branch at the MoE or the Zonal office sends letters to the respective schools, requesting to accept the child. Also, if a child is rejected from a school, further evaluation is done by the NIE and an assessment report is prepared. The report includes the child’s disabilities, learning capacity and special needs. The NIE seeks advice from medical consultants at the Lady Ridgeway Hospital to determine whether the child should be admitted to a Special School, Special Unit or regular classroom. Also, if teachers detect a slow-learner in a main stream class, they are advised to create a special education plan for the student, so they can learn alongside their peers. The Ministry strongly discourages admitting slow learners to Special units. The usual target for special education teachers is to improve the student’s life skills, and to prepare the child for integration into Grade 1 within two years. This however depends on the severity of the child’s disability. Teachers are instructed to prepare individual lesson plans for each student. Monthly tests and end-of-term tests are also conducted by teachers in Special units and Special Schools. Questions are constructed based on the competency level and ability of the student. For example, if students are unable to write, an oral test is carried out. Teachers constantly track the students’ progress and readiness to follow mainstream classes. According to the Provincial Education Directors, teachers are expected to maintain personal files for each child. These files should contain the medical history of the child, their personal profile, their strengths and weaknesses, monthly or weekly targets, and achievements. This way, they are able to track the progress of the child. Many of the schools considered for this study had designed their own lesson plan formats based on the information gathered at seminars. Continuous assessment is essential for Children with learning disabilities in schools. Monitoring of education for Children with learning disabilities occur at different levels: the principals and ISAs are more hands-on with assessment. The Zonal and Provincial Education Directors, and the Ministry overlook and support their efforts. Zonal education offices involve ISAs in identifying and evaluating children in the area. Teachers are taught assessment guidelines at training and at Special education workshops and seminars. The NIE, in collaboration with the MoE has designed an IEP (Individual Education Plan) program for Sri Lanka- a World Bank initiative. The IEP defines identification guidelines for primary teachers to track the progress of students so they will be able to
identify a special needs student. The program is still in its early development stages, they are planning on conducting a pilot program to test its effectiveness in a practical environment. Similarly, the Open University and the Primary Education Branch at the MoE have also developed student profile surveys for the identification and assessment of special needs children in schools. However, the field study revealed the practical constraints in implementing such a system, especially in primary classes with over 50 students. In addition to MoE assessments, community-based inspection and evaluation services are offered by the NIE, the Open University and the Social Services Department. These centres also offer counseling and guidance to parents of Children with learning disabilities and assist them with school admissions. The NIE conducts needs-based assessments throughout the country to identify out-of-school children, and ensure they are admitted in schools. The ‘Support Centre for Children in Risk Situations’, attached to the Special Needs Department at the Open University is open to the general public for inspection and identification of special needs. However, these services lack coverage, especially in remote areas with very low resources. Many parents find it difficult to travel to the major cities for inspection of their children. The Chitra Lane Children’s Resource Centre (CRC) offers assessment services for special needs children. Therapy sessions are also available for parents and young children. The CRC employs licensed clinical psychologists who use advanced assessment tools to detect disabilities in children.
Special education provisions – curriculum, teaching Theme 7: Do the curriculum and learning materials cater to meet different needs and learning styles? Sri Lanka does not have a curriculum designed specifically for children with LDs. Teachers at special schools and units develop their own lesson plans based on the teacher’s guides available to them. Teacher’s guides are published by the NIE. It includes lessons which would prepare students for Grade 1- such as Pre-Reading, PreWriting, and other basic lessons. Additional workbooks for Non-formal education are also distributed among teachers (usually by the provincial education offices). The teachers mentioned that the books were too complicated for these students. They rarely used them.
The students’ disabilities are too diverse to follow a set lesson plan. According to the teachers, each child required an individual lesson plan. They personally design the plan based on the review of a child’s capabilities. Thus a single guide or workbook cannot capture the needs of each and every student. Books on teaching methods have been published by the NIE and by experienced teachers in the field. For example, one of the lecturers at the Open University had published a book titled “Differentiated Instructions”- a book on how to instruct students with varying needs. However, due to the lack of coordination and support from the MoE, teachers do not have access to such material. Schools have created their own guides to track and record the progress of each student in developing basic skills. A good example would be the system followed at the Chitra Lane Special School. The academic staff have developed a guide to track the performance of each student (based on the information gathered at seminars and workshops). They have defined ‘long-range goals’ for each student to develop their life skills, number skills, cognitive ability, language skills, and behaviour. They had also defined ‘short-term objectives’ which need to be achieved in order to reach the longrange goals. The school also developed its own IEP report to track the progress of students. On the advice of education directors, many other schools maintain similar reports for each student. Many teachers were able to design lesson plans on account of their personal experience and training. Some teachers did their own research to prepare lessons. Hence there is still room for better guidance, especially from the central authorities. Theme 5 : Are there comprehensive teacher training programs on special education to prepare teachers, including identification of slow learners under general primary teacher training? Formal training in Special Education for teachers is provided by National Colleges of Education (NCOEs), Teachers’ Colleges, the NIE, and the Open University of Sri Lanka. NCOE training is offered for A/L qualified students who wish to pursue teaching as a career. Teacher training at NCOEs include a two year residential training and an internship of one year, which includes practical exposure to teaching at special units and schools. A committee consisting of NIE and NCOE staff prepared the syllabus for special education. The curriculum covers a wide range of subjects, including teaching blind, deaf and Children with learning disabilities. Identification, assessment and
alternative teaching techniques are included in the course. The training instills an accepting attitude towards children with special needs among the trainees. Training at Teachers’ Colleges are for teachers who are already employed (in-service training). Prior to the establishment of NCOEs, special education training was conducted at the Maharagama Teachers’ College, run by the MoE. Now, the special education course is offered at the Teachers’ College in Balapitiya. A majority of teachers who were interviewed received their training at the Maharagama. Unlike the curriculum at NCOEs, which cater to all special needs students, the Teachers’ College curriculum gives the trainee the option to choose a field of specialization i.e. teaching the blind, deaf or Children with learning disabilities. On the other hand, training at NCOEs caters to a larger group of students. The training is also more extensive as it is a residential training which is carried out over two years, as opposed to the one year training at Teachers’ Colleges. However, the trainees at NCOEs often lack commitment to continue in the field of Special Education. They choose the field when they joining to teacher service, they do not have experience, and none of them understand how demanding the job is. Hence many have end up their carrier in other fields of teaching after their training, wasting the knowledge they have gained and government investment in their training. The NIE, together with the Primary Education Unit at the MoE has been instrumental in organizing training programs for primary school teachers including intervention and teaching techniques to cater to students with Learning disabilities. These are 2-3 day programs which are based on a variety of themes such as ‘Learning Disabilities’, ‘Autism’, ‘Introduction of the Individual Education Plan’ etc. These programs are conducted at zonal level throughout the island, in places like Kandy, Colombo and Trincomalee. The Open University has extended their professional support to the MoE and the NIE in conducting workshops for primary teachers and ISAs on Special Needs Education. These workshops cover identification methods, psychological effects, and teaching guidelines to cater to the specific needs of students. Monthly training programs are conducted for teachers employed in Special Units or Special Schools at a zonal and provincial level.
Master Teachers6 and Educational Directors also undergo training in Special Education. The Open University conducts workshops and courses for Master Teachers at their regional centres in Colombo, Batticaloa, Ampara, Hatton and Jaffna. These workshops focus on special methodologies for teaching and evaluating students with special needs. The training is conducted by foreign experts and medical consultants. The NIE and the Open University have their own Special education courses which have been developed by trained staff and experts. Many private sector teachers enroll in these courses at the Open University. The NIE’s one year diploma in Special Education is a general course which caters to teachers, doctors, nurses and social workers with experience in the field (refer Annex for more information). Theme 6: What are the challenges faced on the ground – skill gaps, limited resources, economic barriers? Overall, teachers are satisfied with the training they received and were well prepared to handle children with Learning disabilities. Many of them still use what they learnt at their training to prepare lesson plans. They are able to adopt the general syllabus to suit the needs of their students. They did however need constant revision of teaching methods, on par with new technological advancements. A majority of teachers were given the opportunity to participate in monthly training programs. A few were denied that opportunity due to miscommunication between the school and authorities and also due to the lack of a substitute teacher to carry on the class in their absence. A major concern among respondents was the lack of Special Education training under primary teacher training. Despite the training programs conducted for primary teachers, many cannot identify children with Learning disabilities and distinguish them from slow learners. Coordination between the governing bodies, schools and teaching institutions is poor. For Special Education teachers to gain the benefits of teaching special needs students, they have to be registered at the MoE as a special education teacher. For this, they need to either complete the Special Education course offered at NCOEs or have over one year’s experience in the field coupled with a Ministry-recognized training. Unfortunately, not all training courses offered by teaching institutes (namely the Teachers’ Colleges, the NIE and Open University) are recognized by the MoE. There 6
‘Master teachers’ include visiting lecturers, teaching practice supervisors and assignment markers. They usually have a Diploma or Masters in Education.
was a lot of confusion regarding MoE recognition for training. For instance, some degrees and diplomas offered by training institutions (namely the Open University and the NIE) are not recognized by the Ministry. Some teachers who had these qualifications were not eligible for similar benefits (incentive payment) as other special education teachers. Respondents attributed this to a miscommunication between the central authorities and the teaching institutes. Some training qualifications that were recognized in the past are not anymore. The distance learning option for in-service teachers was also abandoned recently. Explaining this issue, a special education teacher from a school in Aluth Ambalama stated the following: “I joined the school in 2001, since then I have taught over 100 special needs students. I completed a special education course at the Maharagama Teachers’ College three years ago, but I still haven’t received an official appointment from the Ministry. Even though I do similar work to that of other teachers, I do not receive a trained teacher’s salary. I won’t even get a postretirement pension. I have sent many letters to the authorities stating my concerns, but none of my requests have been fulfilled.” Also the special units had only basic requirements such as an attached toilet and sink. The quality of available facilities varied. Units in the Western province were generally better off when compared to those in the North Western and Eastern provinces. Certain units were privy to special learning equipment and computers donated by past pupil association and well-wishers. Others just had the bare minimum- blackboard, chalk, a few desks and chairs, and a rusty cupboard. Some teachers personally bear the cost of stationary. One of the teachers spent her own time making learning equipment to help teach her students in an interactive way. Further, the inadequacy of toilet facilities was discussed constantly throughout the field study, especially in the North Western province. Transport issue and requirement of residential facilities. The schools considered for the study, with the exception of the Zahira Special School, did not have residential facilities for special need students. Students travel to school every-day by bus, bicycle, and threewheeler. They usually live within 1.5 km from the school. Students who live within ¼ km from school either walk to school everyday or are carried by their parents. Only a few schools had a van service or a three-wheeler service for students to be dropped and picked up from school. Many students are accompanied by their mothers. The mothers have given up their jobs to look after the child and bring them to school. The hostel
facilities provided at the Zahira Special School is available for Children with learning disabilities. Socio-economic barriers exist. The parents who took part in FGDs come from lowincome backgrounds. A majority of the mothers could not afford to work as they needed to stay at home and look after their child, increasing the financial burden on the family. They could barely afford to bring the child to school due to high transport costs. They have to spend around Rs. 300 per day for transport. Also, children with special needs are prone to illness and require constant medical care. The cost of medicine, doctors’ consultations, tests and scans leave a high financial burden on the parents. Welfare systems and financial support is available for parents of Children with special needs, however, due to the lack of research and monitoring by the Social Welfare Departments and the Grama Seva, very few receive benefits like the Rs. 750 monthly transport allowance from the Social Services Department. Parents did not understand why other parents received benefits while they didn’t. When asked about government support, parents stated the following: “We were given Rs. 750 for transport in January. We did not receive any more allowances since then.” “We do not receive any welfare payments, but I know of some families who receive Rs. 3000 a month.” “I know of parents in our area who do not even send the child to school but receive benefits and payments from the Department of Social Services. Parents like us who actually make an effort to bring the child to school everyday do not get anything. I feel helpless.” “Students from Sabaragamuwa receive a monthly payment of Rs. 1000. Families of the same income level from other regions do not receive this allowance.” It is clear that the welfare benefits have been inconsistent and poor targetng. Again highlighting the lack of coordination and monitoring by authorities.
8
Policy Recommendations
The research findings highlighted the many barriers and opportunities in the provision of education for children with learning disabilities. This section focuses on policy recommendations to minimize these constraints, and provides alternatives to further improve existing educational provisions. The study reinforces the need for disability-specific policy in the country, with directly addressing those with learning disabilities, who are generally less visible. Despite numerous Government Circulars advising schools to admit children with LDs and the Attendance Committees appointed by the MoE, in reality, many LD students are still rejected from schools. Hence there needs to be stricter legislation ensuring that LD children of schooling age are enrolled in schools. Implementation of such policy should be supported at provincial and zonal levels by the respective education offices. Even though primary school enrollment has improved drastically throughout the years, as discussed earlier, attrition rates among children with disabilities remain high, emphasizing the need for follow-up mechanisms to ensure that these students complete their school education and that necessary resources are available to accommodate their educational needs throughout their schooling career. Special education training should be a compulsory component in the general primary teacher training. As discussed throughout the study, primary teachers are lack the knowledge and skills to identify children with LDs and to cater to their special needs. It is essential to include a compulsory special education component in the general primary teacher training, including identification techniques and alternative teaching methods targeting the needs of children with LDs. Primary teachers would further benefit from having an ISA or a counselor to guide them on how to adjust their teaching approach to suit the needs of the students. Therefore, educational authorities should ensure that each school has access to such counseling services. i.e. each school should have at least one counselor or trained ISA to support the teachers. Curriculum should be developed to cater for different levels of special need children. As discussed earlier, a specific curriculum for LD children would not work, given the variety of needs it would have to cater to. Hence teachers’ guides should include alternative approaches in teaching the basic curriculum to suit diverse needs. Life skills development and vocational training is also an essential component for LD students, and should therefore be incorporated into their school curriculum. Schools should
adopt a similar system to the one at Chitra Lane School, where students over the age of 17 are given vocational training in a particular craft. The special education curriculum for teacher trainees should be updated constantly (including new developments in the field). LD students do not respond well to traditional teaching. Many teachers have adopted visual learning and more interactive teaching methods to draw the attention of students. All special schools and special units should be provided with learning equipment and computers. Further, the research findings of studies conducted by the NIE and other independent bodies should be incorporated into the training. The training should also include a vocational training component, so that teachers are equipped with the knowledge to train their students and develop their income-generating skills for the future (for when they leave school). The MoE needs to do an overall assessment of all special education training available to teachers and offer proper accreditation to courses which are of the expected standards. The study also revealed a recognition issue for some training programmes. Not all training courses offered by teaching institutes (namely the NIE and Open University) are recognized by the MoE. This is due to poor coordination between the institutions and the Ministry. Ministry should notify the public on MoE-recognized training to avoid miscommunication. Further Special Education teacher training courses offered by teaching institutes differ in terms of content and duration- some more comprehensive than others. The Special Education training offered at Teachers’ Colleges involves specialization in one of the three fields- teaching the blind, the deaf, or teaching intellectually disabled children. In practice however, these teachers have to teach classes with students having different disabilities. There is a mismatch between the training and the job description in this case. One option would be to standardize all teacher training courses to avoid further confusion. Special education teacher training programmes should be more targeted. Teachers with training from Teachers’ Colleges were more committed as they had real experience with these children and joined Special Education by choice as opposed to NCOE trainees who were selected based on their A/L result. To make the training more productive, a good option would be to give the NCOE trainees a more general training at first, and then allow them to specialize in a certain subject or field thereafter. This way, they will only pursue fields which they have a genuine passion for. Similarly, a more general training should be provided at Teachers’ Colleges, giving teachers a more overall training, which would cover techniques to suit students with diverse disabilities and needs.
Government regulations should be put forward to boost the use of special education teacher training services. The study also revealed that training institutes, especially the NCOEs were not enrolling teacher trainees to its full capacity. Thus the annual output from NCOEs for special education cannot meet the growing demand. Teachers given appointments in the field of Special Education are bound by contract to serve in special education for at least 5 years. In practice, many teachers end up teaching mainstream classes, not making use of the training they received. Thus, there needs to be a proper follow-up program for teachers to ensure they remain in Special Education after their training is complete and to further. More in-service training opportunities should be given to teachers. For example, teaching institutes should conduct training courses during the weekend and during school holidays. Special education teacher’s career path should be developed. There is very little opportunity for professional development in the field of Special Education. Despite the 10 per cent incentive and pension rights, Special Education teachers have very little incentive to train and pursue a career in this field. The MoE should create more opportunities for trained teachers. They could employ trained teachers as ISAs and Educational Directors to guide new teachers, especially since there is already a deficiency of trained personnel in these positions. Improve access to schools for special need children. The lack of transport facilities and the high associated cost was a major issue for many families. The study revealed that many families are excluded from the benefits awarded by the Social Services Department. The Department, along with the provincial and zonal offices will have to perform a comprehensive survey to capture all deserving families, to ensure that they are supported. An alternative would be to introduce transport services (e.g. a school bus service for students) in each school so that all children with disabilities are able to attend school. Support services for special need children should be properly targeted. Despite numerous support services available for children with LDs in certain areas, they are still not accessible to a large proportion of society, especially in the rural regions. Hence the MoE and the Social Services Departments in each province need to work together to ensure such support services are available to all deserving children and families. Safeguard the special need children’s future. The study brought to light the lack of direction and opportunities for children with LDs once they leave school. Those with mild to moderate disabilities have the option of gaining further vocational training and getting a job or starting an at-home business. Those with severe disabilities do not have
the option of earning by doing a traditional job. They need constant care, and therefore will be helpless once their parents are old and unable to support them. As proposed by some parents, residential training centres are needed in each district to accommodate children with severe disabilities and help them earn an income while being nursed and taken care of. Parents should also have the option of registering their child in one of these centres early on. This will really help reduce the burden on their child’s future.
Annexure History of Educational Provisions for Children with Disabilities Provisions for education of children with disabilities in Sri Lanka date back to 1912 with the establishment of the first special school for the deaf and blind (Ministry of Social Welfare, 2003). By 1956, around 515 children were benefitting from special needs education. Government intervention in special education began in the 1960s. The first government school for children with physical and intellectual impairemnent was built in 1964. By 1965, there were around 10 special schools run by Christian Missionaries and Buddhist organizations catering to the needs of children with disabilities. By 1997, there were around 26 residential schools catering to around 1900 special needs children. (Ekanayake , et al., 2016) Special schools followed a more segregated approach, where children were not only separated from peers in regular schools, but were also sperated according to the nature of their disability.The 1960’s also saw the emergence of special education units attached to mainstream schools, where children had the opportunity to learn alongside their peers. These students followed an ‘integrated special education’ program and also had the opportunity to study in the regular classroom. (Ekanayake , et al., 2016) A transition from segregated learning to a more integrated form of education was seen in the 1970 s. Following a cabinet memorandum in 1968, the first integrated program for visually impaired children was setup, along with the enrollment of 17 visually impaired children in regular schools (Lynch, 1994). A committee appointed by the Permanent Secretary and Director General of Education to report on special education in the country recommended an extension of the integrated program to other categories of impairment (Lynch, 1994). The creation of the Special Education Unit at the Ministry of Education in 1971 marks a significant milestone in special education in Sri Lanka. The Ministry also developed special integrated programs for children with physical, cognitive and other learninig disabilities. (Ekanayake , et al., 2016) Initially, these children were assited by specially trained teachers within the mainstream class. Later on, children with diverse disabilities were studying in the the same special unit within the mainstream school (Ekanayake , et al., 2016). This integrated system was successful in creating access to many excluded and marginalized groups.
In 1973, a training course aimed at teaching children with hearing impairments was initiated and was later modified to cater to intellectually disabled children (UNICEF, 2003). By 1980, regular schools were admitting children with visual and hearing impairments and intellectual disabilities: a definite progression towards an inclusive education system. The Ministry of Education and Higher Education also introduced a training program for special education teachers in regular government schools. The Non-Formal Education Unit at the Ministry of Education is responsible for providing alternative education opportunities for those not attending schools (Ministry of Education , 2004). Literacy centres were established in disadvantaged areas to address the needs of school children who were either not enrolled in schools or school dropouts. A significant number of students in these centres were absorbed into formal schools every year. Community learning centres and rehabilitation programs were setup throughout the island. Additionally, School Attendance Committees and School Attendance Monitoring Committees were to be established to ensure enrollment of all children in the formal school system. (Ministry of Education , 2004) The 1980’s saw huge developments in inclusive practices in Sri Lanka and around the world. Sri Lanka’s efforts in establishing integrated programs within the country were supported by foreign sponsor agencies such as JICA (Japanese International Cooperation Agency), SIDA (Swedish International Development Agency) and other foreign governments (Ministry of Social Welfare, 2003). Simultaneously, international organizations around the world were developing policies and conventions on the education of children with special needs, positively impacting the development of special education in Sri Lanka. Teacher Training programmes The Open University conducts two teacher training programs in Special Needs Education. Their ‘Postgraduate Diploma in Special Needs Education’ is a one and half year program offered to mainly primary and secondary school teachers with a degree in Education. The program is offered in all 3 languages. The Open University recently introduced a 4 year B.Ed. degree program for pre-service and in-service special education teachers. The degree consists of a 10 week compulsory ‘teaching practice’ component including teaching exposure in both an inclusive set up and in a special unit or special school. It also includes an ‘action research project’ where teachers are asked to randomly assess a special needs child and incorporate the methods learnt to teach the
child depending on their abilities. The Open University also offers professional development courses and workshops relevant to teaching children with disabilities and learning disabilities. Table A1 : List of the key officials interviewed Institute
Name
Designation
Mr. H.P.N. Lakshman
Director of Education, Non-Formal and Special Education Branch
Ms. Asoka Pandithasekara
Director of Education, Primary Education Branch
Open University of Sri Lanka
Dr. Alwis Ms.Anurudhdhika Bogodagedara Mr.K. Ketheeswaran
Head of the Special Needs Department, Faculty of Education Coordinator of the Post Graduate Diploma in Special Needs Education Coordinator of the Bachelor of Education (Tamil Medium )
National Institute of Education
Mr. P.H.S. P. Dias Ms. P. Vinithajini Ms. G. S. Mallika Ms. J.M. Hewage
Lecturers, Department of Inclusive Education
Western Provincial Education Office
Mr. D.M.H. Dissanayaka
Assistant Director of Education, Special Education Unit
North Western Provincial Education Office
Mr. Hettiarachchi
Director, Non-Formal Education
Dr. Manel Goonasekara
Chief Operating Officer
Ms. Champika Mahapatuna
Principal
Ms. Nirmala Dias & 2 otherb teachers
Teachers, CLS
Ms. M.A. Nayana Damayanthi
Teacher, Special Unit
Ministry of Education
Chitra Lane Welfare Society for Children with Special Needs
Aluth Ambalama Adharsha Vidyalaya, Kosgama
Parents Dharmapala Vidyalaya,
Col. K.G. Wimalasena
Principal
Pannipitiya
Nissanka Madya Maha Vidyalaya
Rathnalankara M.V., Alawwa Agbowa Primary School, Alawwa
Mrs. Damayanthi & 2 other teachers
Teachers , Special unit
H.M. Ariyadasa
Principal
Ms. A.B.D. Damayanthi, Ms. A.M.S. Priyankara, Ms. R.M.N. Ratnayaka
Teachers at the Special Unit
Ms. B. M. C Dissanayaka
Teacher, Special Unit
2 Teacher Trainees
Hapitigama Teacher Trainees
Ms. I.D.G. Achirawathi
Principal Teacher, Special Unit Parents
Zahira Special School, Batticaloa
Principal Teachers at the Special Unit Parents
K.M.K.M Riyalul Janna V. primary school Ampara Department of Social Services
Principal Teachers at the Special Unit Ms. K.S.R. Nanayakkara
Assistant Director
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Ministry of Social Welfare. (2003). National Policy on Disability for Sri Lanka. Colombo. Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka to the UN . (2016). Sri Lanka Ratifies the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Retrieved March 23, 2016, from http://www.slmission.com/index.php/news/91-latest/832-sri-lanka-ratifies-the-convention-onthe-rights-of-persons-with-disabilities UN. (2006-2007). Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Retrieved March 24, 2016, from http://www.un.org/disabilities/documents/convention/convoptprot-e.pdf UNESCO. (2009). Policy Guidelines on Inclusion in Education. Paris: UNESCO. UNHRC. (1989). Convention on the Rights of a Child, OHCHR. Retrieved 2016, from http://www.ohchr.org/en/professionalinterest/pages/crc.aspx UNICEF. (2003). Examples of Inclusive Education, Sri Lanka. Kathmandu: UNICEF Regional Office for South Asia. World Bank . (2013). Net enrollment rate, primary %.
