Letter of the Day | Achieving inclusive education

THE EDITOR, Madam:

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.

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 with 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.

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. 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 when 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.

UNITED APPROACH

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 marginalises others. We must always take into consideration that classes and indeed schools are not homogeneous groups; they tend to operate as heterogeneous groups. A curriculum must be responsive and include 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 better 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.

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, marginalised and/or vulnerable groups.

WAYNE CAMPBELL