One Step Forward Towards a More Inclusive Education

The Project for Strengthening Education for Children with Special Needs through Inclusive Education Approach (REACH-SS: REasonable Accommodation for All CHildren in Sri Lankan Schools) which was started in March 2019 will be completed in this month. Under the REACH-SS project, “National Seminar” was held on 6th February 2024 with the presence of Ms. Wasantha Perera, Secretary, Ministry of Education, Professor Prasad Sethunga, Director General of the National Institute of Education, and Mr. Tetsuya Yamada, Chief Representative and Ms. Ide Yuri, Senior Representative of JICA Sri Lanka office.

This National Seminar was held to review the achievements of the Project, to learn how the schools become more inclusive, and to discuss way forward for national dissemination.

Dr. Susil Premajayantha, Hon. Minister of Education gave video message during the opening and appreciated JICA and dedicated experts for the impact made through the project and glad to see the collection of good practices. He also mentioned that this project will benefit the future of children in Sri Lanka.

Mr. Yamada mentioned in the opening speech that the project accumulated good practices and various materials were made for serving as a valuable tools and resources to identify more efficacious methods for developing inclusive education approach for children with special needs at many schools in Sri Lanka.

During the panel discussion in the seminar, key actors shared their efforts such as the principal of the target school made efforts on reforming school, Inclusive Education Coordinator made bridges among different stakeholders, In-Service Advisor spread good practices to other schools, Special Education Unit teacher identified children’s needs and took measures, and school community supported their school.

Professor Sethunga emphasized in his presentation the following points as strengths of this project:

1) Promotion of collaboration through multi-layered interventions
2) Supplementary documents to implement circulars effectively.
3) Producing usable materials designed from the grassroot level point of view
4) Highlighting good practices from Sri Lankan school system
5) Practical changes of the school, classroom and teachers towards embrace diversity.
6) Promotion of Individualized Educational Plan (IEP)

He also mentioned that challenges and way forward are 1) examination-based education system as a huge barrier for inclusion and specific features of proposed National Curriculum Framework, 2) expansion of the Special Education Units (SEUs) and attitudes of stakeholders in school education, 3) possibility to transform the SEUs to strategic classroom and 4) awareness on disability-inclusive education practices among school teachers and school community, etc.

Ms. Perera appreciated the project team and all stakeholders for succeeding the project. She stressed that the project outcome should be sustained in the future and Sri Lanka side should be able to update the curriculum and guidelines made in the project from time to time. She also mentioned that Sri Lanka side should utilize all tools given by the project and implement what we have planned and, in order to continue, not only school but whole society has responsibility to take measures.

Mr. Oguchi Shuhei, the leader of this project said that his team was very happy to work with all stakeholders up to now and hope Sri Lanka to be more inclusive year by year.

Materials made during the projects are the followings:

1） Guidelines on School Infrastructure and Environment Arrangement
2） Handbook for Assessment Committee
3） Handbook for Promoting Inclusive Education
4） Collection of good practices (Available in MOE HP)
　　Embracing Diversity – One Step Forwards Towards a More Inclusive School – MOE
5） Teaching materials for students with special needs (Available in NIE HP)
　　Home (google.com)

All available in Sinhala, Tamil, and English.

Two-days' Workshop was held to draft Inclusive Education Master Plan under Project fot Strengthening Education for Children with Special Needs through Inclusive Education Approach (REACH-SS)

Good Practice: The dedication of a school for inclusive education of one child
එක් සිසුවෙකු අන්තර්කරණයට පාසලක් කැපවෙන තරම
ஒரு குழந்தையின் உள்ளடங்கல் கல்விக்காக ஒரு பள்ளியின் அர்ப்பணிப்பு