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Achieving Inclusive Education in the Caribbean and Beyond

Dennis A. Conrad, Launcelot I. Brown and Stacey N. J. Blackman

Abstract

Achieving Inclusive Education in the Caribbean and Beyond: From Philosophy to Praxis presents an evolutionary discourse on the philosophical and conceptual ideas that have shaped how inclusion is practiced in the English-speaking Caribbean, selected states in the United States of America, and England. The authors in this book by no means claim that UNESCO’s vision of inclusion and equity in education agenda has been achieved. However, they do remain acutely aware of the factors that facilitate and hinder progress towards obtaining equity in education and are optimistic about the prospects for inclusive education in their respective contexts. In this volume, we define the term inclusive education in its broadest sense in that inclusion is about the education of all students regardless of age, culture, disability, ethnicity, race, socioeconomic status, or sexual orientation. Research by Ainscow, Booth, and Dyson (2006) commenting on definitions of inclusion noted that “Experience has taught us that many different views of inclusion exist in the field (Ainscow, Farrell, & Tweddle, 2000) and there is no one perspective on inclusion within a single country or school (Ainscow et al., 2006, p. 14; Booth & Ainscow, 1998). A similar observation can be made for defining other terms like marginalization, poverty, culture, intersectionality, and decolonization (which can also be diffuse). Authors in this volume have defined and interpreted these terms in very specific ways in their chapters based on their locales, academic disciplines, under- standings, and philosophical grounding. We welcome those various understandings and hope that they would produce more points of convergence and clarity rather than divergence and ambiguity in the literature.

Plans and Policies

Special and inclusive education in the Eastern Caribbean: policy practice and provision

The National Policy on the Teaching of Reading seeks to establish clear guidelines and principles for the delivery of reading instruction in Barbadian schools. The policy provides a framework for the implementation of curriculum
initiatives in a way that extends literacy opportunities for all students and contributes to national development. The document will provide some background to the issue, outline the general policy to be observed in schools and also identify the specific instructional focus, which should be followed at particular class levels.

December 6, 2022

Plans and Policies