1. John Mugo It is normal to be different

2. Navigating the tensions - embracing genuine change John Mugo. Key Note Address to the National Inclusive Education Conference, 17 th March 2016, Kenya School of Monetary Studies

3. Unqualified pupil of inclusive education… …but we are all qualified, and united in our histories of being different. Tell your story: [As stammerer in grade 4; A lone student in Germany]

4. Recognizing my difference, I changed my thoughts… First outline I made Overview of special needs The SNE policy and the gaps Latest studies on disability and SNE The problem of inclusive education teacher training… The paper that I now present The contexts of difference and commonality… The SDG 4 and our dream of inclusive education and development for all… Adapting curricula, instruction and assessment for all The opportunities of inclusive education

5. What really is inclusive education all about? 1. Inclusive education is not about including children with disabilities, its about including all children 2. Inclusive education is about differences and commonalities, belief that its normal to be different 3. Inclusive education is about people, environment, instructional practice and assessment models

6. Three Contexts, Three Tensions 1. The Theoretical tension 2. The Economic tension 3. The Practice tension

7. What I learnt in class… SegregationIntegrationInclusion

8. What I have learnt in life… All children are the same Some children are different All children are different

9. Include children with SNE Include every child

10. …have we made so little progress, because we have approached it wrongly?

11. The economic tension “In addition the Department of Education has been providing financial and material support to 1,703 special units … at a rate of Ksh2,000 FPE top-up per year per learner for acquisition of assistive devices” – NESP:61 “Inadequate funding of subsector - capitation grants are insufficient to address the needs of children with disabilities” – NESP:61 …but what is it that we should cost?

12. …and what is more costly? Assistive devices and costs of environmental adjustment Lifelong dependency and loss of productivity/economic returns

13. The Practice tension.. We believe we should change, but we are stuck to the histories of our practice

14. Our response to different cognitive abilities In every Kenyan classroom today, we have children of high, middle and low cognitive ability. Our teachers are not trained on how to vary the learning experience to include all children. There is no curricular adaptation. Every student sits for KCPE and KCSE. Little adaptation of Exams to children with some disabilities. At announcement of KCPE and KCSE results, some children are carried shoulder high. Over 200,000 miss secondary school because of (basically) low cognitive abilities (or lack of disabilities). We have 108 National Schools for the better pupils, and the rest of secondary schools for others… Poorest English/Kiswahili compositions are published to show how poor some were, we laugh it off.

15. Our response to different perceptual and motor abilities Nationally, we have 184 special schools with an enrolment of 21,050; we have 1,703 integrated units with 81,649 learners… and…23,000 schools for every other child! We have teacher training courses on Special Needs Education (with sharp focus on inclusion), and teacher training courses for every other teacher (with nothing on inclusive education) We train the SNE teachers on Individualized Education Program (of the 1970s)…we train other teachers on everything else, other than inclusive education.

16. Our response to difference in behaviour Since 1910, we have the ‘juvenile justice’ institutions. Now have 10 rehabilitation schools, 12 remand homes and 3 rescue centres… Caning was abolished in 1997? (though still happening in ‘Kaveye’?). SNE teachers are trained on teaching children with behavioural difficulties …all other teachers are trained on many things about psychology, but nothing practical on adapting instruction for behavioural support.

17. So how do we change what we think and do?

18. Another look at 3 theories

19. Howard Gardner Theory of Multiple Intelligences, Multiple Approaches

20. Lev Vygotsky Scaffolding theory – the Zone of Proximal Development

21. Marilynn Brewer Theory of Optimal distinctiveness (Who is this we?) We are the same and different, and we oscillate between these two self- and other definitions

22. 2016 - Three opportunities 1. Sustainable Development Goal 4 2. Education policy reform 3. Education reform in Kenya InclusiveEquitableQualityLifelong

23. But for us to utilize them, seven changes must happen

24. 1. Change our own thinking… It’s not about the other person, that person who is different, its about you

25. 2. Change our education policy Its not about including children with special needs, its about including all children

26. 3. Change out teacher education It’s not a matter of SNE teachers, it’s a subject and qualification issues for all teachers

27. 4. Change our instructional practice It’s not about Individualized Education Program, its about Differentiate Instruction

28. 5. Change our learning environments It’s not about changing the child and giving them assistive devices, its about changing the school and classroom environments so that they accommodate every child Technology is now a known facilitator Through the MoEST Digital Program, can every child with disability be given a laptop?

29. 6. Change our assessment It’s not about assessing children with special needs, it’s about assessing all children, and adapting learning assessments for all children

30. 7. Change our parenting practices 1. Parenting that embraces diversity in children 2. Parenting that seeks opportunity for every child 3. Parents that seeks information on every condition 4. Parenting that cooperates with school and teachers to help every child learn Parenting that holds responsible authorities to account

31. Thus…Inclus ion= Inclusive Education Thinking Policies TeachersInstruction Environme nt Parenting Assessment

32. I wish we can all work to make this happen

33. John Mugo It is normal to be different