Inclusive Context in the Pre-Primary Curriculum and its Practices

Abstract

Inclusion context in education refers to children from different educational needs and backgrounds in mainstream classrooms. Children with disability face barriers in educational institutions due to their deficiencies and many other social obstacles. Though the education policy of Bangladesh includes an inclusive approach, many teachers face challenges teaching children with disability at the pre-primary level with all other normal children. The researcher conducted a qualitative study to review the inclusive contexts in the pre-primary curriculum to find out how inclusivity is addressed in the curriculum. The researcher also intended to investigate the practices of learning-teaching strategies of the pre-primary curriculum in regular classrooms considering children with disability. The data was collected through classroom observation and interviews with class teachers and head teachers from government primary schools in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Further, an in-depth interview was conducted with five educational experts to obtain their opinion to provide suggestions on the necessity to review the provision in the pre-primary curriculum and to suggest the strategies for teachers to address the needs of children with disability in inclusive classroom settings. Findings from the study explored some issues, such as teachers’ lack of knowledge of the provisions about inclusion in the curriculum, lack of teachers’ training on inclusive education and classroom management. The research also identified that teachers have limited time and eagerness to prepare differentiated planning to deliver lessons for children with disability. The experts opined that the classroom teachers need support from special educators or special education support teachers to teach children with disability to ensure inclusivity and quality education.