I know of a school here in the Southern region of Belize that has a policy for ensuring that the support provided by teachers for students in their classroom is met by the use of differentiated instruction. It was made mandatory that teachers plan their lessons using DI, and highlight parts how students with disabilities will be catered for. 

One of our policies facilitate students who learn differently by the governmental facilitation of trained students' aid. Teachers are also trained in Special Education. 

At a school I know the teachers use to meet at least two times a week to discuss different ideas and strategies that they would use in their classrooms to better support their special needs students. In this same school the head teacher and caregivers for a student worked together to facilitate learning for a child by adapting the curricula to assist this student. The point in all this is that team work is a great way to keep inclusive learning functioning in your school. No one person can do it alone.  

I am a teacher in a mainstream school and at my school, the Ministry of Education has assigned a Special Education Teacher who works alongside the class teacher to assist children who are identified with a disability. This kind of support is indeed very helpful as team effort is an important factor in creating an inclusive ethos. 

At the school to which I am attached, the school has developed several policies for encouraging positive behaviours. One of these is the use of a house system. All the children are placed in certain houses or teams. They each have house captains or team leaders. Points are awarded to members of the houses for positive behaviours observed throughout a particular time period. The house with the most number of points are recognized during assembly and then rewarded with simple tokens e.g ice- cream, etc. 

One policy that is established in a school that I know is: "The school's expectation for non- discriminating language and how they will establish inclusive attitude and relationships between teachers, students and parents."

They do this by informing staff, students and caregivers/parents what is expected and what is the ethical language to use.

I have worked as a student aid for the special needs children. My country assigns Student Aids to work alongside the class teacher. They teach the exceptional learner using differentiated instruction on a one on one basis. 

In Trinidad and Tobago through  the Student  Support Services of the Ministry of Education children with disabilities can get free transportation to and from school on modified buses that are equipped to carry  wheelchairs.  Parents can access this service  free of charge so that accessibility to quality education is available to each child and transportation does not become a barrier. 

There is an Elementary school which encourages positive behavior management through its code of conduct. Every parent receives the student handbook which outlines the expectations of the classroom with respect being emphasized among the students and teachers. The classroom rules are written in a positive form of phrasing. For example instead of saying “Do not yell to get your teacher’s attention”, it would say “Raise your hand for help from the teacher.” It is mentioned that students who have difficulty or special needs are placed at the front of the class so the teacher may be in close proximity to support that student. Also, parents of children with special needs are assured that a guidance counselor is available to talk with the children. She would note any issues a child expressed and report it to the parents and teacher so they may work together to assist the student.

In my country, the Ministry of Education assigns Guidance Officers and Social Workers to schools to work alongside class teachers and administrators to support children with Learning disabilities.

In Kenya in one of the best performing schools had created family relationship between form ones who are new entries to school with the older girls in the upper classes. Each new form one girl had 'an extended family'.

The second years - form two were the mothers, the third years- form three were the grandmothers and the forth years- form fours were the great grandmothers. These 3 sets of girls helped the one girl fit in the school and make it all the way to end of school regardless the disability or ability . A girl who suffered epilepsy fits was supported and succeeded and proceeded to university where one of her 'relatives' had joined earlier and she continued supporting the girl till she graduated.

No wonder all the girls in the school pass national exams with the lowest getting C+ grade aggregate which is the minimum requirement to enter university

A school that I know of monitor, share information and review pupils support need  by conducting surveys  when a need raises. When the Covid pandemic forced distant learning / virtual learning the school recognized that there will be a demand for tablets and internet access. They conducted a survey using parents to ascertain information on the number  with or without  as a way forward to offer support. Several  needy students received tablets  who maynhave otherwise been left behind. 

A policy set in place from region is that educators do lesson plans and within that lesson plan, there is a section known as differentiation. in that section, teachers then create an educational strategy for children with disabilities and slow learners. another policy that is in place is that the Government send trained educators to work with these type of children.

All teachers are trained to teach and support learners with special needs.

I see some Caribbean countries have Special aids and Special trained teachers to assist. that is very helpful. In a school I know the counsellor is tasked to visit and monitor the special Ed. students in their classes. She has access to the child's academic performance report on her computer and communicates with the teachers often to find out how best the child can learn and support overall.

I am a School Social Worker, and I work alongside Guidance officers, Special Education Officers and School Administrative to meet the needs of the students. This is all part of the Ministry of Education's policy to have an all inclusive school experience and is referred to as the Student Support Services Division. In this division there are also Psychologist and Assessment teams that would assess a child's particular disability in an attempt to meet the child where they are at and create an atmosphere of learning.    

In my educational institution our administrators frequently engage meetings with us whenever there is a need to.

When students with certain differences came to our school. The principal held a meeting to address all the teachers, not just merely those who have directly engage with them.

He was careful to point out any of their special needs and what appropriate action to take if necessary.

For example - how to respond to a student who suffers from epileptic seizures.

And also what special fonts to use with students who had sight impairments.

At a school which I am familiar with, when a member of staff recognizes that a child has a particular need or impairment, this information is shared with other members of teaching staff. All staff members work collaboratively to plan strategies (adaptations and interventions) to help and support child as needed. While the child’s class teacher in question may not have had experience working to meet this child’s particular need, another teacher may have prior experiences, and can share the strategies which were found to be effective.

At this school, staff members also note relevant observations, which is shared with child’s class teacher, both informally (when situation or behaviour is observed) and formally, (at a later time) during staff planning sessions. Interventions or adaptation strategies (where necessary) are then implemented by any staff member who has interactions with said child.

 Student Support Services Division, a department that is gear towards providing support to student and their families work closely with the school. At the school, there is school social worker, guidance officer, special education teacher, and aids to assist with inclusive education. The supporting staff exist to assist with the breaking down of barriers, to enable students to exercise their maximum potential.

In Fyzabad Secondary School in Trinidad and Tobago, in our department, we use the same Scheme of Work for all forms of the same level. This promotes inclusive learning. 

At a school with which I am familiar, one of its strongest features that lends itself to inclusivity is the collaborative ethos of the teachers led by the Administrator. There are weekly meetings to support one another, information is shared about students, strategies are discussed, activities are planned and ideas bounced off of one another. 

This creates an atmosphere of support and motivation that encourages teachers to engage in best practices for all students, whether special needs or not.

In the institution where I work, whenever a student with a disability is admitted,  the staff are notified and informed of specialist support that is available for them as they support the student such as transcription of materials. This ensures that the student is included in the teaching and learning process. 

One policy we have in school that support inclusive is teachers make adaptation to the curriculum to include the different needs of students with disabilities,and staff work together to ensure it is implemented.

There are special education training for teachers as well as special aids for learners.

In the school I work in, we do not have any learners with a disability but if we do, there would be ongoing discussion with the staff, parents, children and administrator. Staff will work together to get all the resources and training needed to help learners with disabilities. Learners will also be assessed to ensure they are learning and developing. Support from the Ministry of education and parents will also be welcomed to help all learners. 

I know of a school that supports its teachers through professional development programs. If any of the teachers felt they may need help or confidence in a subject area or classroom management, the Principal ensures that the teacher is enrolled in a respective workshop. This can well extend into an inclusive ethos where if the staff is not too confident in inclusive education, they can be enrolled in a program that will clarify and help in adopting key aspects! 

A school that I know- the teacher provides support in the classroom by showing equality in all aspects of learning, both physically and mentally. The teacher plans lessons that cater for diverse learners and there are resources and aids available to assist those who need it. Support is also given by other teachers in the same level so the burden is not only on one person, they have help and guidance.

In Trinidad and Tobago schools practice inclusive education that ensures that all children have the opportunity too a free education. It has proven too be successful because children with a disability strive better in an environment where they are not treated differently. The curricula used are changed in order too integrate the children's needs and the staff work closely with the parents which also proves too be very beneficial for the children.

One of the policies that they practiced and it supported inclusion practice is there should always be an aid to assist teachers. This was  not only for the benefit of children with disabilities but it assisted also with teacher burnout. Therefore staff was able to give of their best.

There is a school that I know where case conferencing happens between the class teacher, the guidance personnel, school social worker and special education teacher. Depending on the nature of the case conferencing, the parent and/or school administrator would be included. This allows for transparency and continuity of the program of work adapted for the child. 

A school known to me occasionally enrolls students with disabilities that range from hearing impairments, learning disabilities, behavioural disorders and even physical disabilities. The teachers are aware of the policy where they are required to plan personalised lessons whereby the content, process or product is differentiated in order to accomodate the learner. Monitoring and evaluation is paramount to determine what is and what is not working and whether additional supports are required to reach the student. When all attempts have been exhausted then and only then external assistance is requested via the Ministry. 

A school that I know of supports all learners to learn by ensuring that subject offerings are available for students who are academically driven and those who are skilled in vocational areas. All students are not fit into one mold. They are recognized for the unique abilities and allowed to develop in areas that support their individual development. 

Sport development is also recognized and budgeted for at this school as the aim of administration and staff is to have a premier all round students. Even before the pandemic this school was driven to support students who are experiencing difficulties at home, or who need some extra support’.

Hi all,

I would think that policies are all really important. I do not believe that the school I am in has any written policy on any of the following, but rather the staff and administration have over the years worked with what is in front of them with the students' needs in the forefront of everything. I will be suggesting some written school policies on the following:

1. How they will admit children with disabilities to the school
2. The support that teachers will provide in the classroom
3. How they will monitor progress, share information and review pupils’ support needs

Regards,

Michelle Ramlal

In my school once it becomes evident that the learner may have a disability the student is referred to Student Support Services so that they can be  properly assessed so that they can receive the type of instruction that is specific to their needs. 

It is important to note that many times upon entering the school system parents do not know or sometimes do not indicate that their child has special needs.

Once the assessment is done and with the continued assistance of Student Support Services a plan is made to cater for the needs of the pupil and once possible an aide is requested for the student based on the type of disability. 

In a school I know, during the day children are being observed and teaching is being assessed. After school there is a mandatory planning meeting with staff. From this planning staff are able to access resources for the next day of teaching for all learners. Using data from observations and teacher assessment, teachers can adjust to suit all learners.

Post 2. The support that teachers will provide in the classroom.

At the school the teachers create a welcoming space so the children can feel comfortable. The child/ children are kept close to the teacher to monitor their interest and gain a better understanding of their learning styles. The teachers also ensure there are appropriate concrete materials to facilitate learning. 

I know of a school here in Trinidad, where a student was admitted into the form 1. The child had learning learning disabilities and also suffered from physical issues, the student had back problems. The school provided all of the students books twice. One set to be kept at home and one set ot be kept in school, so that the student would not have to carry a heavy bag. The child was also provided with an aid to help carry around her book bag if it was too heavy for her. 

The student was also given the work a few days in advance, as the child was slower than others in understanding the work. This allowed them to for the most part keep up with their classmates.

One policy geared toward inclusivity is how teachers write their activity plans. Plans at Early Childhood level should be written to incorporate different learning styles, so that none is excluded. 

Remember children learn, take in, and remember information in different ways.  Children at my level learn through meaningful hands-on experiences—through touching, doing, and moving, and some through seeing and hearing.  The teacher will try as much as she/he can incorporates these styles when planning activities.   

Re: How they will monitor progress, share information and review pupils’ support needs

At my place of work, daily we use observation forms to document the knowledge, skills, dispositions and attitudes that the students display. Observations can then be discussed between staff members or with the administrator to determine what can if the inclusive strategies that are implemented are effective or what can be done differently to better meet the students’ needs. This should be done on a regular basis.

In the school that I know that supports inclusiveness, the teacher on admission of learners finds out the capabilities of their learners, adapt the classroom to develop the capability of each learner in an atmosphere of love. the teacher also hold meetings with the parents on progress of their children and the roles to be played by the parents to complement what is done in the classroom.

In some ECCE and primary schools, depending on the low-income data collected, children receive both breakfast and lunch. In other schools, children in the two sectors mentioned receive lunch only.

The school feeding programme extends to the secondary school as well. Choice is built in to this policy. Parents in all sectors choose whether to fill-in the respective form to access the meal/s. 

The school feeding programme is monitored by supervisors who visit schools to assess whether the meals delivered are of an acceptable standard, and to determine if wastage occurs. In the case of wastage the numbers of meals delivered may be reduced and or diverted to schools with greater need.  

The school feeding policy is  an excellent one in terms of creating a school ethos that promotes inclusive health, active learning, a sense of belonging and care for children in the various education sectors mentioned.

Activity 2.2 Policies for an inclusive ethos

At Student Support Services, we practice working as a team. There are special education specialists, psychologists, school social workers and behaviourists and we provide services that support students in accessing the curriculum and maintaining schools that are physically and emotionally safe for each student. We work together with teachers and parents so that there is continuity and a shared understanding of the expectations for supporting the students' learning and development.

A school I know brought in external, specialized assistance to help teachers and students understand the support that would be needed. Meetings were first held with the Principal, psychologist, School Support Services, parents and child. This was then followed with debriefing sessions for staff and students (to help them identify what additional supports were needed). This was followed by professional development training sessions to aid teachers in meeting these needs. 

1. The Ministry of Education has the Student Support Services Division which sends students aides to the ECCE Centres to help the staff with methods of teaching and learning that can assist students with diverse learning needs. Teachers are to observe and make notes of the methods and strategies the aide use and try them with the student with the special need. Additionally, teachers are supported through continuous professional development with officers from that organization.

At my school there are no student Aid to assist special needs children  in the ECCE. We as ECCE teachers are always ready to support and love the little ones to feel comfortable. Our policy is all children need love, attention and education. 

In my country there are Student Aids that work along with the teacher to help the special needs children.

At my institution, we have an equal opportunity policy and statement, which supports inclusive practice, whereby students with disabilities are accepted and treated fairly.

A school that I know  has an open door policy with respect to their admission process. All students from the catchment area area are allowed to enroll regardless of their ability and or disability. Siblings are given first preference and any student admitted with a disability is guided to the Student Support Services Division personnel attached to the school to start the referral process so that additional support and guidance can be given to both the parent and the class teacher.

In Trinidad our ministry and government ensures that no child is left behind, therefore inclusive education is being done.  There is still the need for more things to be in place in some schools so that all would be equipped in order too facilitate all children.

"a school that I know makes a commitment to have frequent dialogue with parents and caregivers of the special needs children, they discuss concerns that they may have, changes that occur, and areas of learning to be focused on and suggested strategies that can be used at home and school to bring about positive outcomes"

A policy in a school that I know is teamwork. Principal, teachers and all other staff work together as a team, along with parents and stakeholders. All hands on deck! They are always ready and willing to support any suggestion, plan, decision that will benefit all students; regardless of social status, financial ability, disabilities, or any other challenges that may be there. They also encourage and foster teamwork amongst the students. Everyone respect each other from administrator right down the ladder. 

In Trinidad, teachers are aided with different workshops to support professional development. Teachers also use checklists and daily recorded observations to determine where help is needed and where adaptions to support each child is necessary.

A school that I am currently assigned to has been chosen to be part of the inclusive school program with the Ministry of Education of my Country Trinidad and Tobago. This school has adopted the idea of informing staff members of any student with disabilities whether it be hidden or not and they have discussions on how best they will move forward with educating the student.

How teachers monitor progress, share information and review pupils' support needs.

In the E.C.C.E setting, one way the teachers can monitor progress is through observation and recording assessment. This assessment must be completed daily for each individual child. Teachers document children's work and the quality of that work or interaction to determine the child strengths and weakness. This information enables the teacher to reflect, evaluate and set goals for the child to build on their weaknesses.

One policy is to maintain manageable class sizes, allowing the Teacher the time to comfortably meet the needs of the learning in her group. It also allows for more flexible planning options. 

In the school the policy states that there must be equal opportunity for all children. this school supports inclusion by ensuring that all children regardless of their ethnicity, social status or physical capabilities must gain entry into school by  the specified age of three and in primary setting by the age of five.

provision must be made to assist in learning, through observations recordings and staff discussions.

The policy I chose is #2. The support that teachers will provide in the classroom. Teachers create a welcoming space for children to feel comfortable to express themselves. Teachers keep children in small groups that they can manage, monitor and gain a better understanding of. The children's interest  and learning styles assist the teacher when planning activities.

One policy we have at our school are management systems in place to assist learners with special needs. Teachers share the needs of students with the principal which is followed up by the student support service personnel associated with the school. They determine a plan of action to assist the class teacher with reaching that learner. It may be information to create an IEP, a diagnosis to determine the child's learning disabilities or to provide the student with an aide to assist them during school hours.

I agree with  Alicia's statement

Teachers prepare differentiated lesson plans with clear, visual work sheets, work with children on task so they can learn cooperation and social skills. 

They have  a cooperative student support  group where they develop an Individual Learning  Plan for the children with disabilities. 

There are some basic Government policies in place for funding and support of  students with disabilities. These funds are used to provide Specialist Staff, Specialist Equipment as well as Education Support of Staff.

I totally agree to the ideas that was presented in the video about schools in South A.

strong and positive leadership of principals for inclusive ethos,the comment of the teachers making everyone feel belonging to the learning in the classroom,the staff members working together -their willingness to share ,discuss and share new strategies to cater the needs of their children,the differentiate of activities ,encouraging of peer learning..and many more excellent ideas where shown on the video.

Here in our Policy we do acknowledge to be  Inclusive in our Practice because the children with or without disabilities have different learning abilities.

I believe what is lacking in our system is the strong and positive leadership of the principals .,how to create a more positive learning environment for the disabilities in the classroom.

As a Inclusive Officer in our Ministry this course is giving more confidence how to approach the current teachers and principals  to change the mind set by giving them the right support like encouraging more of staff team work in sharing ideas how to develop and create DI to meet the needs of the learners with r without disabilities.Identify the barrier and encourage peer learning by being respectful for each other.Also build a more stronger bond with the parents to know and learn about the learning process of their child with or without disability 

In my country we have this triple model curriculum where  where teaching is child centred and differentiated activities are encouraged however practice is lacking . There is a need for a strong leadership to advocate for inclusion and  positive attitudes from teachers towards equity in education.

At a Centre I know the teachers alongside the parents/caregivers have one on one meetings and together they come up with simple strategies to support the child at home as well as in the school environment thus cementing a home school link.

In a school I know one of the policies of that school is children are not to be taught differently.  In planning that each child is taken into consideration and activities are plan accordingly, looking at children's learning styles and individual needs; in other words, everyone is not painted with the same brush.