Inclusive Education Situational Analysis †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Inclusive Education Situational Analysis. Answer: Introduction Samoa is a country situated in the central SouthPacific Ocean. It is one of the westernmost island countries ofPolynesia. The Samoansmake up around 92.6% of the total Polynesian population.They form the second largest branch of Polynesians. The people generally occupy islands of the Pacific from New Zealand to Hawaii and from Easter island to Fiji (AhChing, 2013). This report aims to illustrate the wellbeing of people belonging to this ethnic group with respect to their education among children belonging to the age group of 7-11 years. Status, cause and impacts Samoa is a lower middle income country. In 2015, it had a GDP (Gross Domestic Product) of nearly $761 million. According to 2012 reports of the UNESCO (United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization), approximately 193,000 people receive education in Samoa on a land area that encompasses around 2,820 square kilometers. These lands mainly comprise the two main islands of Savaii and Upolu. 8 small islands also belong to this region. The report further suggests that literacy rate in Samoa is around 99% in adults, which is way higher than 71% average literacy rate in the Pacific. Data from community profiles suggest that during the early 1970s, many Samoans migrated to Australia for educational programs that were sponsored by the latter government. The first schools in Samoa were founded by several missionaries in the 1830s. The New Zealand school system is generally followed by all Samoan schools (Kearney Zuber-Skerritt, 2012). The Department of Education takes the responsibility of providing learning opportunities to all students. Non-governmental organizations are involved in providing early childhood education in Samoan schools. Education is considered crucial for the improved life quality. Hence, the ministries and education departments have employed several strategies to improve the access to learning opportunities and outcomes. Initially the participation rate was low. However, the non-formal and formal institutions are now working towards ensuring inclusive primary education in all sections of the society. When compared to the Pacific community or a majority of world population, all Samoan schools demonstrated effective educational program characteristics. However, if there is an increased emphasis on primary school retention of students and role of informal education, the effectiveness and quality of education will possibly improve in Samoa. Evidence from the recently published Samoan national report highlights formal primary education as an essential issue that can perpetuate rural poverty. The Samoa Hardship and Poverty Report, published in 2013 demonstrated a significant correlation between vulnerability statuses, poverty and education level among Samoan citizens. It was found that men without any tertiary education in urban locality were more likely to become vulnerable to poverty when compared in demographics (Zealand, 2013). Approximately 12% Samoans were shown to be formally employed, and most of them lived off of low-paid employment opportunities and informal wages in formal and informal sectors. This did not require any trainingbeyond secondary education. Solution/Pathways employed To increase enrollment and completion of 8 years at primary schools among children belonging to the intermediate age groups, the government has identified several strategic areas that need focus. It aims to progress teaching quality, improve the coordination between policy development and planning, upgrade resources and facilities, make training opportunities more accessible and strengthen the linkage between the policy formulations at all levels. The education act proposed in 2009, has made primary education compulsory for all children aged between 5-14 years. A primary education certificate examination has been developed (SPECA) to fulfill the framework of assessment policies that target learning objectives (Cahill, 2016). The assessment helped in illustrating the role of communicative and managerial functions of educational assessments. An equity goal between the number of males and females enrolled for primary education was achieved (21,124 boys and 18,514 girls) (Richards Vinin g, 2015). Other approaches that have been taken by the government to enhance primary education is the development of bilingual primary curriculum to ensure that the young Samoan children are able to learn the basics of English and Samoan language from early age (Mayeda et al., 2014). The Samoa School Fees Grant Scheme (SSFGS) was designed in 2010 with the aim of providing technical and financial assistance to primary schools in lieu of fees. This helped in reducing financial burden for the parents and transferred a part of the monetary responsibility to the schools through government funding (McDonald Tufue-Dolgoy, 2013). It helped in contributing more number of children to primary education in the long term. The Compulsory Education Act passed in 1992 made it mandatory for students to remain enrolled in primary schools till they reached 14 years of age (Lameta, 2013). Hence, these initiatives taken by the government were effective in ensuring holistic wellbeing of the children by increasing their participation in primary education. One major issue that affects educational wellbeing of the students is the high dropout rates and low attendance among Samoan children. The National Youth Council report suggests an alarming dropout rate of 78.93% in primary and secondary levels. Moreover, some parents do not monitor their childs progress. This often leads to poor outcomes and drop in attendance (Tuia Iyer, 2015). Recommendations Though the recently passed Education Act carries the power of detaining and questioning any children belonging to compulsory age group who do not attend school, it is not properly utilized. A strict legislation needs to be enforced that can detain parents to ascertain the reason for not allowing their children the access to compulsory education. This will also give the parents a responsibility to ensure that their children are fulfilling the requirements for compulsory attendance and are taking part in all school activities (Rieser, 2012). Face-to-face interviews of the parents with the school communities will help them realize the importance of primary education for the all round development of their child. Moreover, orphaned or children who live with chronically ill parents are found to be at a greater risk of dropping out of school due to financial constraints. Teachers and school authorities must reach out to those families to demonstrate the use of governmental funding in reduci ng the burden of school fees (Forlin et al., 2015). That will help the parents make informed decisions regarding the health and wellbeing of their children. References AhChing, P. L. (2013).Polynesian Interconnections: Samoa to Tahiti to Hawaii. Lulu Press, Inc. Cahill, F. (2016). Crossing the road from home to secondary school: A conversation with Samoan parents.Waikato Journal of Education,12(1). Forlin, C., Sharma, U., Loreman, T., Sprunt, B. (2015). Developing disability-inclusive indicators in the Pacific Islands.Prospects,45(2), 197-211. Kearney, J., Zuber-Skerritt, O. (2012). From learning organization to learning community: Sustainability through lifelong learning.The Learning Organization,19(5), 400-413. Lameta, E. (2013). Samoan inclusive education situational analysis: Students with disabilities.Samoa: Ministry of Education, Sports and Culture. Mayeda, D. T., Keil, M., Dutton, H. D., Ofamo'Oni, I. F. H. (2014). You've Gotta Set a Precedent: M?ori and Pacific voices on student success in higher education.AlterNative: An International Journal of Indigenous Peoples,10(2), 165-179. McDonald, L., Tufue-Dolgoy, R. (2013). Moving forwards, sideways or backwards? Inclusive education in Samoa.International Journal of Disability, Development and Education,60(3), 270-284. Richards, J., Vining, A. R. (2015). Universal primary education in low-income countries: The contributing role of national governance.International Journal of Educational Development,40, 174-182. Rieser, R. (2012).Implementing inclusive education: a Commonwealth guide to implementing Article 24 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Commonwealth Secretariat. Tuia, T. T., Iyer, R. (2015). Samoas education policy: Negotiating a hybrid space for values.International Education Journal: Comparative Perspectives,14(2), 125-133. Zealand, S. N. (2013). Census QuickStats about culture and identity.Wellington: Statistics New Zealand.