Feasibility Report
School: Reflections
Submitted by:
Urooj Fatima (23424)
Nabil Iqbal (23841)
Submitted to:
Ma’am Amna Shahid
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Course:
Inclusive Education
Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................4
Rationale of the study......................................................................................................................4
Procedure of feasibility analysis......................................................................................................5
Findings...........................................................................................................................................5
Inclusion brings strength, diversity, competition, and healthy learning environment.................6
Accepting diversity......................................................................................................................7
Management’s support.................................................................................................................8
Teacher’s Training.......................................................................................................................9
Results............................................................................................................................................10
Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................10
References......................................................................................................................................12
Appendix: Questions.....................................................................................................................13
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Introduction: Introduce the school and it's demographics, aims and objectives, philosophy etc.
Rationale of the study: Why you are conducting it, importance of inclusive education.
Procedure of feasibility analysis
Mention the procedure/methods you used.
(Take at least 3 interviews from the same school to rule out biases. One can be from an
administrator or school management.)
Results
Generate themes and write the results.
Include a short discussion within results.
Conclusion
Conclusion should have your analysis as to how feasible is the school for inclusive education and
add a few points of recommendations (2 to 4) for the school to make it more feasible. The
recommendations should be practical and precise.
Appendix
Interview transcripts
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Introduction
Reflections, a non-profit, purpose-built, campus on over 23,000 square yards (four and a
half acres) is an elite Islamic School, situated on Ibrahim Hyderi road in Korangi, near the
Pakistan Air force base. With the firm aim of following shariah in all practices procedures and
instructions.
It is a unique educational institution with the vision of ,”Creating god fearing leaders for
tomorrow”. Its’ curriculum covers a balanced yet wide array of subjects which not only nourish
the body, but also the mind and soul. By providing the best mix of contemporary education,
physical education and the much need Islamic Education. The School is a trilingual one,
providing English, Urdu and Arabic. The students appear in all three subjects in CAIE.
It has been operating since 2004, its previous location was in Clifton from where it still
has a large student base. It is worth mentioning here that the school works on “Ibad Ullah Trust”.
The school also houses a gymnasium, two swimming pools, a well-equipped library, computer
labs, separate laboratories for Physics and Bio-Chemistry in addition to an Audio-Visual room.
In 2010, its first batch of students completed the optional Hifz (memorization) of the
Holy Quran programme, while keeping up with regular contemporary schooling. Similarly, in
2015, its first batch graduated with a GCE O’ level certification. The school caters form, pre-
primary to senior levels with hifz till class 5.
Rationale of the study
Inclusive education is a combination of two words, inclusive and education. The word
inclusive is derived from a word include. So inclusive education can be defined as an education
system that includes everyone. Education is a basic human right, and nothing should take this
right away from people. The term nothing refers to any sort of disability, be it cognitive, or
physical. Inclusive education is an approach that gives equal chance to learners with diverse
learning requirements by providing them (students and teachers) with required resources, in
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order to prepare them for the community, and life in general. According to Moriña (2017),
inclusive education is an educational philosophy that aims on participation of all students who
are treated as valuable school members, in a common educational context. When we are talking
about inclusive education, we are talking about diversity in a broader sense. Gender, cultural, and
social differences. The belief is that all students, without exception, should benefit from high-
quality learning and enjoy full participation in the educational system.
Inclusive education is very important. The purpose of this paper is to analyze how
reflection school is meeting the learning needs of all the students, and if the school is able to
incorporate everyone in the learning process. A questionnaire was prepared initially. Interviews
of the teachers and parents were conducted for this purpose and themes were generated, followed
by conclusion and recommendations.
Procedure of feasibility analysis
The method used for the analysis of feasibility of the school in terms of inclusive
education was qualitative. The study targeted parents, teachers, and management. Interviews
were conducted via Whatsapp, and email. Responses were later transcribed and themes were
generated. Interviews were based on the questionnaires, mentioned in appendix. The questions
were to the point, and were 10-20 minutes long. The participation in was completely voluntary.
A head teacher, three subject teachers, and one parent took part in the study. Different questions
were asked from all of them, as the motive was to identify level of inclusion in the school.
Findings
Four themes were generated from the interviews conducted by a head teacher, three
teachers and one parent. The themes lead us to the conclusion if Reflections is a good place for
special need children or not.
Themes are as follow:
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Inclusion brings strength, diversity, competition, and healthy learning environment
When questions were asked about inclusive education from teachers, head teacher and
parent, it seemed that everyone was well aware about the concept, and were in favor of including
special need children in mainstream schools. Teachers believed that inclusion bring strength and
healthy competition. A teacher stated:
“Special needs students when they are sitting with the mainstream they bring strength to
the classroom it gives strength to them. It is the teacher’s duty to see that that child is not left
behind but it will create a very healthy competition very healthy environment strengthen the
class. One another reason I think is that students with disabilities they help or promote climate
of giving in the classroom.”
Teachers believed that it is the right of special need students to be a part of mainstream
setting. A teacher stated:
“I strongly feel that they should be in the mainstream because number 1 it helps them
become normal and fit in the society and secondly it is their right, we should not discriminate
students according to their physical disabilities.”
A teacher believed that students must become part of mainstream, but not for entire day.
She emphasized on peer learning by stating:
“I think it is a great idea to include special needs students in mainstream classrooms, if
not for the entire day, then may be for a few courses because peer learning can actually help
such students come across broader and different perspectives that they might not experience
otherwise. And similarly, students with no disabilities will also get to learn how to accept and
live within diverse groups.”
A parent said that including special need children in mainstream school motivates them
and they perform better.
“When you put special needs students in mainstream classroom they get motivated to
perform better and they don't feel neglected or less than anyone.”
Head teacher also clearly mentioned the policy of the school with regards to inclusive
education by saying,
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“Apart from this they are main challenges with regards to these students with difficulties.
Our policy with regards to as a school is that we wish to be as inclusive as possible and we have
people, we have students with William syndrome as well in our school and we are trying to
manage them as much as we can, making things easier for them as much as we can.”
Accepting diversity
Including special need children in mainstream school means that teachers, parents,
management, students and all stakeholders should be able to accept them and the diversity that
they bring along. When asked about it, teachers, parent and management were very open in their
discussion.
Teachers were asked about them first, if they are able to handle such situations or not. A
teacher said,
“I think teachers do adjust to diversity because they are used to diverse students and
students coming from different backgrounds so at times it can become a problem but generally it
can be handled and I can handle diversity in the class.”
A teacher was very confident about her teaching style and said that she was able to
handle diverse group of student pretty well.
“Keeping my own teaching experience in mind, I feel that I have been (and still am)
teaching a diverse classroom that has individuals with different abilities, family backgrounds,
needs and support they require to learn. And I think that I am doing a pretty decent job in
catering to their individual needs.”
When asked about students, and their willingness and capability to study with students
with special needs, everyone shared their view. A teacher shared a case and said that children
help each other grow,
“I think normal students can adjust to children with special needs in the environment I
do know a case in point where this person could not walk and the whole class supported him in
every way possible. When they grow together they learn to help each other in their disabilities.”
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A teacher said that when students study together they become like a family and support
each other like family does.
“My students are very sensitive and compassionate. They know how to love an individual
without any conditions whatsoever. Also, the classes that I teach are senior years and they have
been studying together since kindergarten. They have become more of a family for each other
and they do what a family does to its members; support, be there for each other and help each
other when the times call for such measures.”
A parent said that because of Islamic teachings, students are able to adjust in every
environment and be more positive towards a special child,
“Our children are raised in Islamic school where they are taught to treat people fairly and
equally. So I believe that my child would be helpful and will not be disgracing or making special
needs children feel awkward or feel them bad so I think my child is going to cope up very nicely
with special kids.”
She also said,
“I can tell my child to be friendly and nice to special children and not make them feel bad and
make fun of them and not make them feel that they are not capable enough to study with normal
kids.”
Management’s support
Inclusion is not possible until there is a management that supports the idea. It is not only
in teacher’s hand. When asked about resources, and how management can support them in order
to bring inclusive education in the classroom, a teachers said,
“The school management can support in numerous ways. For instance, they can divide
the students in small groups (class size) and keep students with mixed abilities together in each
class.”
A teacher went on to say that a safe and secure environment, and independence is all that
they need to teach such children.
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“Obviously secure environment and you should be the decision maker and you should be
independent it is not that every now and then we have to seek someone's permission about the
class”
According to head teacher, resources are provided to teachers and few areas of the school
are accessible for disable children, which does not include washrooms.
“With regards to a few resources that we have most of our school is accessible for
disable students but not all the floors, so for example our ground floor is completely accessible
and we are in the state of placing in lift so that such students can be catered to. With regards to
washrooms, no we do not have accessible washrooms but we want to have them. All the roads
and area accessing our building all of those are accessible with wheelchair.”
Head teacher also said that they try to support teachers as much as possible.
“Yes we do have students who are Shadowed by Shadow teachers and even though they
have difficulty but they still manage and we support them as much as we can with regards to
inclusive learning.”
Teacher’s Training
As per head teacher, teacher are trained to deal with special need children. He said,
“We do have regular training and we do have a very senior person on the school
committee that is a therapist, occupational therapist and she does guide all the teachers and the
committee with regards to students with disabilities.”
Upon asking another question about teacher’s training he said,
“With regards to the programs on the training of the staff, yes that is conducted.”
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Results
After attempting a thorough examination of the recording provided by the teachers,
headmaster and parents, four different themes became evident. Firstly, the role of inclusion if it
is enacted properly within the boundaries of the school and there is a collaborative approach to it,
it shall bring strength to the system with everyone in it. Secondly, the management’s role in all
this becomes apparent, that structure and culture complement each other, any attempt to build an
inclusive environment is impossible to actualize to its optimal capacity without a proper
structural support mechanism, and similarly the other way. The third theme generated, is of
diversity, a word that taken the world by a storm, there is a unanimous agreement between all
major stakeholders for its role in building tolerance for diversity and provide the students with
grit and resilience. Lastly, the major element, the aspect of teacher training, the teachers at the
school are provided trainings, throughout the academic year, as proposed by the relevant heads
of department for the areas of improvement and to further hone their skills.
So it can be stated that, the immediate parties involved in the process of education, the
Parents, the teachers and the heads are aware of the importance inclusive education in building
competent and resilient students. Additionally, the school policies also provide a safe haven to
students of diverse need, not to mention a nurse present in the school and the culture the school
staff provides and advocates for such students.
Conclusion
In order to conclude, one must know the beginning first, Ovide Decroly (1871-1932) was
amongst the first ones who initiated the development of school for students with mild
disabilities, though these pioneers were a long from inclusion of such students in the main
stream, they had battled against the norms of 20th century and years later the struggle they had
initiated would reap. This research signifies that the thought of inclusive education has at last
started to embed within the masses of educated society, with a large base comprising of elite and
they in time model the society we live in. Inclusive education is about providing the equity to the
students with needs so that in the days of tomorrow they too have the necessary edge in the in
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their adulthood for a healthy life. It can be said that the leaders have now gotten the gist of the
importance inclusive education, let the reason be of the awareness in their own social groups or
the influence of a foreign donor agency by providing grants. The report also brings forward the
role of elite Islamic schools and their actions to promote it. These initiatives will prove to be
fruitful in the years ahead, no possible support can have denied on the basis of being sectarian or
community focused. After all great things have started locally in communities and then
prospered to the international levels.
It cannot be disregarded that their efforts were useless, but all the while they were there,
the impact they were should have had was supposed be immense, a lot more than what it is
today. So there is a need for reformation, reformation in policy, reformation in the design and
most importantly, reformation in the teacher curriculum, which would limit the need of special
teacher it not absolve it, which has been due for some time now. The special teacher’s role has
been of prime importance in the last millennium by the profound amount of trainings and support
provided but at the same time have had a degrading impact on the societies educationist, similar
to those of the Information Technology, by making their surroundings handicap on them. This
said, the work which lies ahead, is far greater, a mere shift in the policy cannot guarantee much,
what we call, “work on grass root level” needs to be commenced soon, if we are to see the
change in the next century. More awareness campaigns, webinars, conferences can only have
impact on those who are interested, which is all the while important but now the design needs to
be drastic if anything at all needs to be accomplished.
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References
Moriña, A. (2017). Inclusive education in higher education: challenges. European Journal of
Special Needs Education, 32(1), 3-17.
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Appendix: Questions
Questions for Teachers
1. What do you know about differences in students and their learning needs?
2. What are your views about including special needs students in mainstream
classrooms/education?
3. How capable do you believe yourself to be of handling diversity in classrooms?
4. How capable do you believe your students (without difficulties/disabilities) to be of adjusting
and accommodating special needs children in their daily school environment?
5. What measures can the management take to facilitate you in being able to have an inclusive
classroom?
Questions for parent
1. What do you know about differences in students and their learning needs?
2. What are your views about including special needs students in mainstream
classrooms/education?
3. How capable do you believe your child to be of adjusting and accommodating special needs
children in their daily school environment?
4. How can you guide or help your child in adjusting and accommodating special needs children
in their daily school environment?
Questions for management
1. Details of pupil enrolment
What is the school enrolment?
How many teachers are in the whole school?
On average, how many students are in a class?
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Are they any students/youth with disabilities enrolled in the school?
What type of disabilities are present in the classes? Female and male numbers are
recorded.
Is there a library with the materials for teaching pupils with disabilities?
2. Ecological inventory of the school
Are there steps into classrooms- are doors wide enough for a wheelchair?
What types of toilets are at the school?
Are the toilets and doors accessible?
Are there water facilities at the school?
Type of roads used by other students going to school?
What is the average distance walked by students to school?
Are there any recreation facilities at the school e.g. netball, football grounds, indoor
games and other leisure and recreation facilities?
3. Resources
Have teachers experience of teaching students and youth with disabilities?
What training have teachers had of teaching students with disabilities? Who
provided the training?
What resources are available for teachers to aid children’s learning and their
teaching?
What finances does the school have for needed teaching materials?
Is there an active Parent-Teacher association?
Does the community include youth with disabilities in leisure and recreation
activities?
What links does the school have with health services, CBR programmes, Disables
people’s organizations?
4. Attitude of school and community personnel
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Have you heard of inclusive education previously? How do you feel about your
school becoming an inclusive school? Would you support this new approach?
What benefits are there for the disabled child and youth, to their family and society
at large?
Are there any problems or difficulties that might arise?
Any ideas as to how they might be overcome?
What is the relationship between school, parents and community members>
How might these relationships be improved?