DEVELOPMENT OF A NATIONAL MODEL FOR INCLUSIVE EARLY

EDUCATION IN CHILE

Patricia Araneda Castex Project Coordinator GIZ – JUNJI

International Conference Inclusive Early Childhood Development – an Underestimated

Component within Poverty Reduction Germany

February 2011.

Content History of the Chilean model of early inclusive education

A holistic approach to social protection

Early inclusive education as a means to poverty reduction

Inclusive Education: multi-level approach

Results

Success Factors

Investment Required

Challenges

Future Plans

Transferability

Chile’s population:16.6 million people

History of the Model

JUNJI started as an institution that integrated children with disabilities since 1995; approach based on practical know how and sensitivity

GTZ support re-energizes the approach: paradigm shift from integrated to inclusive education

JUNJI plays a key role in implementing the integrated system of social child protection (2006 -2010)

All Children

Children whose

parents work

Children from homes

with 40%vulner-

ability

Children with special needs or

vulnerabilities

-

Bio-psychosocial developmental support

Pre school, kindergarten and primary school, as accredited institutions with school accident insurance

Support Programs for families and stimulation for child development

Nursery school from 3 months to 2 years of age

Pre-school between 3 and 4 years of age, full day at an accredited place with meals

The right to flexibly use maternal protection

At least half a day at an accredited pre-school

Preferential assistance from pre-school to 4th grade

Guaranteed meals at school

Reinforced Bio-psychosocial support Rights to post natal benefits extended to parents who adopt children. Nursery school (greater vulnerability of the child , mothers who are looking for work, work informally or study Day care at accredited places up to full day Preferential access to programs in the public network.

What the proposed system offers to children and their families

Chile – some figuresFrom1990 to 2010 poverty and extreme poverty decreased

significantly.

Development indicators were good: low levels of infant mortality, good health indicators, significant rise in life-expectancy, high level of urbanisation, high levels of schooling. One out of three children between 0 and 5 years of age receive early education

More than 18,000 children between 0 and 5 years have a disability

disability is frequent among people living in poverty. 1 out of 5 in poverty have a disability. Only 1 out of 21 persons living living in very good socio-economic conditions have a disability

However, the Earthquake of 2010 has increased poverty indicators significantly

Inclusive Education and Childhood Development : interventions

Macro Level: impact on early education policy by incorporating inclusive education in the Curricular Reference in all early education institutions. University and NGO network.

Meso Level: the disability “approach” included in the technical and administrative work of JUNJI (National Bureau of Nursery Schools)

Micro Level: effect on professionals, technicians and relatives involved in the JUNJI nursery schools, due to substantial increase in coverage as well as the effective and sensitive support by the staff

Economic impact: the importance of early education has been shown by many studies. Investment in early education translates in significant savings in social programs

The same holds for pre-school children with disabilities.

•Institution estate •Early Education is an holistic approach: education, nutrition, health work, ethnies, poverty, gender• 40 years of experience• In charge of 1,700 kindergartens • 150,000 vulnerable children. Of these with disability in 2007: 1433 - in 2010: 2.800 • Covering the whole country

•JUNJI has a key role: coverage and quality• Addressing the needs of the poorest 40% of the country• Focus on women who work or study

• Important role and impact in the political discussion about improving the institutional structure as well as the quality of early education

National Bureau of Nursery Schools(JUNJI)

El impacto de la Mirada integral de la Educación

Parvularia en Chile.

9

EducaciónSalud

Trabajo

Familia

GéneroPobreza

Educación Parvularia

La inversión en Educación Parvularia tiene la particularidad de abarcar al mismo tiempo diversas dimensiones de la protección social. (Arenas Alberto. Educación Parvularia: una inversión donde se conjugan todas las rentabilidades. Nov 2008)

Design and implementation of a Model of Inclusive Early Education

Indicators of Success:Quality: 40 % of children with learning difficulties in JUNJI have been

evaluated and had increased their learning results at the final evaluation by the end of 2010, under study.

Coverage: In 2008, the coverage of children with learning difficulties rose by 5% compared to 2007, and in 2009 15% compared to 2008. Exceeded by 2010 = 2800 children with disabilities in JUNJI.

Capacities of parents will have strengthened so that they are supportive of their children with learning difficulties, in process.

Policy: By the end of 2009, JUNJI developed a Model of Inclusive Early

Education

Progress • Sustained sensibilization and training activities since 1995. • Strong support of the Convention on the Rights of Persons

with Disabilities (2008) and updating of Chilean Law.(2010)

• with 80 professional teams in all 15 geographical regions.

• Training: Fours national training workshops with GTZ experts attended by 70 JUNJI professionals each. Replication of training in the regions, reaching a total of 480 JUNJI professionals.

• Distribution of two textbooks that favour Inclusive Education in each of JUNJI´s 2.400 educational units and programmes. (Total 4.800 textbooks) .

Progress • Incorporation of Inclusive Education as a key issue in the

Institutional Curricular Project.

• Adjustment of methodology used to assess the learning of children with special educational needs.

• Development of Training Course on Mediation of Learnings for the JUNJI staff (multimedia and handbooks).

• Development of Training Course and Supporting Guide for the families of children with disabilities.

• Inter-institutional coordination: 6 public institutions, 3 NGOS, 2 round tables working on different documents.

• Academic coordination: 8 universities involved in the formation of nursery and special needs teachers.

Factors of Success: Requirements for a Sustainable Change Institutional commitment.Teams of mediating agents: early education

professionals that are committed to become agents of social change.

Incorporation of the approach in all actions of the institution: vision, goals, plans, programs.

Adequate curricula and of infrastructurePromote the view that there always are people with

disabilities in the institutions that require support.Ensuring political anchoring of the model

Investment Requirements (changing the paradigm)Intention es a change of mindset• Diagnostic assessment of “support” needs.• Hiring of professionals.Establish roles and functions of common

agreement• Sensibilization permanent and training in

paradigm change and on the practical elements of the curriculum: planning, time and space distribution, differential evaluation, inclusion of parents, community…etc.

Future PlansTo continue to created a common

understanding, e.g. “institutional language” concerning disability and inclusion

To train personnel on “learning mediation”. Not enough to have the child in the school: he or she must learn.

To train staff and parents on specific needs of parents of children with disabilities.

To hire more special educators.

Transferability What to Advise Others Seeking to Replicate the Model?To carry out a well planned and permanent sensitization and

training program for the institution, in Inclusive Education: gender, population, poverty, disabilities, etc.

To introduce the issues of diversity and people with disabilities to the training courses of the professionals training educators.

To hire special educators acting as support to the school teacher and the families.

• To set up the program in agreement with the senior authorities of the institution, and hopefully depending directly on them.

• Sensitization is reinforced by interacting directly with people with disabilities: organize activities where they can participate and show their abilities.

For more information: patia@mi.cl