ERIC Number: EJ1031208
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2014
Pages: 17
Abstractor: As Provided
Reference Count: 54
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0013-1911
Multiple Perspectives on Integrated Education for Children with Disabilities in the Context of Early Childhood Centres in Hong Kong
Lai, Yuk Ching; Gill, Judith
Educational Review, v66 n3 p345-361 2014
The integration of children with disabilities in mainstream early childhood settings is a common practice in many developed and developing countries world-wide. A number of key points have been raised concerning such integration, including the increased attention to civil education about the rights of persons with disabilities, training for teachers, and close communication between the government and the mainstream schools. This paper presents a qualitative study of these critical issues in the context of integrated early childhood centres in Hong Kong. These centres operate under an integration policy inherited from the British colonial period. This policy lies within the larger philosophical context of Confucianism with its commitment to excellence, which makes for an intensely competitive schooling environment. Thus, the story presented in this paper is a collection of multiple perspectives of parents with and without children with disabilities, teachers, and school principals on the topic of integration. Looking at the bigger picture, we argue that rather than simply inheriting a policy that is prone to bureaucratic machinations, the policy must be adopted and owned within the local settings if it is to work properly. The implications of this study resonate with integrated education in settings that may be very different from the ones described herein.
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Kindergarten, Disabilities, Children, Mainstreaming, Teacher Attitudes, Attitudes toward Disabilities, Semi Structured Interviews, Integrated Services, Child Care Centers, Parent Attitudes, Educational Policy, Early Childhood Education
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 325 Chestnut Street Suite 800, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Fax: 215-625-2940; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Kindergarten; Early Childhood Education; Elementary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers: Hong Kong

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