Foregrounding the perspectives of students from Barbados and St. Vincent, this book offers valuable insight into the implementation and effectiveness of international policies designed to improve educational inclusion in the Caribbean. Drawing on pupil participatory research conducted with adolescents in disadvantaged and high-achieving schools, the text reveals differences in how international policies are reflected in schools, highlighting the role of student and school leadership, community building in and outside of schools, and transformative teacher pedagogy in achieving educational equity. Situating pupil participation and student consultation in its theoretical and policy context in the Caribbean, the author examines the findings on educational inclusion and their implications for policy development in order to propose a new model to boost pupil consultation and increase academic inclusion and engagement. Juxtaposing students’ voices from a variety of socioeconomic, cultural, disability, and ethnic backgrounds, Caribbean Student Voices and Educational Inclusion is a great companion reader for educators, policymakers, and researchers undertaking work on inclusive education in developed and developing nations.

Caribbean Discourse in Inclusive Education is an edited book series that aims to give voice to Caribbean scholars, practitioners, and other professionals working in diverse classrooms. The book series is intended to provide an ongoing forum for Caribbean researchers, practitioners, and academics, including those of the Diaspora, to critically examine issues that influence the education of children within inclusive settings. The book series is visionary, timely, authoritative and presents pioneering work in the area of inclusive education in the Caribbean, as part of the broader South-South dialogue. It is essential reading for students in undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, scholars, teachers, researchers and policy makers at the regional and international level. The first book in this series entitled Historical and Contemporary Issues will trace the history and examine the Caribbean's trajectory towards the development of inclusive education in the 21st Century. The main premise of the book is that inclusion remains an ideologically sound goal, which remains elusive in the Caribbean. It will also provide a wider platform to discuss other factors that influence the development of inclusive education such as school climate, culture and ethos, LGBT issues, teacher training and professional development, pedagogy, pupil perspective, curriculum, policy and legislation.

Caribbean Discourse in Inclusive Education is an edited book series that aims to give voice to Caribbean scholars, practitioners, and other professionals working in diverse classrooms. The book series is intended to provide an ongoing forum for Caribbean researchers, practitioners, and academics, including those of the Diaspora, to critically examine issues that influence the education of children within inclusive settings. The book series is visionary, timely, authoritative and presents pioneering work in the area of inclusive education in the Caribbean, as part of the broader South?South dialogue. It is essential reading for students in undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, scholars, teachers, researchers and policy makers at the regional and international level. The first book in this series entitled Historical and Contemporary Issues will trace the history and examine the Caribbean’s trajectory towards the development of inclusive education in the 21st Century. The main premise of the book is that inclusion remains an ideologically sound goal, which remains elusive in the Caribbean. It will also provide a wider platform to discuss other factors that influence the development of inclusive education such as school climate, culture and ethos, LGBT issues, teacher training and professional development, pedagogy, pupil perspective, curriculum, policy and legislation.

This book offers an international perspective of philosophical, conceptual and praxis-oriented issues that impinge on achieving education for all students. It sheds light on the historical, systemic, structural, organizational, and attitudinal barriers that continue to be antithetical to the philosophy and practice of inclusive education within the Caribbean. The first section of the book examines how globalized views of inclusion informed by philosophical ideas from the North have influenced and continue to influence the equity in education agenda in the region. The second section considers how exclusion and marginalization still occur across selected Caribbean islands. It provides both quantitative and qualitative data about the nature and experience of exclusion in selected Caribbean islands, the UK and USA. The third section tackles the practical realities of transforming education systems in the Caribbean for inclusion. In particular, it identifies teacher practices as the main site of interrogation that needs to be tackled if inclusion is to be successful. The fourth and final section examines the contribution of principals and exemplars to the development and advocacy for inclusive education. It discusses how educational leadership is understood, as well as the role of school principals in making inclusion a reality in schools, the challenges experienced and the qualities of education leaders.

Caribbean Discourse in Inclusive Education Volume II “Responding to Learner Diversity and Learner Difficulties” shares selected critical reflections and recommendations on the way educational communities respond to student diversity and difficulties learning. These contexts include the Caribbean, the Diaspora, and beyond. Authors explore issues and strategies for realizing and sustaining the agenda of education for all within primarily, but not limited to, the Caribbean. While the authors are aware of the ongoing debate between the terms ‘education for all’ and ‘inclusive education’, we use these terms interchangeably. We hold the position that inclusive education is about commitment to removing barriers to optimum learning for all learners regardless of age, ability, ethnicity, gender, geography, race, religion, sexual orientation or other differences. ‘Responding to Learner Diversity and Difficulties’ extend the discourse to include stakeholders committed to sharing their experiences and strategies for overcoming barriers to inclusive education. This second volume presents research that examines how teachers can respond to students with disabilities and difficulties learning, teach challenging curriculum content in mathematics and literacy, build citizenship through student voice, improve teacher practice via co-teaching and critical reflection, promote inclusive practice through leadership and advocacy. It can be used as a core text or companion reader for students at the undergraduate and graduate levels, lecturers, practitioners, researchers and policy makers.

Curriculum Implementation Leadership and Equity in Education: Curriculum Struggles and Hopes in Jamaica During the Post-Independence Era takes a critical historical perspective on how curriculum is understood, tracing major national curriculum implementation efforts within primary and secondary schools in Jamaica from the 1970s to 2000s. Providing first-hand accounts of teachers implementing national curricula and supported by empirical data throughout, this volume offers a unique analysis and synthesis of curriculum implementation and showcases how curriculum implementation leadership is linked to the achievement of equity in education. A valuable resource for students, educators, and policymakers, this fascinating historical account provides a new framework and key considerations for effective curriculum implementation leadership aiming at reducing educational inequality.

This book brings together leading scholars of Caribbean education from around the world. Schooling continues to hold a special place both as a means to achieve social mobility and as a mechanism for supporting the economy of Caribbean nations. In this book, the Caribbean includes the Greater and Lesser Antilles. The Greater Antilles is made up of the five larger islands (and six countries) of the northern Caribbean, including the Cayman Islands, Cuba, Hispaniola (Haiti and the Dominican Republic), Puerto Rico, and Jamaica. The Lesser Antilles includes the Windward and Leeward Islands which are inclusive of Barbados, St. Vincent, Trinidad and Tobago along with several other islands. Each chapter provides a unique perspective on the various social and cultural issues that define Caribbean education and schooling. The Handbook on Caribbean Education fills a void in the literature and documents the important research being done throughout the Caribbean. Creating a space where Caribbean voices are a part of “international” discussions about 21st century global matters and concerns is an important contribution of this work.