Table of Contents

X. Special Needs Education Survey Project in Samoa

A. Nature of the problem

Samoa is a Pacific island nation with a population of approximately 162,000 people. Nearly half of the population is under the age of 18 years. Special Education and Disability services have been in existence in Samoa for over 20 years. Until recently these services have primarily been provided by NGOs in the forms of “special schools” and vocational training, and all in Apia, the capital city. Parents and the extended family have been the primary caregivers and have received little support, information or resources.

The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), of which Samoa is a signatory, mandates the State to provide primary education to all on an equal basis of opportunity. It also requires that children with disabilities have access to and receive education which will assist them to achieve the fullest possible social integration and individual development. Despite this, the recognition of the Government’s responsibility in caring and providing for children with disabilities is a relatively new concept in Samoa. It was not until 1991, through the Education Amendment Act 1991-1992, that the Government’s responsibility for Special Education development was acknowledged through legislation. This Act was a key piece of legislation, and further advancing the cause of special education needs for children with disabilities were the policy documents Education Policies and Strategies 1995-2005 which clearly outline the expected contributions by the Department of Education to this area of development.
While legislation and policy acknowledged that children with disabilities had special education needs, a major challenge in delivering on this promise was the identification of those in the target group. Lack of data on the number and prevalence of children with disabilities made it impossible to formulate policies responsive to these special needs. This lack of information was contributing to the continued neglect of the rights of children with disabilities, despite the existence of international conventions such as the CRC, or national policies, such as the Education Policies and Strategies. Until children were identified and information about their unmet needs obtained, these policies and others in the future could not be developed into meaningful services and supports for children with disabilities in Samoa.

In recognition of this, the Special Needs Education (SNE) Survey project was developed, with its primary aim to identify all children from the ages of 0-14 with a disability. Using a conservative estimate relating to the number of people with disability in a population, it was estimated that there were approximately 1,600 children with disabilities, or roughly 1 per cent of the population. Once they were identified the next challenge was to develop education programmes to meet their needs and develop their potential.

B. Main features of the organization

The Special Needs Education Survey was a cooperative effort between the Samoa Department of Education (DOE) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

A SNE Advisory Group had previously been established and became the focal point in assisting and advising the consultant hired to implement the Survey. The group had members from government (Education, Health, Youth), NGOs, the National University of Samoa, parents and people with disabilities. Their cooperation was crucial to the success of the project in that everyone shared ideas, networks and, when possible, resources to enable this project to be successful.

1. Aims of the Survey

The primary aim of the Survey was to identify all children with disabilities by:

• Location – educational district and village where they live
• Age
• Type and severity of disability
• Education and support needs

In addition, the Survey sought to analyse the collected data and information, make recommendations for Special Education services and raise issues for further consideration.

2. Process and methods

The process and methods included:

• Collation and review of all existing data on special needs children from previous surveys and other relevant literature
• Establishment of a clear and comprehensive definition of “special needs children”
• Development and design of a survey to obtain information

Two surveys were designed and developed. One was to be used by teachers and one was to be used by community nurses. While very similar, there were some variations in questions as they related to the roles and responsibilities of the two different groups. Both surveys were in English and Samoan.

It was agreed that a multi-pronged approach would offer the best opportunity to obtain accurate and comprehensive data. Major groups were targeted to obtain information about children with special needs, including school inspectors and teachers, pre-school teachers, community district nurses and disability NGOs.

3. Recording information

All information and data gathered were entered onto a specifically designed database now known as the Special Needs Education (SNE) Survey Database. It is the first national special needs database to record basic information about each individual child for whom information was received. The database has been designed so that it is compatible with the computer software and systems used by the Department of Education, and will be used to continuously update Department of Education information for the purposes of record keeping and planning.

4. Analysing information

All data obtained and entered in the SNE Survey Database were inspected to ensure the highest level of accuracy. The information was analysed for the following categories:

• Details for individual children
• Number, type and age range of disabilities accounted for in each school district and village
• National summaries of types and severity of disabilities

In analysing the data it must be acknowledged that the knowledge base amongst the key target groups and even within the target groups, varied considerably. While this did not affect the identification process, it is estimated that because of this variance the figures obtained in the survey must be regarded as conservative.
The survey identified and verified 991 children representing 0.6 per cent of the Samoan population.

Figure 5. National prevalence and type of disabilities identified in children in Samoa

Once the data were handed over to the Department of Education, a period of evaluation and planning took place. The database format was scrutinized and some changes were made so that it could accommodate additional information. Whether a child had an Individual Education Programme (IEP) prepared for them, whether they had or needed a special aid such as a wheelchair, and records of visits made to the child and their family and progress were able to be recorded in the Comments section. The database moved from identification to programme development, but the original framework of individual, village, district, national, disability and severity was maintained.

The strength of this system of information storage is that it functions from two distinctly different positions. Firstly, it is able to provide statistical information relating to planning needs. For example, the numbers of children with hearing impairment in a particular education district. This is valuable for planning for teacher training, for allocation of travel funds etc. However, the database also gives detailed information on each of these children with hearing impairment, and their individual needs. The focus of the database is the child, their family and how best the Department of Education can meet their educational needs.

C. Achievements

In February 2001, six months after the completion of the Special Needs Education Survey, the Samoa Department of Education opened the first Special Needs Unit in a village school. It was staffed by the first Special Education teacher graduates from the National University of Samoa’s Faculty of Education. This school is in an education district recommended by the consultant who carried out the survey, using the information gained. In 2002, four more Special Needs Units opened, three in rural villages; once again the decision for placement was made from the information in the database.

The raised awareness as a result of the survey also contributed to the appointment of a Special Needs Education Coordinator to the Curriculum Development Unit of the Department of Education in February 2002. Four Special Education teacher graduates also participated in a one-month intensive practical placement in New Zealand. In addition, a series of training sessions in sign language was conducted for parents of children with severe hearing problems, and teachers from each of their village schools. A series of training sessions for teachers and parents of children with visual impairment was also carried out.

Also important to note is the closer working relationship that has been established between the Departments of Education and Health. This is evident in the training sessions held for Community Health Nurses, to better equip them in early identification of children with developmental delay. The Departments are collaborating to produce a poster, pamphlet and short television documentary to help parents and teachers better understand and deal with epilepsy in children.

Perhaps the greatest achievement has been the increased enrolment of children with disabilities into regular schools. The Department of Education encourages parents to give their children this opportunity and special education staff visit schools and provide support for these children and their teachers.

All teacher trainees now undertake one Special Education paper in their training. From establishment in 1998, there are now four lecturers involved in this area at the Faculty of Education.

With the Department of Education making a major commitment to children with special needs, others have become more encouraged and committed to work in this area. The resulting change in community attitudes has contributed to the establishment of a self-advocacy group for people with disabilities. Its establishment in Apia is perhaps in part the result of a more enlightened and accepting environment regarding disability.
Finally, in July 2002, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) began a project entitled Empowering Rural People with Disabilities. The impetus for this came from the Special Needs Education Survey. The data provided by the Survey convinced planners that there was a need for support, and that such a project was in line with the Government’s priorities for assistance for rural communities and poverty alleviation.

D. Lessons learned

It is important that the SNE Advisory Group continues to work together closely and to produce a long-term plan or vision. While there should always be room for the Department of Education to respond quickly to needs, it is important too to have a clear idea of what services for children with special needs will look like in five years time, and in 10.

The move to make pre-service training in Special Education compulsory has been a great step forward and is indicative of the support given by the Faculty of Education to this area of education. It is important that training in this area is incorporated into all in-service work, so that the issue becomes more inclusive, rather than a separate area of concern.

Lastly, there is no doubt that families do care about their children and want the very best for them. This includes giving their children with disabilities the opportunity to attend school just like other children. There are also many teachers who believe that these children should be part of their village school and, in spite of having no training in the area, try to integrate them into their class programmes. These teachers need to be acknowledged for their efforts and given as much support as possible.

E. Sustainability

The extremely low rate of access to education for children with disabilities is a major area for concern in the Asian and Pacific region. It remains one of the most important issues to be addressed in the coming decade. The Special Needs Education Survey has provided Samoa with hard data that can not be ignored. However, it is obvious that there is still much to be done. Although the majority of the children categorized as Slow Learners are in school, they are not as yet receiving an education that meets their special need. Children with hearing impairment are seldom able to communicate with their families and if they are in school, the signing competence of their teachers is still minimal. Children with visual impairment may have some Braille support via NGO assistance, but accessing remote villages and schools makes this difficult. In addition, while mainstream teachers are often sympathetic to the concept of including children with special needs into their village school, when faced with the reality many feel nervous and not competent.

While it is easy to feel overwhelmed by what is still to be done, it must be acknowledged that much has been achieved in the last five years. An excellent beginning has been made with the establishment of Special Education within the Department of Education. The greatest change perhaps has been in the attitudes and expectations of both those with disabilities and society in general. Many parents now expect that their children can become part of the education system. Many adults with disability now expect to work in paid employment and to continue in tertiary education. People with disabilities are now are seen on television and in public places. The move by the Education Department to include students with special learning needs into its programmes has been a demonstration of commitment noted by the whole country. It has given heart to families of disabled children and adults with disabilities and encouraged them to move forward themselves towards inclusive practices.

This process is exciting to observe and is true social action towards a more civil society. Central to this change has been the Special Needs Education Survey. No longer are the disabled hidden and faceless. Samoa has seen their faces, knows their names and now is facing the challenge of fully integrating these citizens into the mainstream of Samoan life. The Department of Education cannot do this alone, but with help and support of the whole nation it is possible.

Figure 6. Students from a special needs class and their teacher