HKIEd - Joy of Learning

Interviews with parents of school-aged children indicate that they are generally supportive of the concept, anticipating that the diverse needs of other students will enable their own children to become more understanding of all people in society. While teachers were initially apprehensive about being involved, for those who have actual experience in this has instilled a process of acceptance and a culture of greater collaboration, thus leading to the creation of innovative pedagogies that better respond to the needs of all students in their classes.

HKIEd's efforts
At HKIEd, undergraduate courses are progressively incorporating a much stronger focus on the need to modify or differentiate the curriculum for inclusivity.

Also as the majority of in-service teachers have received very little training in Inclusive Education, HKIEd has taken the lead to prepare teachers by:

*	offering a Bachelor of Education (Special Needs) Programme in September 2004, being the first of its kind in Asia which is currently catering for 63 enrolled teachers;
*	re-focusing its course for Teachers of Children with Special Educational Needs to enable more regular class teachers to gain knowledge and skills to work in inclusive settings;
*	launching, in 2000, the Centre for Special Needs and Studies in Inclusive Education (CSNSIE) which is now the major provider of school-based teacher education for inclusion in Hong Kong; and
*	offering parent training and individual consultation services through CSNSIE and the establishment of a school-based training programme for inclusion.