Caribbean Student Voices and Educational Inclusion

Stacey Blackman is Senior Lecturer in Special Education, University of the West Indies at Cave Hill, Barbados.

"A welcome contribution to the literature on inclusive education, this book is the first in a series dedicated to scholarship about equity issues in Small Island Developing States. Focusing on student perspectives of teachers’ pedagogical strategies in the English-speaking Caribbean countries of St Vincent and Barbados, it provides fresh insight about educational inclusion in an under-researched region and deepens appreciation for the place of ‘voice work’ in responding to the challenges of implementing global policy on inclusive education." - Lani Florian, Bell Chair of Education, The University of Edinburgh, UK“This book very sensitively presents critical issues that educators, researchers, and policymakers face in providing high-quality education to learners from diverse backgrounds. One aspect that I was particularly impressed with in this book was decolonisation of the knowledge. It was refreshing to see how sensitively the author has provided information about the local contexts which is so critical to changing practices using local voices […].This book will fill a significant gap as it provides an innovative way to capture student voices in designing programs and policies within the Caribbean context. Even though a key focus of the book is from the Caribbean countries, I don't have any doubt that the book will appeal to readers in other parts of the world including in the region of Asia-Pacific and African countries […].The author has used case studies, surveys and many other means to capture student voices thus the book provides a diversity of perspectives that have applicability across wider contexts. They have carefully integrated various theories with real-world examples and it thus makes a unique contribution to the field.This book is a must-read for any researcher who is examining student voice with a particular focus on equity, diversity and inclusion. The book will also be of great value to policymakers who looking for better ways to capture student voices in designing sound policies that make a difference in the lives of learners who are frequently excluded. I believe this book will inspire authors in the countries of the Global South to write about their local contexts and how best policies and practices could be re-designed to include all learners. I fully endorse this book and recommend it to educators, policymakers, researchers, and all those who strive to foster educational equity and empower student voices.” - Umesh Sharma, Professor, School of Curriculum Teaching & Inclusive Education, Monash University, Australia

• 1. Equity in Education in the Caribbean: Realities and Dilemmas 2. Student Voices About Equity in Education: Some International and Caribbean Findings 3. Establishing the Policy and Research Framework for Consulting Caribbean Students About Education Inclusion 4. Consulting Caribbean Students About Academic Inclusion in Barbados and St. Vincent 5. Consulting Caribbean Students About Social Inclusion in Barbados and St. Vincent 6. Education Inclusion and Policy Development: Moving Toward Equity in Education in the Caribbean