Developing and implementing quality inclusive education in Hong Kong: implications for teacher education

The government in Hong Kong has mandated that all schools should start to accept children with special educational needs by employing a whole school approach. This is not a simple move for teachers as inclusive education is complex, involving a range of issues including developing appropriate government and school policy; providing relevant support; enabling academic and social inclusion; changes to curriculum, pedagogy and assessment; preparing new teachers and improving existing teachers' skills in adapting instruction; modifying curriculum and classroom management; and developing functional multi-agency collaboration to support all students. This paper provides an historical perspective to the development of special education and the transition towards inclusion in Hong Kong, and explores how this move has been both supported and hindered by education reform. A number of issues that have emerged as challenging for the movement towards inclusion and the type of teacher education that is necessary to support this transition are discussed.