Disability, Education and Development Perspectives from Tokelau

This thesis is concerned with the issue of people with disability accessing education. The contemporary international dialogue about how best to include people with disability in education recommends developing regular education systems to cater for the full diverse range of learners' needs and abilities. This approach is part of an Inclusive Education philosophy and is designed as a response to all populations who experience exclusion from education, including people with disability. By examining people's opinions, experiences, attitudes, aspirations, perceptions, knowledge, and understanding about disability, education and development, this thesis aims to identify the challenges of including people with disability in education and society in the context of a small Pacific Island developng nation, and the ways in which these challenges can be addressed. In doing so, it contributes to the growing body of literature which raises awareness of the experiences of exclusion faced by people with impairments; as well as the literature exploring disability issues from a social and rights-based perspective in developing countries. Semi-formal interviews were conducted with ten participants from Tokelau, New Zealand and Samoa to garner traditional, modern and personal perspectives about disability, education and development. The main findings of the research are that although disability is still predominantly understood within a medical, religious or deficit-model paradigm in Tokelau, some historical attitudinal barriers to inclusion may be shifting. This is occurring as people become better informed about disability through education, personal experiences and awareness of the causes of disability. Consequently, there is some indication that the younger generation are less likely to stigmatise the cause of disability because of their exposure to scientific explanations and increased familiarity and comfort with human rights concepts. People in Tokelau called for raising public awareness about disability causes and issues. Another finding of the research is that although there is a perception from some that the rhetoric of human rights is demanding and antithetical to the culture, responsibility is more easily accepted because it is considered in line with traditional communal values and social systems of support like inati (sharing of resources). Terminology aside, the concepts involved in Inclusive Education reflect traditional Tokelauan beliefs about treating people equally and with fakaaloalo (respect), alofa (love) and poupouaki (support). Although the inclusion of disability issues into the international human rights framework through the UN 2006 Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is not yet widely known in Tokelau, human rights concepts are beginning to be introduced and understood at the community level, and they are seen in the constitutional documents and education policies of Tokelau. Support and partnership from New Zealand is welcomed in enabling locally developed inclusive services in Tokelau. Overall, the research suggested that inclusive philosophies and approaches within the education system in Tokelau are emerging, and that it is an opportune time to develop capacity and services for ensuring that people with impairments can access education. Despite material and human resourcing difficulties, there is a general willingness to include people with impairments in society and a strong preference for a collaborative community wide approach.