“Passing through the footbridge in Barangay Tubig Tanah was very scary especially when you are not used to it. Despite that, I continued the survey because I am committed to it.” This was a sentiment shared by one of the field enumerators in Tawi-Tawi when they took the initiative to implement the 20-Day Campaign to Reach Every Child, an initiative of the Ministry of Basic, Higher and Technical Education (MBHTE) supported by the Australian Government, with the goal of documenting learners with functional difficulties in far-flung and difficult to access areas of the island.
This field enumerator was not alone in being afraid of travelling to remote and unfamiliar territories such as Barangay Tubig Tanah – fears that were warranted, considering the difficult passages that they had to go through. Some field enumerators specifically identified Luuk Siabon as one of the more challenging journeys they had to make as part of the campaign, requiring a boat ride and a 40-minute motorcycle ride through a rugged terrain that could only be caught either at the crack of dawn or at sundown. To accomplish what they needed to do, they had to catch the rides early in the morning.
This is only one of the challenges that the field enumerators of School Division Office (SDO) Tawi-Tawi encountered as they set out to conduct household interviews with families of learners with functional difficulties. Remote areas such as those in Tawi-Tawi are faced with the challenge of providing quality education to learners here, especially with the many (figurative and literal) roadblocks that they may face.
Despite these challenges they faced for 20 days, SDO Tawi-Tawi field enumerators would still choose to continue what they had started here until they have reached every child. What makes inclusive education this important for the island of Tawi-Tawi that it is worth going the distance for?
Getting to know Tawi-Tawi
The field enumerators of SDO Tawi-Tawi learned learnt many things about this place and the people who resided within it, despite having served here. The campaign served as an opportunity for them to bridge what they already knew about their school community and the context of the larger community they belonged to. This was essential not only for the goal of making inclusive education happen here, but especially in getting to know what was needed to truly reach every child who seeks to learn.
In Barangay Tubig Tanah, children of the Samah Badjao tribe often ended up not receiving any formal education. This was common amongst Badjao families living in the areas of Pag-asa. During the campaign, the field enumerators learned learnt that this was caused by the parents’ fear that enrolling their children in school will only expose them to bullying. One of the parents claimed, “We, the Badjao Samah, are always bullied.”
Having learned learnt the challenges that indigenous learners with functional difficulties, the field enumerators found valuable insights about Samah Badjao children and their families. These insights helped inform the KaISA Project’s understanding of the intersectional experiences that indigenous children with functional difficulties may have.
The challenges that they encountered in the campaign implementation tested the abilities of the field enumerators. However, beyond this, what they have learned learnt about their communities is invaluable and helped them connect with people who were hindered from accessing quality education. These field enumerators proved themselves to not only be determined teachers, but also capable advocates for inclusive education that are ready to face challenges to reach every child.
Defining inclusive education as an inclusive solution
Even with these challenges and issues, inclusive education remains to be a hopeful solution despite the difficulties encountered during the campaign’s implementation. Understanding these issues is a pathway towards creating grounded solutions that directly respond to the needs and identities of diverse communities. Inclusive education acknowledges and takes into consideration these shared experiences of learners who have been left behind in education. With the support of Australia, the 20-Day Campaign to Reach Every Child empowered educators to understand what it takes to bring inclusive education to the people in the farthest corners of Tawi-Tawi who need it most and cross the distances that most may not dare to go.
Issues and difficulties can often be the reason why most people decide not to pursue certain goals; but for the field enumerators of Tawi-Tawi at least, they see this as an opportunity. Challenges are opportunities to serve, to understand, and most of all – to make a meaningful change for the children of the island who want an education to reach a brighter future not only for themselves, but also for the communities to which they belong.