Inclusion advocates warn support system lagging behind rising needs

Karine Estadieu [Photo: Ricaela Diputado]

As the week-long INCLUSION Conference and Festival 2026 opened for its second day at the School of the Nations (SON) yesterday, educators and administrators acknowledged progress in special education but also pointed to critical, unresolved gaps: rising student needs outpacing resources, a lack of classroom support for “in-between” cases, and scarce job opportunities for graduates.

While government subsidies and training have expanded over the past 25 years, speakers said the territory now faces a harder challenge: moving from policy to practice.

Speaking to the Times on the sidelines, Karine Estadieu, inclusive education coordinator at the International School of Macao (TIS), said, “The number of students with disabilities is higher and higher. The resources available are not enough. How do we keep up?” She identified a specific gap for students who do not have severe disabilities but cannot thrive in a regular classroom. “Something in between would be really helpful,” Estadieu said.

As for the English-speaking community, she said there is a lack of inclusive support services. “In the English community […] there’s a big, big area with no support, no setting. For parents, it’s extremely difficult and extremely stressful.”

Emotional toll of ‘typhoon 10, typhoon 12’

Estadieu detailed the emotional toll on students, parents, and teachers. Students often feel “silly or stupid,” frustrated, and uncertain. Parents face overwhelming diagnostic processes while also dealing with daily pressures, homework, and expectations.

Teachers, she said, struggle despite receiving inclusion training. “I have all this information about inclusion. I know that one, two, three of my students have an IEP,” she said, describing a common teacher’s dilemma. “But despite all this information, I still face challenges. I don’t know what to do in my classroom. Between what is written on paper and reality, there is a big gap.”

She described the resulting stress as “typhoon 10, typhoon 12” – a level of pressure that leads to burnout among students, parents, teachers, and therapists alike. Her proposed solution focused on building a “sense of coherence,” helping individuals understand their specific challenges and advocate for themselves rather than trying to remove the disability itself.

Theory meets reality

Estadieu elaborated to the Times on the systemic nature of the problem. “My perspective is being in Macau now for more than 25 years. We started with a very simple, and I would say weak, approach,” she said. “Now we have more and more knowledge. The government also provides a lot of support and subsidies, which is really important. But we now need to bridge the gap between knowledge and how you apply and implement that for yourself or in your own environment. And this is way more difficult.”

She explained that the theoretical commitment to inclusion often collapses when daily life is disrupted. “When you are disturbed in your daily life because a student or a person with a disability disrupts your own social interaction, suddenly you realize that all your knowledge and the beautiful things about inclusion will be questioned.”

She called for building a community that welcomes difficulties “not in theory, but practically.”

Post-graduation success with caveats

When asked about post-graduation outcomes, the educator confirmed that many of her students have successfully moved into work or further study. “I have witnessed it’s possible. It’s very difficult, but it’s absolutely possible. When they were in kindergarten or lower primary, teachers told them there was no future. So you need to move forward and trust the future with a lot of work and a lot of understanding of the need. But yes, it’s possible, so I believe it.”

Speaking about further steps or policies needed to build a more inclusive community, she told the Times: “I’m really convinced that the more we talk about it and the more we involve everyone – not only people with disabilities or parents of a child with a disability, but the whole community – the more we will understand that all of us will benefit from this reality.

“Having an understanding that disability is not only about learning disabilities – our own difficulty sometimes approaching technology or something in our daily life is also a form of disability. We need to have this compassionate approach for everyone.”

Vivek Nair [Photo: Ricaela Diputado]

Gov’t support acknowledged, but gaps remain

School of the Nations principal Vivek Nair, who has led the school’s special education program since 2010, also acknowledged progress. He noted that his school receives government support for its English-language special education program, including fee waivers for local students and assistance with teacher training.

Also speaking to the Times on the sidelines, Nair said the territory has moved from “almost no or very limited opportunities” to greater acceptance of special education needs. “I recognize that culturally, this has been a challenging area for people – not just in Macau, but everywhere around the world. But I’m very encouraged,” he said.

“I don’t look at them as challenges anymore. I used to think of them as challenges; now I think of them as opportunities.” He pointed to government support as evidence of progress.

“Our school, for example, we’re the only school with an English-language special education program in Macau, and we receive complete support from the education department. So much so that our local students do not pay any school fees – the government covers their fees for them. They support us with the hiring of teachers and with teacher training. In that sense, I feel like Macau has come a long way.”

The post-graduation void

However, Nair identified a persistent failure beyond the school gates. “We have students who are coming through our program and are graduating – and then what?” he said.

“The number of opportunities […] is still limited. There are a few organizations in Macau that are supporting people with special needs, but I think the opportunities are still limited.

“That is the second area. The government, and we as a society, need to think about what spaces we can create to include them, especially in the workplace.”

He also cited community education as a major obstacle. “The more people recognize that people with differing needs are not just people who want to take, but who have something to give, the more accepting they will be, the more welcoming, more participatory our society will become.

“If I have to pick one [challenge], it’s education. We have to educate not just our students – we are certainly doing that – but the community, society at large, that this section of our society has a lot to give.”