Autism and Internationalised Schools : The Search for a Socially Just Education in the People’s Republic of China

Hay, Jonathan and Warin, Jo (2024) Autism and Internationalised Schools : The Search for a Socially Just Education in the People’s Republic of China. PhD thesis, Lancaster University.

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Abstract

This thesis uncovers the extent to which Chinese internationalised schools are capable of providing autistic students with a more socially just education. This notion of a socially just education is taken from a critical disability understanding of social justice that has not been employed in China. Evidence has indicated that autism remains misunderstood in China and that autistic people have fewer life and educational opportunities. Currently, autistic students are excluded within Chinese public education and research has found that non-traditional learners such as autistic people may be better supported in the under-researched internationalised school sector. It is important, therefore, that a developing school system that has the potential to support autistic individuals be evaluated through a disability centred framework. Twenty participants (10 autistic students and 10 internationalised schoolteachers) participated in qualitative semi-structured interviews. These interviews were used to inform the thesis research question. In an original contribution to the field of autism educational research in China, this thesis is the first to investigate the empowering nature of Chinese internationalised schools and if they can or cannot provide a socially just education to autistic students. Furthermore, this research adds to the limited number of qualitative autism studies in China and distinguishes itself by being one of, if not the first, study to truly include the voices of autistic teenagers. Ultimately, this thesis finds that Chinese internationalised schools are incapable of providing autistic students with a more socially just education for several reasons including political control of the education system and the existence of a Chinese Confucianist understanding of education that permeates throughout society. Findings have implications for education within China, Chinese internationalised schools, autism education worldwide, and the recognition that evaluative frameworks that centre disability and the needs of autistic people do exist and can be utilised in various contexts.