Inclusive education happens when children with and without disabilities participate and learn together in the same classes. It’s a form of education that advocates for the fair and equal treatment of children in the classroom. In the past, many countries introduced legislation to separate children with learning disabilities from those without, in the classroom. Nowadays, more schools are accommodating students with increasingly diverse backgrounds and abilities.
What are the benefits of inclusive education?
Inclusive education allows children to develop individual strengths and gifts, with high and appropriate expectations for each child. The type of education seeks to maximise the potential of all students.
Schools and classrooms can be structured to facilitate kindness, consideration, empathy and compassion for others. As a result, children without special needs can often become more aware of the needs of others in inclusive classrooms.
Inclusive education fosters a school culture of respect and belonging. It provides opportunities to learn about and accept individual differences.
In terms of the community, this type of education can bring about positive change so that the community can appreciate diversity and inclusion on a broader level. This could have positive effects on the community as a whole, while also encouraging children to learn more about differences and how to negotiate around what you can’t understand.
Not all children learn in the same way, so inclusive education allows teachers to vary their teaching styles. It also means that unique need and learning styles are attended to and valued.
In South Africa, there is a non-profit organisation called “Inclusive Education South Africa” which advocates for inclusive education.
It is a registered NPO that has promoted and supported inclusive education practices in South Africa since 1995. To contact them, call: 021 762 6664 or send an email to: info@included.org.za
You can visit their website here: www.included.org.za