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Inclusive Education Essay

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What is inclusive education? Inclusive education is concerned with the education and accommodation of ALL children in society, regardless of their physical, intellectual, social, or linguistic deficits. Inclusion should also include children from disadvantaged groups, of all races and cultures as well as the gifted and the disabled (UNESCO, 2003). Inclusion tries to reduce exclusion within the education system by tackling, responding to and meeting the different needs of all learners (Booth, 1996). It involves changing the education system so that it can accommodate the unique styles and way of learning of each learner and ensure that there is quality education for all through the use of proper resources, suitable curricula, appropriate …show more content…

Inclusive education also recognises that learning occurs both at home and in the community and therefore the support of parents, family and the community is vital (Department of Education, 2001). Truly inclusive schools understand the uniqueness of every child, that all children can learn and that all children have different gifts, strengths learning styles and needs. These schools then provide the appropriate means and support through which these needs can be met (UNESO, 2003) The necessity for making schools and classrooms inclusive in South Africa Inclusion has become a necessity in South Africa as South Africa has a history of violence and the education system has always been politicised and used by the ruling class as a way of marginalising and stigmatising various groups in society (De Lange, 1989). Inequalities in our society, lack of access to basic services and poverty are prevailing historical factors that place our children at risk and still lead to severe exclusion of children with barriers to learning (whether it be economic, social, intellectual, language, socio-economic or physical barriers) (UNESCO, 2005). Today there are still about two hundred and eighty thousand learners with disabilities or impairments that are not in any form of education (Department of Education, 2001). Inclusion is therefore necessary because all learners have a right to an education, to be accepted and given the

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