Inclusive Education Strategy - Essay Example

HЕОRЕTIСАL FRАMЕWОRK (INСLUSIVЕ РRАСTIСЕ) Name Institution Date Inclusive education strategy is fundamental in ensuring quality education for all including children with disability, different races, normal children or any other form of a disadvantage. The approach enables children special educational needs to be integrated with other normal children in the same classes hence giving them a chance to learn from each other .Disadvantaged individuals in the society vary in their conditions; they may be disabled by physical, medical illnesses and conditions as well as intellectual disabilities as argued (United Nation general Assembly 1994). Such conditions may be may be completely permanent or temporary and as such they face a lot of challenges in their lives which requires special interventions as argued by United Nation general Assembly (1994). As one of the methods of achieving education for all (one of the millennium development goals), inclusive education is achieving a lot of attention from many educational stakeholders across the world. Many states inclusive education is being progressively adopted through borrowing from each other so as to achieve optimum results from it. The important of inclusive education for all particularly the children who have special educational needs is to combat discriminatory attitudes and create welcoming communities to persons with disabilities .At the same time, the strategy is an effective way of providing effective education to greater number of children hence improving their efficiency in being productive. So as to achieve inclusive education for effective and proper policies must be put in place and more importantly they should be adequately implemented Miles S. & Nidhi S. (2010). As such, inclusive education policies employed in the world such as the United Nation general Assembly 1993 and Salamanca 1994 are to be scrutinized and verified how they are aligned with inclusive education strategy. United Nation general Assembly policy, 1993 United Nations General Assembly 1993 came up with standardized rules on equalizations of persons with disability in different life opportunities of life. This international rules which aims at protecting persons with disabilities vulnerable rights from being violated. The rules restore a lot of responsibilities on state governments requiring them to adopt them and more importantly to implement them. Some of the rules are creating awareness in the society on the plight of persons with disabilities including their needs, universal rights their importance to the state and at the same time their potential. Additionally the state is required to ensure provision of support services for persons with disabilities which ensure that they increase their degree of independence, and at the same time they optimally enjoy their rights in their living. The council also advocated for the standard rule of education for all persons with disability where the state had the obligation of ensuring equal primary, secondary and tertiary educational opportunities for all persons with disabilities ranging from children to adults. Indeed the rule advocates that educational programs for persons with disabilities should be integrated within the educational system of the state. This can be ensured by involving the views of disabled persons in the curriculum planning, development and organization. Moreover, the policy requires that support services are provided for disabled persons in aspects of educations including interpretations hence ensuring their needs are adequately meet while teaching and learning takes place. This policy perfectly articulates with inclusive education which entails both regular inclusion and full inclusion of learners with disability just like the policy advocates for. In regular inclusion special needs children are integrated with normal children for a specified period of time during the day where they get help from non-disabled children (Nargis, 2010). Full inclusion on the other hand, ensures that children with disability or any other form of disadvantage learn together with non-disabled children in the same class and they are termed as members of that particular class. For special instruction the special needs children are segregated to be on their own so as to learn special information that if done in class could interrupt learning of others (Nargis, 2010; United Nation general Assembly 1993). For instance, they are taught how to use brails in case of blind students, speech and language therapy as well as physical therapy among many others. Indeed, in inclusion disabled students are supported to learn and at the same time they contribute and actively in taking part in all aspects of the school where possible. Inclusive education does not only mean integration of disable with non-disabled student but rather it is much more that as it should provide optimum environment for all student to learn comfortably without hindrances by being supported both morally and financially just like United Nation general Assembly (1993) advocated for. Students with moderate forms of disability such that the disability does not impact severely on academic achievement and as such that student are fit to be taken through the program (United Nation general Assembly 1994). Such forms of disabilities include limb impairment where one uses a wheel chair. In most cases rights and freedoms of disadvantaged people in the society constantly violated especially the education rights. In this case it is purely the responsibility of the state to ensure that disabled people enjoy their rights as required by the international laws and procedures through erasing any kind of obstacles they may face (United Nation general Assembly 1993). One of the efficient ways governments can do this conclusively and comprehensively is through policies. While devising inclusive education policy, fundamental factors have to be considered. One of the factors includes allowing the voice of disability people as stakeholders so as to understand their wishes regarding their education as highlighted by Lachwitz (2012). By involving them the program is most likely are successful as it is already adopted by the recipients. In this regard, parents of the children must be carried on board as the policies are made by being part of the policy makers by giving their views. Indeed, parents have the inherent right to be appreciated in the programs through being consulted on the views appropriate in handling the needs, circumstances as well as aspirations of their children. Disabled groups organizations that fight for their rights should equally be involved thus through being given responsibility of strategy implementation. Indeed according to Miles & Nidhi (2010) disabled people should assume a critical role achieving the ultimate goal of inclusive in any particular nation. Additionally parents from non-disabled children should be equally carried on board since they are directly affected by the strategy. At the same time for proper running of the program state government must ensure financial support through providing equipment and accessories needed in the strategy (Lindsay, 2003; United Nation general Assembly 1993). This can be done through budgetary allocation hence ensuring education for all regardless of their status, variation or even difficulties. Through financial support the resources required for the program are made available to both the students and the teachers thus enabling its efficiency for instance equipment such as brails, stationary etc. Additionally, budgetary allocation becomes the genesis of putting in place proper infrastructure for the program. For instance proper class which ensures accommodation of both the disabled students and non-disabled students should be built just like United Nation general Assembly 1993 advocated for in the provision that government should ensure adequate support services. Moreover, schools facilities should be reformed to fit needs of children with disabilities for instance resource rooms, lavatories, dormitories and many others hence comfortably accommodating disabled students . In this regard therefore, this means that the United Nation general Assembly 1993 standards of equalizations for persons with disability are well aligned with inclusive education Salamanca policy, 1994 In an effort to realizing the adequate inclusive educations just like United Nation general Assembly 1993 policy, Salamanca policy1994 gives the state governments responsibility in ensuring education for all is achieved through such programs as inclusive education. The policy provides that policies made by state government must ensure that teachers are adequately trained on inclusive education especially on special needs (Salamanca, 1994). This can be done by introducing regular courses as well as in-service training for the serving teachers on the fundamentals of inclusive education which ensures education for all and the skills needed to handle disable students. There should be workshops and seminars attracting personnel from diverse members from different regions and countries where plight of inclusive education is discussed hence understanding the challenges that face the programs as well as learning from each other’s skills on the best way to implement the programs (Salamanca, 1994). Additionally, the policies made should prohibit discrimination of disabled persons by the stakeholders of education or any other person or organization. They should monitor inclusive education and facilitate punishing of the person involved in any forms of discrimination be it a teacher, education administrator or any other person involved in the implementation of the strategy. Through protecting inclusive education for all is enhanced and ensuring that its implementation is adequately and efficiently done education for all is achieved. Further, according to Salamanca policy inclusive education strategy is not enough but it also requires monitored implementation by the state. In this regard, the policy calls for governments to devise rules and regulations that ensures full execution of the strategy by all stakeholders without failures. Regulation that prohibits any form of discriminations towards people with disabilities should be enacted. For instance, UK which has been rated as one of the countries which have developed best policies on inclusive education for all has devised several policies including Education Act 1996, Special Education Needs and Disability 2001 Discrimination Amendment act 2005 as well as Equality act 2010. These Acts plays very important roles in facilitation of inclusive education implementation and acquisition. First, the laws start by protecting disabled people from discrimination for instance Equality guidance act 2013 protects citizens by baring centers of learning including schools from discriminating against student in regard of their body deformities, race or other reasons. This ensures that persons with disability are attended to as required in regard to their educational needs without maltreatments. The law also dictates that schools and learning institutions improve learning infrastructure so as to accommodate all children in learning regardless of their differences or difficulties. In addition, the discrimination amendment act 2005 give public bodies such as institutions of high learn moral role and duties of enhancing equality of both disabled and non disabled persons. As such, this has challenged and promoted universities and colleges to conduct research on the best methods to implement inclusive education. Indeed, this is much more important as innovation of a wind range of ideologies on inclusive education is facilitated. Similarly, the Special Education needs and disability (SENDA) Act 2001 rules that discrimination of any form against any disabled student amounts to violation of the law. In this regard, individuals violating the Act are made to face serious legal action. Further, as guided by the same law universities are expected to have anticipatory duty to educate disabled student hence they should always take lead on issues concerning education without delay. As such, institutions of high learning develops programs that best suits disabled students and to develop infrastructure system in the schools prior to the admission of students with disability. Education Act 1996 as well as Center for Studies on Inclusive Education (CSIE) 2013 provides special education students be allowed to join main stream schools as long as their parents or guardians do no object. As such, the law gives parent room to take part in education of their children by being progressively consulted on the best way to handle their children. Indeed (Salamanca, 1994) supported this by highlighting that government should encourage and facilitate parent and the entire community to take part in decision making process of their children. They also govern the recruiting and training of educational personnel. By having an accessible plan of how they intend to make education accessible to the disable people, schools (elementary schools and kindergartens both private and public) make sure that disabled persons are not disadvantaged or discriminate because of their abnormalities. Equally through UK inclusive educational policies, the government of UK has progressively engaged in training of teacher through teacher education. In fact, (Salamanca, 1994) recommended any state government that want to achieve goals of inclusive education must put in place mechanism that ensure pre-service training programs are availed to all training teachers from all levels while also facilitating in imparting positive attitudes towards disabled people. Skills such as the evidence bases teaching methods, proper ways of assessing special needs as well as adopting fully the curriculum materials are therefore taught to training teachers (Salamanca, 1994). Equally in teacher training procedures are emphasized by the UK policies. With this education teachers are trained on special instructional skills to meets all students needs. They are also trained on the capacity to collaborate with specialist and equally collaborate with parent s so as to achieve the goal of education for all. The government also has introduced education workshops for teachers of different levels to join together with parents and all other stakeholders to discuss inclusive education. Consequently many citizens in UK have changed their negative attitude towards disabled people hence facilitating tolerance and need to treat them with dignity and respect. Equally although Saudi Arabia is said lag behind in inclusive education as observed by Salamanca (1994).it’s has still moved miles beyond many countries and it is progressively achieving some results on inclusive education through adopting policies that guide it implementation. First the state started by protecting disabled citizens through policies such as the Disability Code of 2000 which provides for provision of free educational as well rehabilitation services disabled persons. Although they had no policies that provided for the monitoring of the program by the fact they had the Disability Code of 2000 and several others it means that the country started moving. The government also created regulation of special education program and institutes (RSEPI) and as such it started to operationalizing the inclusive program by introducing such programs as individual education plan (IEP). In fact, the law provided that the level of disability should determine participation of student in inclusive education. Through such policies inclusive education is facilitated. RSEPI provided the assessment procedures for disable people and define whether one was supposed to be given special education services. Additionally, the law facilitate to the equality and quality education for all students regardless of their differences as pointed by Salamanca (1994). Policy flame work is available but unfortunately in Saudi implementation policies are very poor and ineffective. Unlike UK many teachers in Saudi Arabia have a negative attitude toward disabled people hence hindering implementation of inclusive education Alquraini. Conclusion In conclusion inclusive education is vital to realization of the millennium development goal of education for all. It means including all students despite their problems and their varying differences such intellectual abilities, physical disabilities as well as race. It ensures the development of every student’s effectiveness in life skills and professional skills. In the long term it facilitate to the productivity of a nation and its development. States government should learn that despite laying down the policies they should also strive to implement them by putting in place viable mechanism. All stakeholders should be carried on board including parents, teachers, non-governmental organizations, communities, curriculum planners and designers, disability organization and any other stakeholders. This is to make sure that the program is adequately achieved. References Nargis R. (2010). Inclusion and Diversity in Education; Guidelines for Inclusion and Diversity in Schools. British Council. Miles S. & Nidhi S. (2010). The Education for All and Inclusive Education Debate: Conflict, Contradiction or Opportunity? International Journal of Inclusive Education. Vol. 14 Issue 1, pp. 1-15. Salamanca (1994).The Salamanca Statement and Flame Work for Action: On Special Needs Education. Pp 1-43 Gaad, E. (2011). Inclusive Education in the Middle East. New York: Routledge. United Nation general Assembly (1994). Standard Rules on the Equalization of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities. Retrieved on 1st November 2013 from Read More