Essay On Inclusion in Scottish Education
Essay On Inclusion in Scottish Education
Session 2011-12
CLASS: PGDE
Task 2 Educational Studies (Secondary)
2
0
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2
7
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201270722
societies
throughout
the
world
are
increasingly
sharing
a
consensus
that
all
children
have
the
right
to
be
educated
together
(Wertheimer,
2004,
p.
142)
and
several
international
statements
that
set
out
to
achieve
this
goal
have
had
great
influence
in
shaping
inclusive
education
policy
and
practice.
The
United
Nations
Convention
on
the
Rights
of
the
Child
(1989),
of
which
the
UK,
including
Scotland,
became
a
signatory
to
on
15
January
1992
("A
Report
on
Implementation
of
the
UN
Convention
on
the
Rights
of
the
Child
in
Scotland
2
201270722
1999-2007",
2007,
p.
7)
enshrine
the
rights
that
every
child
be
granted
equal
access
to
education,
without
discrimination
("A
Summary
of
the
UN
Convention
on
the
Rights
of
the
Child",
2012,
p.
1).
This
statement,
although
not
incorporated
into
UK
or
Scots
law
and,
as
such,
not
legally
binding
is
however
used
by
the
Scottish
Government
as
a
means
for
them
to
develop
policy
and
legislation
so
that
they
may
work
in
partnership
with
other
countries
to
meet
international
standards
regarding
childrens
rights
("A
Report
on
Implementation
of
the
UN
Convention
on
the
Rights
of
the
Child
in
Scotland
1999-2007",
2007,
p.
9),
thus
showing
a
commitment
to
an
idea
of
inclusive
education
which
does
not
discriminate.
The
Salamanca
Statement
(1994)
aimed
to
further
clarify
the
right
of
education
for
all
by
affirming
the
principle
of
developing
inclusive
education,
namely
that
schools
should
accommodate
all
children
regardless
of
their
physical,
intellectual,
social,
emotional,
linguistic
or
other
conditions
further
asserting
that
those
with
special
educational
needs
must
have
access
to
regular
schools
which
should
accommodate
them
within
a
child-centered
pedagogy
capable
of
meeting
these
needs
(The
Salamanca
Statement,
1994,
p.
viii).
This
document
is
also
ratified
by
the
UK
and
Scottish
Governments
and
with
its
explicit
and
clear
guidelines
provides
a
framework
for
policy
development
within
Scottish
schools
(The
Scottish
Government,
2007).
The
Scottish
Governments
commitment
to
rights
is
further
evidenced
by
its
ratification
of
the
European
Convention
on
Human
Rights
(ECHR),
which
was
incorporated
to
Scots
law
through
the
Human
Rights
Act
(1998)
and
the
Scotland
Act
(1998).
The
Scottish
government
state
that,
although
the
rights
are
general
and
not
solely
for
children,
they
are
of
benefit
to
children
as
many
of
the
3
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These international and national policies would suggest that the very idea
201270722
(Scotland)
Act
2004.
This
act
replaced
the
limiting
term
of
a
child
having
Special
Educational
Needs
(SEN),
which
placed
emphasis
on
labeling
children
with
specific
conditions
be
it
physical,
mental
or
emotional,
to
that
of
Additional
Support
Needs
(ASN):
A
child
or
young
person
has
additional
support
needs
for
the
purposes
of
this
Act
where,
for
whatever
reason,
the
child
or
young
person
is,
or
is
likely
to
be,
unable
without
the
provision
of
additional
support
to
benefit
from
school
education
provided
or
to
be
provided
for
the
child
or
young
person.
(Education
(Additional
Support
for
Learning)
(Scotland)
Act
2004,
2004,
p.
1)
By
explicitly
stating
that
Additional
Support
Needs
arise
for
whatever
reason,
the
Scottish
Government
places
a
responsibility
that
Schools
and
Local
Authorities
to
should
constantly
seek
to
identify
ASN
within
their
environment
as
(the
act
implies)
pupils
with
these
needs
may
not
be
obvious
at
first.
This
certainly
proves
a
challenge
for
myself
within
my
practice
as
I
may
not
initially
determine
a
child
with
ASN
in
my
class
as
their
needs
may
be
subtle
however,
I
am
sure
that,
with
support
from
colleagues
and
through
professional
reflective
practice,
I
will
become
ever
more
aware
of
the
needs
of
each
child
under
my
care.
In
order
to
further
assist
practitioners
in
meeting
the
needs
of
each
child,
The
Scottish
Government
has
developed
Getting
it
Right
for
Every
Child
(GIRFEC)
("A
guide
to
Getting
it
Right
for
Every
Child",
2012).
This
guidance
policy
aims
to
provide
guidance
for
all
practitioners
involved
in
working
with
children
to
meet
their
individual
needs
and
give
them
the
best
possible
start
in
life
(p.
3).
It
is
a
framework
that
builds
on
the
international
policies,
discussed
5
201270722
earlier
within
this
essay,
and
national
strategies
such
as
The
Early
Years
Framework
and
Curriculum
for
Excellence
(p.
8).
The
guide
places
great
importance
on
the
wellbeing
of
every
child
and
has
eight
indicators
of
wellbeing
(p.
9),
with
inclusion
being
clearly
set
as
one
of
these
indicators
with
the
child
having
help
to
overcome
social,
educational,
physical
and
economic
inequalities
and
being
accepted
as
part
of
the
community
in
which
they
learn
(p.
9).
The
document
identifies
the
roles
and
responsibilities
of
professionals
who
are
responsible
for
children
and
provides
in
information
on
where
practitioners
may
find
additional
support
to
meet
the
needs
of
young
people.
It
is
therefore
clear
that
inclusion
permeates
many
documents
and
policies
of
the
Scottish
Government
and
further
highlights
their
commitment
in
attempting
to
become
a
fully
inclusive
society.
201270722
learners,
trusting
that
a
broad
general
and
flexible
curriculum
will
allow
teachers
to
plan
effectively
to
meet
the
needs
of
all
their
pupils
("Building
the
Curriculum
3",
2008,
p.
14).
It
is
clear
that
an
inclusive
school
must
have
staff
that
support
taking
action
to
remove
such
obstacles
to
learning,
providing
support
and
challenging
each
other
that
the
school
is
doing
its
utmost
to
include
all
in
learning.
Effective
inclusion
requires
teachers
who
embrace
current
national
guidelines
and
school
policies
and
also
make
use
of
Continuing
Professional
Development
(CPD)
to
ensure
they
are
kept
abreast
of
new
developments
within
the
concept
of
inclusive
education.
201270722
201270722
201270722
From
conversations
with
various
staff
in
the
school
about
their
own
interpretation
of
additional
support
needs
it
became
clear
that
the
school
strived
towards
being
inclusive
with
a
majority
of
teachers
in
the
school
quick
to
identify
short
term
needs,
such
as
bereavement,
as
being
of
equal
standing
to
longer
term
needs,
such
as
physical
impairment.
This
highly
inclusive
approach
from
these
staff
members
certainly
aims
to
follow
procedures
as
set
by
the
government
but
also
highlights
the
professional
relationships
developed
between
pupils
and
staff
where
the
latter
are
keen
to
know
and
understand
the
pupils
before
them
to
ensure
they
are
given
support
to
learn
without
exclusion.
Teachers
within
the
school
are
somewhat
reticent
about
criticising
aspects
of
inclusion,
in
particular
the
challenges
an
implications
faced
by
them.
It
would
seem
that
the
Scottish
Government,
by
developing
policies
and
making
great
changes
to
the
curriculum,
are
providing
the
freedom
and
flexibility
for
teachers
to
create
a
learning
environment
for
all
young
people
and
in
all
educational
settings
(Building
the
Curriculum
1,
2006).
However,
by
creating
such
a
flexible
and
open
curriculum,
extra
burden
can
be
placed
on
teachers
as
they
must
select
and
create
their
own
resources
and
curricular
path,
tailored
to
fit
the
needs
of
many
pupils
they
interact
with
that
have
varied
needs.
This
can
create
a
seemingly
unmanageable
workload
(a
concern
quietly
put
forward
by
some
members
of
staff
within
SE1)
particularly
in
the
secondary
sector
where
a
teacher
is
presented
with
many
different
classes
of
differing
ability
throughout
the
school
timetable.
Furthermore,
teachers
within
the
secondary
sector
are
still
placed
under
enormous
pressure
to
ensure
attainment
within
their
subject
and
the
competence
of
their
department
is
effectively
judged
by
exam
performance.
This
presents
a
new
host
of
concerns
for
the
class
teacher,
as
they
will
be
10
201270722
responsible
for
developing
a
new
curriculum,
which,
at
the
same
time,
still
ensures
key
areas
are
explored
in
an
effective
way
such
that
pupils
will
attain
satisfactory
marks
within
the
exam
diet.
Implications
for
primary
teachers
are
that
the
class
teacher
may
feel
somewhat
isolated
in
their
efforts
of
providing
an
inclusive
learning
environment,
as
they
are
solely
responsible
for
their
class
throughout
the
year.
This
statement
was
discussed
with
a
primary
teacher
during
a
primary
placement
visit
in
SE1
with
a
suggestion
arising
from
the
teacher
stating
that
primary
sector
colleagues
should
make
an
extra
effort
to
support
each
other
within
the
school
environment
as
a
whole
in
an
attempt
for
that
school
to
be
more
inclusive
rather
than
operate
in
an
insular
way,
only
focusing
on
their
own
class.
Whatever
the
challenges
may
be,
it
would
seem
that,
from
many
discussions
throughout
placement
experience,
the
profession
accepts
the
ideal
of
inclusion
and
practitioners
will
work
with
their
colleagues
and
schools
to
make
smooth
transitions
towards
an
inclusive
education
environment
within
Scotland.
Today
it
may
be
argued
that
music,
by
its
very
nature,
is
a
very
inclusive
subject
and
can
provide
opportunities
to
engage
and
fascinate
learners
of
all
ages
and
skill
levels
("Curriculum
for
Excellence
-
Expressive
Arts,
Principles
and
Practice",
n.d.,
p.
1).
However,
Reid
(1994)
argues
that
within
schools
music,
apart
from
its
purely
recreational
role,
is
generally
perceived
as
a
specialist
activity
(p.
80).
Although
this
view
is
almost
twenty
years
old,
it
has
not
completely
disappeared
from
popular
views
on
music
education.
Adults
and
children
alike
may
state
they
cannot
do
music
with
later
acknowledgement
that
they
have
experience
of
music
but
deem
themselves
as
novices
and
therefore
non-musicians.
Gracyk
(2004)
attests
to
this
and
argues
that
we
may
be
11
201270722
inappropriately
replacing
the
distinction
between
novice
and
expert
with
one
between
musician
and
non-musician
(p.
3).
It
may
be
argued
that,
those
who
deem
themselves
as
non-musical,
have
been
exposed
to
a
culture
and
music
curriculum
which
burdens
the
novice
player
with
a
feeling
of
inequality
and,
as
such,
engrains
this
idea
of
cant
do
music
when
they
are
compared
to
their
skilled
contemporaries
within
the
music
class.
However,
more
recently,
Burnard,
Dillon,
Rusinek,
&
Saether
(2008)
state
that
many
educators
would
see
music
as
a
powerful
channel
of
communication
for
everyone,
a
social
process,
a
way
of
developing
a
range
of
skills
e.g.
cognitive,
physical
and
emotional
and
promoting
well-being
and
self-esteem
(p.
112),
thus
attesting
to
music
and
its
ability
to
include
all.
Implications
of
inclusion
for
music
teachers
are
apparent;
the
inclusive
music
class
must
seek
to
engage
young
learners
that
they
are
able
to
contribute
effectively
within
the
music
class
by
removing
the
concept
of
non-musician
within
their
classroom;
creating
and
nurturing
a
supportive
environment
where
young
learners
are
free
to
explore
music
at
a
level
they
can
access
and
develop
through
differentiated
activities
as
devised
by
the
class
teacher.
Evidence
of
this
in
practice
was
apparent
during
SE1
where
the
class
teacher
made
it
clear
that
assessments
within
music
(keyboards
in
this
instance)
were
ongoing
and
used
as
a
tool
to
aid
the
teacher
in
planning
how
to
assist
the
pupil
without
being
purely
focused
on
the
want
for
a
highly
competent
and
polished
performance.
This
is
directly
in
line
with
Government
policy,
which
state
Arrangements
for
assessment
should
ensure
that
all
children
and
young
people
have
an
equal
opportunity
to
show
what
they
can
achieve
(Building
the
Curriculum
5,
2011,
p.
21).
Assessment
is
further
described
as
a
tool
to
support
learning
(BTC
5,
2011,
12
201270722
201270722
this
in
mind
that
the
class
teacher
can
structure
a
supportive
class
environment
where
pupils
assist
each
other
in
understanding
concepts,
promoting
an
active
learning
environment.
During
SE1
no
pupils
within
the
music
department
were
noted
as
having
EAL,
however
it
is
interesting
to
note
that
SE2
is
in
a
school
with
over
50%
of
pupils
registered
as
having
EAL.
Naturally,
comparisons
between
the
two
environments
will
be
made
to
enhance
personal
reflective
practice
of
being
an
inclusive
teacher.
In
conclusion,
it
is
clear
that
national
and
international
views
are
united
in
their
ideal
of
adopting
and
inclusive
approach
to
education.
It
is
also
clear
that
schools
may
never
label
themselves
as
being
inclusive
as
they
must
continually
adapt
their
policies
on
inclusion
in
line
with
ever-changing
views
on
inclusion
by
leading
educators
and
governmental
initiatives.
Teachers
must
embrace
the
concept
of
inclusion
by
adapting
and
changing
their
practice
to
develop
a
class
environment
that
includes
and
supports
all
learners
by
taking
into
account
the
vast
array
of
differing
needs
that
will
be
presented
to
them.
Schools
must
continue
to
strive
in
communicating
effectively
with
those
teachers
who
are
placing
great
effort
in
being
inclusive
so
that
they
may
help
share
effective
practice
with
other
professionals
in
the
school
and
its
surrounding
community.
Working
towards
an
inclusive
education
system
my
present
many
challenges
for
all
involved,
however
inclusion
is
not
an
option,
it
is
the
right
of
every
child
that
they
be
educated
without
exclusion.
This
right
cannot
be
overlooked
and
is
enshrined
in
policy
by
the
Scottish
Government
to
ensure
that
the
needs
of
these
pupils
are
met.
Word
Count:
3840
14
201270722
References
A
guide
to
Getting
it
Right
for
Every
Child.
(2012,
June).
Scottish
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devolved
Government
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Scottish
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Scottish
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Retrieved
December
13,
2012,
from
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/0039/00394308.pdf
A
Report
on
Implementation
of
the
UN
Convention
on
the
Rights
of
the
Child
in
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1999-2007.
(2007,
August).
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Scotland,
devolution,
Scottish
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Retrieved
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11,
2012,
from
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Summary
of
the
UN
Convention
on
the
Rights
of
the
Child.
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July).
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from
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Bryce,
&
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M.
Humes
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quality
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improvement,
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lifelong
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