Chapter 2

Concept of Inclusion
 2.1. Definition of Inclusion

• The term inclusion is used to describe the active,

intentional, and ongoing engagement with
diversity in people, social, economic, and political
communities (e.g. intellectual, social, cultural,
geographic) with which individuals might connect.
• Inclusion is seen as a universal human right.
Inclusion aims to embrace all people irrespective
of race, gender, disability, medical, or other needs.
 Def. Contd.

• It is about giving equal access and

opportunities and getting rid of discrimination
and intolerance (removal of barriers).
• It affects all aspects of public life.
• Inclusion aims to remove the barriers that
create separation.
• It enables everyone to participate equally,
confidently, and independently in everyday
activities.
 Def. Contd.

• Inclusion is seen as a process of addressing and

responding to the diversity of needs of all persons
through increasing participation in learning,
employment, services, cultures and communities, and
reducing exclusion in all social contexts.
• It involves changes and modifications in content,
approaches, structures, and strategies, with a common
vision that covers all people, a conviction that it is the
responsibility of the social system to welcome all people
with different abilities (UNESCO 2005), employ and
provide social services.
 Def. Contd.

• Inclusion is about social justice which seeks to enable

communities, systems, and structures in all cultures
and contexts to combat discrimination, celebrate
diversity, promote participation and overcome
barriers to life, work, and participation for all people.
• It is part of a wider strategy promoting inclusive
development, intending to create a world where
there is peace, tolerance, and sustainable use of
resources, social justice, and where the basic needs
and rights of all are met.
 Def. Contd.

• Besides, inclusion begins with the premise that all

persons have unique characteristics, interests, abilities,
and particular learning needs and, further, that all
persons have equal access to education, employment,
and services.
• Moreover, effective transitions from segregated services
to the inclusive system require careful planning and
structural changes to ensure that persons with
disabilities are provided with appropriate
accommodation and support that ensure an inclusive
learning and working environment.
The definition of inclusion in education has the
following components:
1) Concepts about learners:
• Education is a fundamental human right for all people
• Learning begins at birth and continues throughout
life
• All children have a right to education within their
community
• Everyone can learn, and any child can experience
difficulties in learning
• Supported and child-focused teaching benefits all
children.
2. Concepts about the education system and schools
• Inclusive education is broader than formal schooling
• It is flexible, responsive educational system
• It creates enabling and welcoming educational
environments
• It promotes school improvement – makes schools
effective
• It involves the whole school approach and
collaboration between partners.
3. Concepts about diversity and discrimination:
• Inclusive education promotes combating
discrimination and exclusionary pressures in
social sectors.
• It perceives diversity as a resource not as a
problem.
• It prepares learners for an inclusive society
that respects and values differences.
4.Concepts about processes to promote inclusion:
• Inclusive education helps to identify and overcome
barriers to participation and exclusionary pressures.
• It increases real participation of all; collaboration,
partnership between all stakeholders.
• It promotes participatory methodology, action
research, collaborative inquiry, and other related
activities.
5.Concepts about resources:
•
Inclusive education promotes unlocking and fully using
local resources & redistributing existing resources.
• It helps to perceive people (children, parents, teachers,
members of marginalized groups, etc.) as key resources.
• It helps to use appropriate resources and support within
schools and at local levels for the needs of different
children, e.g. mother tongue, braille, assistive devices.
 2.2. Principles of Inclusion

• The fundamental principle of inclusion is that

all persons should learn, work and live
together wherever possible, regardless of any
difficulties or differences they may have.
• Inclusive education extends beyond special
needs arising from disabilities and includes
consideration of other sources of disadvantage
and marginalization, such as gender, poverty,
language, ethnicity, and geographic isolation.
 Principles Contd.

• Furthermore, UNESCO (2005) has provided four major

inclusion principles that support inclusive practice. These
include:
 Inclusion is a process.
 It has to be seen as a never-ending search to find better
ways of responding to diversity.
 It is about learning how to live with differences and
learning how to learn from differences.
 Differences come to be seen more positively as a stimulus
for fostering learning amongst children and adults.
 Principles Contd.
• Inclusion is concerned with the identification
and removal of barriers that hinder the
development of persons with disabilities.
• It involves collecting, collating, and evaluating
information from a variety of sources to plan
for improvements in policy and practice.
• It is about using evidence of various kinds to
stimulate creativity and problem-solving.
 Principles Contd.

• Inclusion is about the presence, participation, and

achievement of all persons.
• Presence is concerned with where persons are
provided and how reliably and punctually they
attend; participation relates to the quality of their
experiences and must incorporate the views of
learners/and or workers and achievement is about
the outcomes of learning across the curriculum,
not just test and exam results.
 Principles Contd.

• Inclusion invokes /raises/a particular emphasis

on those who may be at risk of
marginalization, exclusion, or
underachievement.
• This indicates the moral responsibility to
ensure that those at risk are carefully
monitored and that steps are taken to ensure
their presence, participation, and
achievement.
 2. 3. Rationales for Inclusion

2.3.1. Rationales for Inclusion and theirs’

Respective Descriptions
1. Educational Foundations
 Children do better academically, psychologically,
and socially in inclusive settings.
 More efficient use of education resources.
 Decreases dropouts and repetitions
 Teachers competency can be enhanced
(knowledge, skills, collaboration, satisfaction)
 Rationales Contd.

2. Social Foundation
 Segregation teaches individuals to be fearful,
ignorant and breeds /raises/ prejudice.
 All individuals need an education that will help them
develop relationships and prepare them for life in the
wider community.
 Only inclusion has the potential to reduce fear and to
build friendship, respect, and understanding
 Rationales Contd.

3. Legal Foundations
All individuals have the right to learn and live
together.
A human being shouldn‘t be devalued or
discriminated against by being excluded or sent
away because of their disability.
There are no legitimate reasons to separate
children for their education
 Rationales Contd.

4. Economic Foundations:
 Inclusive education has an economic benefit, both for individuals
and society.
 Children with disabilities go to local schools
 Reduce wastage of repetition and dropout
 Children with disabilities live with their family and use
community infrastructure
 Better employment and job creation opportunities for people
with disabilities
 Inclusive education is more cost-effective than the creation of
special schools across the country.
 Rationales Contd.

5. Foundations for Building Inclusive Society

Formation of mutual understanding and
appreciation of diversity
Building up empathy /understanding/,
tolerance, and cooperation
Promotion of sustainable development
 2.4. Factors that Influenced Development of
Inclusion
• Inclusiveness originated from three major ideas.
• These include:
Inclusive education is a basic human right;
Quality education results from inclusion of
students with diverse needs and ability
differences, and
There is no clear demarcation between the
characteristics of students with and without
disabilities and vulnerabilities.
 Factors Contd.

• Inclusive education is facilitated by many influencing

actors. Some of the major drivers include:
 Communities: pre-colonial and indigenous approaches
to education and community-based programs movement
that favor inclusion of their community members.
 Activists and advocates: the combined voices of primary
stakeholders – representatives of groups of learners
often excluded and marginalized from education (e.g.
disabled activists; parents advocating for their children;
child rights advocates; and those advocating for
women/girls and minority ethnic groups).
 Factors Contd.

 The quality education and school improvement movement:

inclusion are strongly linked, and contribute to the
understanding and practice of inclusive education as being
the responsibility of education systems and schools.
 Special educational needs movement: the ‗new thinking‘ of
the special needs education movement – as demonstrated in
 Involvement of International agencies: the UN is a major
influence on the development of inclusive education policy
and practice. Major donors have formed a partnership – the
Fast Track Initiative – to speed progress towards the EFA
goals.
 Factors Contd.

 Involvement of NGOs movements, networks and

campaigns: a wide range of civil society initiatives, such
as the Global Campaign for Education, seek to bring
 Other factors: the current world situation and practical
experiences in education.
 The current world situation presents challenges such as
the spread of HIV/AIDS, political instability, trends in
resource distribution, diversity of population, and social
inclusion. This necessitates implementation of inclusion
to solve the problems.
 2.5 Benefits of Inclusion

Benefits for Students with Special Needs

Education
Observe and imitate socially acceptable
behaviors
Improved friendships with the social
environment
Increased social initiations, interactions,
relationships and networks
Gain peer role models
Increased achievement of individualized
educational program (IEP) goals
Greater access to the general curriculum

Enhanced skill acquisition and

generalization in their learning
Improved academic achievement
 Benefits Contd.

 Attending inclusive schools increases the probability

that students with SEN will continue to participate in
a variety of integrated settings throughout their lives
 Improved school staff collaboration to meet these
students‘ needs and ability differences
 Increased parental participation to meet these
students‘ needs and ability differences
 Benefits Contd.

2. Benefits for persons without Special Needs Education

 Opportunities for interacting with their age peers who

experience limitations
 Play the role of a special buddy‘during lunch, in the bus or
playground.
 Good deal about tolerance, individual difference, and human
exceptionality.
 Learn that students with SEN have many positive characteristics
and abilities.
 Benefits Contd.

Enhanced families integration into the

community
Have a chance to learn about many of the
human service profession.
Have increased appreciation, acceptance and
respect for individual differences
Have opportunity to learn and to communicate,
and deal effectively with a wide range of
individuals
 Benefits Contd.

3. Benefits for Teachers

 Opportunities to learn new ways to teach
different kinds of students.
 Gain new knowledge
 Positive attitudes and approaches
 0pportunities to explore new ideas by
communicating more
 Encourage their students to be more interested,
more creative and more attentive
 Benefits Contd.

Greater job satisfaction and a higher sense of

accomplishment
Opportunities to exchange information about
instructional activities and teaching
Expanding the skills of both general and special
educators
Developing teamwork and collaborative
problem-solving
Develop positive attitude
 Benefits Contd.

4. Benefits for Parents/Family

 Learn more about how their children are being

educated in schools with their peers in an inclusive
environment
 Become personally involved and feel a greater sense
of accomplishment in helping their children to learn.
 Feel valued and consider themselves as equal
partners in providing quality learning opportunities
for children.
 Benefits Contd.

Learn how to deal better with their children at

home by using techniques that the teachers use
in school.
Find out ways to interact with others in the
community
Know that their children are receiving a quality
education.
Develop positive attitude about themselves and
their children
 Benefits Contd.

5. Benefits for Society

Inclusion goes beyond education and should
involve consideration in all areas
When students with special needs and without
special needs are educated through quality
inclusive education, not only benefits students,
teachers and parents can also be benefited.
 Benefits Contd.

Communities become more accepting of

differences
Meaningful participation in life of
communities
Cost effective than segregated schooling
 Benefits Contd.

The Ultimate Goal of Inclusion in Education

 Creating schools where everyone belongs.
 Creating a welcoming place in the community
for everyone after their school year‘s ends.
Students educated together have a
greater understanding of
differences and diversity.
 Benefits Contd.

 Students educated together have fewer fears about

differences and disability.
 An inclusive school culture creates better long-term
outcomes for all students.
 Typical students who are educated alongside peers
with developmental disabilities understand more
about the ways that they‘re all alike.
 These students hold the promise of creating
inclusive communities in the future for all our
children.
 Benefits Contd.

 These students will be the teachers, principals,

doctors, lawyers, and parents who build
communities where everyone belongs.
 Inclusive society is a necessary precondition for
inclusive growth and it is a society which does not
excludes or discriminates.
 Thus, Inclusive growth which is equitable that
offers equality of opportunity to all as well as
protection in market and employment transitions
results from inclusive society.
2.6. Features of Inclusive Environment
• An inclusive environment is one in which members feel
respected by and connected to one another.
• welcomes all people regardless of their disability and
other vulnerabilities.
• It recognizes and uses their skills and strengthens their
abilities.
• Respectful, supportive, and equalizing.
• An inclusive environment reaches out to and includes
individuals with disabilities and vulnerabilities at all
levels — from first time participants to board members.
 Features Contd.

• Ensures the respect and dignity of individuals

with disabilities
• Meets current accessibility standards to the
greatest extent possible to all people with
special needs
• Provides accommodations willingly and
proactively
• Persons with disabilities are welcomed and are
valued for their contributions as individuals.
 Features Contd.

• An Inclusive Environment is
o a place that is adjusted to individuals‘ needs
and not vice versa that individuals are
adjusted to the environmental needs.
o It acknowledges individual differences
o The environment should involve continuous
process of changes
 Features Contd.

o Different ways of participation of all members

of the community.
o An inclusive environment is also directed
towards developing culture, policy and
practice which meet pupils‘ diversities,
towards identifying and removing obstacles in
learning and participating, towards developing
a suitable provisions and supporting
individuals.
 Features Contd.

Characteristics of successful an inclusive environment:

 It develops whole-school environment processes that

promote inclusiveness and quality provisions and practice

that are responsive to the individual needs and diversities

 It recognizes and responds to the diverse needs of individuals

 Features Contd.

• Committed to serve all individuals together regardless of

differences.

• Belief that all persons can learn, work and be productive.

• It involves restructuring environment, culture, policy, and

practice.
 Features Contd.

 It promoting pro-social activities

 Provides services and facilities equally accessible to all

people

 Mobilizing resources within the community

 It is alert to and uses a range of multi-skilled personnel to

assist people in their learning and working environment.

 Features Contd.

 Creates strong links with different services providers

and it develops social relationships as an equal

member of the class.

 It is also the classroom responsive to the diversity of

individuals‘ academic, social and personal learning

needs
 2.7. Barriers to Inclusion

The major barriers include:

Factors related societal values and beliefs-
• Particularly the community and policy makers
negative attitude towards students with
disability and vulnerabilities.
• Inclusion cannot grow in a society that has
prejudice and negative attitude towards
persons with disability
 Barriers Contd.

Economic factors
• This is mainly related with poverty of family,
community and society at large
• Lack of taking measures to ensure conformity of
implementation of inclusion practice with
policies
• Lack of stakeholders taking responsibility in
their cooperation
 Barriers Contd.

 Collaboration related
• Conservative traditions among the community members
about inclusion
• Lack of knowledge and skills
• Rigid curricula, teaching method and examination systems
that do not consider students with diverse needs and
ability differences.
• Fragile democratic institutions that could not promote
inclusion
• Inadequate resources and inaccessibility of social and
physical environments
 Barriers Contd.

• Large class sizes

• Globalization and free market policy
• Using inclusive models that may be imported
from other countries.