Inclusive education, a tool for achieving societal equal opportunity, asserts that all learners should unite, irrespective of difficulties or differences. Each child has an inherent right to education, necessitating an optimal learning environment. This chapter discusses inclusivity knowledge and human rights in education to foster an enabling inclusive setting. A decade-long movement challenges exclusionary policies, positioning inclusive education as the most effective approach to address diverse learning needs. It promotes a barrier-free environment for all learners, advocating specialized facilities, services, assistive devices, and technology. Inclusive education is not a problem; it's a resource streamlining challenges in changing school systems. This involves reallocating resources, redefining special education roles, and applying innovative teaching methods in diverse classrooms. Embracing inclusive education becomes pivotal for effective education systems and meeting diverse student needs.
Top1. Introduction
Sustainable Development Goal (SDG)-4 on education values of equality, inclusion, diversity, equal opportunity and non-discrimination, positing education as a tool for building a moral and just society (Engsig & Johnstone 2015; Magnússon, Göransson & Lindqvist 2019; UNESCO 2020). Although being denied access to school is common for the world’s 93 to 150 million learners experiencing barriers to learning, access to education remains an universal basic human right (Bickenbach, 2011). According to the Education Commission Report (2016), there are almost 65 million primary and secondary school-aged learners experiencing barriers to learning, with many of them dropping out. Up to 95% of children are not in school in some of the poorest countries in the world (Rueckert, 2019). In developed countries such as Ireland, Austria, Spain and the Czech Republic, learners experiencing barriers to learning attend schools for learners without disabilities (Smyth et al., 2014).
United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisations (UNESCO) (2017) address the shift towards inclusive education system which supports learners to overcome learning barriers. This shift is addressed by building inclusive knowledge societies through information and communication. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) recognizes the need to protect “human rights of all persons with learning challenges, including those who require more intensive support” (UN, 2006). Article 24 of the UNCRPD (2006) clearly states the measures to ensure that all learners receive the support required within the mainstream education system to promote effective education.
Research in many African countries show that some learners experiencing barriers to learning are still marginalised due to lack of proper policy implementation (ACPF, 2011). For example, students with disabilities in Botswana’s Technical Vocational Education and Training institutions still experience exclusionary rather than inclusive practices (Mosalagae & Bekker 2021). Disability is a major concern in schooling and education fraternity (UN, 2019), little is done to formulate policies and strategies that are unique to the needs of specific countries. As reported by Garuba in African Child Policy Forum (ACPF) (2011), out of the 10% perceived learners with disabilities in Nigeria, only 0.42% are enrolled in schools as against 67.05% of their peers without disabilities. It is also estimated according to the ACPF that 76% of learners experiencing barriers to learning in Sierra Leone are not attending school. In Ethiopia, which with 30 million school-aged children, less than 1% of learners with learning barriers have access to education and 67% of children with barriers to learning aged 6-14 years in Central African Republic are not attending any form of schooling (ACPF, 2011). Most of these African countries have developed strategies for ensuring equal opportunities for learners experiencing barriers to learning. For example, Tanzania created a national policy on disabilities in 2003 (ACPF, 2011), and Ethiopia's ministry of education launched the Special needs education program strategy in 2006 with the goal of ensuring that all learners, including those who experience barriers to learning, have access to high-quality education (ACPF, 2011).
After the first democratic elections in 1994, the South African Department of Basic Education introduced a reform of inclusive education. The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa (Republic of South Africa 1996: 7-14) challenges all South African teachers to ensure that all learners have access to a foundational right to basic education, addressing historical imbalances by focusing on key issues such as access, equity, and redress. The South African Department of Education issued Education White Paper 6 (EWP6) to provide support for learners encountering barriers to learning (White Paper 6, 2001). The EWP6 makes it mandatory for schools and teachers to support learners experiencing barriers to learning in mainstream schools (Maluma, 2009). Donohue and Bornman in their study (2014), indicated that the South African Education Department is far from reaching the goal of including all learners in mainstream schools because teachers don’t have the necessary skills to deal with learners with learning barriers. It is now eight years since Donohue and Bornman (2014) published their study and it seems as if the same issues are still relevant.