Chapter 2

2.1. Concept of Inclusion

• Inclusion in education refers to an ongoing process

aimed at offering quality education for all while respecting

diversity and the different needs and abilities,

characteristics and learning expectations of the students and

communities and eliminating all forms of discrimination.

• Inclusive services at any level are quality provisions without

discrimination or partiality and meeting the diverse needs of

people.
• 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 at all social

contexts.

• It involves changes and modifications in content,

approaches, structures and strategies, with a common vision

which covers all people, a conviction that it is the

responsibility of the social system to educate all children

• Besides, inclusion is defined as having a wide range of
strategies, activities and processes that seek to make a reality of
the universal right to quality, relevant and appropriate
education and services.
• It acknowledges that learning begins at birth and continues
throughout life, and includes learning in the home, the
community, and in formal, informal and non-formal situations.
• It seeks to enable communities, systems and structures in all
cultures and contexts to combat discrimination, celebrate
diversity, promote participation and overcome barriers to
learning and participation for all people.
 It is part of a wider strategy promoting inclusive
development, with the goal of creating 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.
 This definition has the following components:
• Concepts about learners
• Concepts about the education system and schools
• Concepts about diversity and discrimination
• Concepts about processes to promote inclusion
• Concepts about resources
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
own community.
• Everyone can learn, and any child can experience
difficulties in learning.
• All learners need their learning supported child-
focused teaching benefits all children.
2) Concepts about the education system and
schools
• It is broader than formal schooling
• it is flexible, responsive educational systems
• It creates enabling and welcoming educational
environments
• It promotes school improvement – makes
effective schools
• It involves whole school approach and
collaboration between partners.
3) Concepts about diversity and discrimination
• It promotes combating discrimination and
exclusionary pressures at any social sectors
• It enables responding to/embracing diversity as a
resource not as a problem
• It prepares learners for an inclusive society that
respects and values difference.
4) Concepts about processes to promote inclusion
• It helps to identifying and overcoming barriers to
participation and exclusionary pressures
• It increases real participation of all collaboration,
partnership between all stakeholders
• It promotes participatory methodology, action
research, collaborative enquiry and other related
activities
5) Concepts about resources
• 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 tuition, Braille,
assistive devices.
• In general, inclusion includes the following components:
• Students with disabilities and vulnerability attend their
neighborhood schools.
• Each student is in an age-appropriate general education classroom.
• Every student is accepted and regarded as a full and valued member
of the class and the school community.
• Special education supports are provided to each student with a
disability within the context of the general education classroom.
• All students receive an education that addresses their individual
needs.
• No student is excluded based on type or degree of disability.
• All members of the school promote cooperative/collaborative
teaching arrangements.
• There is school-based planning, problem-solving, and ownership of
all students and programs.

• Employed according to their capacities without discriminations.

• On the other hand, they argue that inclusion does not mean:
• Placing students with disabilities into general education classrooms without careful planning

and adequate support.

• Reducing services or funding for special education services.

• Placing all students who have disabilities or who are at risk in one or a few designated

classrooms.

• Teachers spending a disproportionate amount of time teaching or adapting the curriculum for

students with disabilities.

• Isolating students with disabilities socially, physically, or academically within the general

education school or classroom.

• Endangering the achievement of general education students through slower instruction or a

less challenging curriculum.

• Relegating special education teachers to the role of assistants in the general education
classroom.
• Requiring general and special education teachers to team together without careful planning
 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.
• The complex inter-relationships that exist among these factors and their
interactions with disability must also be a focus of attention.
• 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 education, employment and
services.
• Inclusion implies transition from separate, segregated
learning and working environments for persons with
disabilities to community based systems.

• Moreover, effective transitions from segregated

services to inclusive system requires careful planning
and structural changes to ensure that persons with
disabilities are provided with appropriate
accommodation and supports that ensure an inclusive
learning and working environment.
 UNESCO (2005) has provided four major inclusion

principles that support inclusive practice.

 These include:

1. 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 difference and
learning how to learn from difference.
Differences come to be seen more positively as a
stimulus for fostering learning amongst children and
adults.
2. Inclusion is concerned with the identification and
removal of barriers that hinders the development of
persons with disabilities.
 It involves collecting, collating and evaluating
information from a wide variety of sources in
order to plan for improvements in policy and
practice.
 It is about using evidence of various kinds to
stimulate creativity and problem - solving.
3. 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.
4. Inclusion invokes 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.
3. Inclusion is about the presence, participation
and achievement of all persons.
 Presence‘ concerned with is where persons are
provided and how reliably and punctually they
attend; participation‘ must incorporate the
views of learners/and or workers and
achievement‘ outcomes of learning across the
curriculum, not just test and exam results.
4. Inclusion invokes a particular emphasis on

those who may be at risk of marginalization,

exclusion or underachievement.

• This indicates the moral responsibility to ensure

fully monitored, that and that those steps are at

taken to ensure their presence, participation and

achievement.
 Rationale for Inclusion

Rationales for Inclusion and Their Respective

Descriptions
1. Educational Foundations
• Children do better academically, psychologically
and socially in inclusive settings.
• A more efficient use of education resources.

• Decreases dropouts and repetitions

• Teachers competency ( knowledge, skills,

collaboration, satisfaction).
2. Social Foundation

• Segregation teaches individuals to be fearful, ignorant

and breeds 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.

3. Legal Foundations
• All individuals have the right to learn and live
together.
• 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
4. Economic Foundation
• Inclusive education has economic benefit, both
for individual and for society.
• Inclusive education is more cost-effective than the
creation of special schools across the country.
• Children with disabilities go to local schools.
• Reduce wastage of repetition and dropout.
• Children with disabilities live with their family use
community infrastructure.
• Better employment and job creation
opportunities for people with disabilities.
5. Foundations for Building Inclusive Society

• Formation of mutual understanding and

appreciation of diversity.

• Building up empathy, tolerance and cooperation

• Promotion of sustainable development.

 2.3. Factors that Influenced Development of Inclusion

• Inclusiveness originated from three major idea. 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.
• Therefore, separate provisions for such students cannot
be justified.
• Moreover, inclusion has got the world‘s attention
because it is supposed to solve the world‘s major
problems occurring in social, economic, religious,
educational and other areas of the world.
• For instance, it is supposed to :
• Counteract-social, political, economical and educational
challenges that happen due to globalization impact;
• Enhance psychosocial, academic and other benefits to
students with and without special needs education;
• Help all citizens exercise educational and human rights;
• Enhance quality education for all in regular class rooms
through inclusion;
• Create sustainable environmental development that is
suitable for all human beings;
• Create democratic and productive society that promote
sustainable development;
• Build an attitude of respecting and valuing of differences in
human beings;
• And ultimately build an inclusive society.
• Inclusive education is facilitated by many influencing actors.
Some of the major drivers include:
1. Communities: pre-colonial and indigenous approaches to
education and community-based programs movement that favor
inclusion of their community members.
2. Activists and advocates: the combined voices of primary
stakeholders – representatives of groups of learners often excluded
and marginalized from education .
3. The quality education and school improvement movement: the
issues of quality, access and inclusion are strongly linked, and
contribute to the understanding and practice of inclusive education
as being the responsibility of education systems and schools.
4. Special educational needs movement: the new thinking of the
special needs education movement – as demonstrated in the
Salamanca Statement – has been a positive influence on inclusive
education, enabling schools and systems to really respond to a wide
range of diversity.
5. 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.
6. Involvement of NGOs movements, networks and campaigns: a wide range
of civil society initiatives, such as the Global Campaign for Education, seek
to bring policy and practice together and involve all stakeholders based on
different situations
7. 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.
*On the other hand, practical experiences in education offers lessons
learned from failure and success in mainstream, special and inclusive
education. Moreover, practical demonstrations of successful inclusive
education in different cultures and contexts are a strong influence on its
development
 Benefits of Inclusion
• It is now understood that inclusion benefits
communities, families, teachers, and students by
ensuring that children with disabilities attend
school with their peers and providing them with
adequate support to succeed both academically
and socially.
1. Benefits for Students with Special Needs
In inclusive settings people will develop:
• Appropriate models of behavior. They can
observe and imitate socially acceptable behaviors
of the students without special needs
• Improved friendships with the social environment
• Increased social initiations, interactions, relationships and
networks
• Gain peer role models for academic, social and behavior skills
• Increased achievement of individualized educational program goals
• Greater access to general curriculum
• Enhanced skill acquisition and generalization in their learning
• Improved academic achievement which leads to quality
education service s
• 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
• Enhanced families integration into the community
2. Benefits for persons without Special Needs Education
• Students without special educational needs (SEN)
will:
• Have a variety of opportunities for interacting with
their age peers who experience SEN in inclusive
school settings.
• Serve as peer tutors during instructional activities
• Play the role of a special buddy‘ during lunch, in the
bus or playground.
• Gain knowledge of a good deal about tolerance,
individual difference, and human exceptionality.
• Learn that students with SEN have many positive
characteristics and abilities.
• Have chance to learn about many of the human service
profession such as special education, speech therapy,
physical therapy, recreation therapy, and vocational
rehabilitation. For some, exposure to these areas may
lead to career choices.
• Have increased appreciation, acceptance and respect of
individual differences among human beings that leads to
increased understanding and acceptance of diversity
• Get greater opportunities to master activities by
practicing and teaching others
• Have increased academic outcomes
• have opportunity to learn to communicate, and deal
effectively with a wide range of individuals; this prepares
them to fully participate in society when they are adults
that make them build an inclusive society
 3. Benefits for Teachers and Parents/Family

• Inclusive education has benefit to teachers.

• The benefit includes: developing their knowledge and
skills that meet diverse students‘ needs and ability
differences to enhancing their skills to work with their
stakeholders; and gaining satisfaction in their
profession and other aspects.
• Similarly, parents/family benefit from inclusive
education.
• For example, parents benefit from implementation of
inclusive education in developing their positive
attitude towards their children‘s education, positive
feeling toward their participation, and appreciation to
differences among humankinds and so on.
Benefits for Teachers
• They have more opportunities to learn new
ways to teach different kinds of students.
• They gain new knowledge, such as the different
ways children learn and can be taught.
• They develop more positive attitudes and
approaches towards different people with
diverse needs.
• They have greater opportunities to explore new ideas by

communicating more often with others from within and outside

their school, such as in school clusters or teacher networks, or with

parents and community members.

• They can encourage their students to be more interested, more

creative and more attentive

• They can experience greater job satisfaction and a higher sense of

accomplishment when ALL children are succeeding in school to the

best of their abilities.

 Benefits for Parents/Family
They:
• 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.
• 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, as well as to understand and h
problems.
• Know that their children and ALL children are
receiving a quality education.
4. Benefits for Society
 Inclusion goes beyond education and should involve consideration of employment,
recreation, health and living conditions.
 It should therefore involve transformations across all government and other
agencies at all levels of society.
 When students with special needs and without special needs are educated through
quality inclusive education, it not only benefits students, teachers and parents it
also benefits the society.
 Some of the major benefits may include:
 Introduction of students with disabilities and vulnerabilities into mainstream
schools bring in the students into local communities and neighborhoods and helps
break down barriers and prejudice that prevail in the society towards persons with
disability.
 Communities become more accepting of difference, and everyone benefits from a
friendlier, open environment that values and appreciates differences in human
beings.
 Meaningful participation in the economic, social, political and cultural life of

communities own cost effective non-segregated schooling system that services both

students with and without special needs education.

 Ultimate Goal of Inclusion
 The goal of inclusive education is to create schools where everyone belongs.
 By creating inclusive schools, we ensure that there‘s a welcoming place in the
community for everyone after their school year‘s end.
 Students educated together have a greater understanding of difference and
diversity.
 Students educated together have fewer fears about difference 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 are the students who will be our children‘s peer group and friends.
 These students hold the promise of creating inclusive communities in the future
for all our children.
 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 is a society which does not exclude or
discriminate against its citizens on the basis of
disability, caste, race, gender, family or community, a
society which levels the playing field for investment‘
and leaves no one behind.
• 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.
 Features of Inclusive Environment
• An inclusive environment is one in which members feel respected by and
connected to one another.
• An inclusive environment is an environment that welcomes all people,
regardless of their disability and other vulnerabilities.
• It recognizes and uses their skills and strengthens their abilities.
• An inclusive service environment is 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.
• It has the following major characteristics:
• it ensures the respect and dignity of individuals with disabilities
• it 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.
2.6. Inclusive Environments
• An inclusive environment is a place that is adjusted
to individuals‘ needs and not vice versa – that
individuals are adjusted to the environmental needs.
• It acknowledges that individual differences among
individuals are a source of richness and diversity, and
not a problem, and that various needs and the
individual pace of learning and development can be
met successfully with a wide range of flexible
approaches.
• Besides, the environment should involve continuous
process of changes directed towards strengthening
and encouraging different ways of participation of all
members of the community.
• 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.
• Therefore, successful environment has the
following characteristics:
• 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 their
individuals and ensuring quality provisions for all through
appropriate accommodations, organizational arrangements,
resource use and partnerships with their community.
• It is committed to serve all individuals together regardless of
differences.
• It is also deeply committed to the belief that all persons can
learn, work and be productive.
• It involves restructuring environment, culture, policy, and
practice.
• It promoting pro-social activities
• It makes provides services and facilities equally accessible to
all people
• It involves 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.
• It strives to create strong links with, clinicians, caregivers, and
staff in local schools, work place, disability services providers
and relevant support agencies within the wider community.
• 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.
• Barriers to Inclusion
• Though many countries seem committed to inclusion their
rhetoric, and even in their legislation and policies, practices often
fall short.
• Reasons for the policy-practice gap in inclusion are diverse. The
major barriers include:
• Problems related with societal values and beliefs- particularly the
community and policy makers negative attitude towards students
with disability and vulnerabilities.
• Inclusion cannot flourish in a society that has prejudice and
negative attitude towards persons with disability.
• 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 as
well as collaboration for inclusion
• Conservative traditions among the community members about
inclusion
• Lack of knowledge and skills among teachers regarding inclusive
education
• Rigid curricula, teaching method and examination systems that do
not consider students with dives needs and ability differences.
• Fragile democratic institutions that could not promote inclusion
• Inadequate resources and inaccessibility of social and physical
environments
• Large class sizes that make teachers and stakeholders meet
students‘ diverse needs
• Globalization and free market policy that make students engage
in fierce completion, individualism and individuals‘ excellence
rather than teaching through cooperation, collaboration and
group excellence.
• Using inclusive models that may be imported from other