Educators's' readiness to implement inclusive education : the case of Umzumbe rural schools, Sayidi circuit.
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Date
2015
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Abstract
It is the responsibility of a democratic government to democratize all its spheres: as such, the South African government has the responsibility to democratize its education system. The inclusive education framework was developed to bring about a fair, just, equal and non-discriminatory education system that caters for all learners irrespective of their race, class and health status. This means that everyone should familiarize themselves with the new education system while doing away with the old way of doing things. This is a continuous process which involves dealing with resistance and attitudes. It also involves dealing with the previous system’s legacy. It demands of the policy developers or decision makers that they ensure that the public are educated and capacitated enough to bring about the desired outcomes. This research investigates specifically how educators in schools under the Sayidi Circuit respond to the challenges brought by having learners with Special Education Needs and those learners without learning difficulties in the same classroom.
This is done by investigating educator’s readiness to implement inclusive education in Umzumbe rural schools under the Sayidi Circuit by elucidating on the state of readiness, what constitutes readiness and the importance of being ready to implement positive change. A literature overview to provide an understanding of the readiness of educators to implement inclusive education in South Africa is provided. The readiness theory is used for the purpose of this study. Educators are arguably the most important stakeholders, actors or implementers of inclusive education since they are the ones who deal directly with the challenges that come with inclusion in the classrooms. Having a picture of how they understand inclusive education, how well they are prepared to implement it, and how they actually implement inclusive education is important. A total of 20 educators were surveyed alongside interviews with officials from Department of Education and School Governing Bodies. The findings indicate that educators are not ready to implement inclusive education in Umzumbe rural schools under the Sayidi Circuit. There is still a lot to be done to support educators.
This research project is aimed at contributing towards the progress of inclusive education by interrogating the challenges of its implementation. It will also contribute towards furthering the awareness of an inclusive education policy on the part of teachers and learners. Recommendations made here will also help improve the performance of educators regarding their response to the challenges brought by diversity in their classrooms.
Description
Master of Political Science in Public policy. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 2015.
Keywords
Special education., Inclusive education., Rural schools--South Africa--KwaZulu-Natal., Theses--Public policy.