INCLUSIVE EDUCATION
It refers to a model where students with special needs spend most or all of their time with
non-special or general students.
It can also be defined as a learning environment that provides a full person with academic and
professional development of all learners irrespective of race, class, gender, or disability,
religion, culture, sexual preference, learning style, and language.
Inclusive schools are places where educational barriers are removed and students of all
abilities are educated in general education classrooms.
Integration is a setting where students with disabilities learn alongside peers without
disabilities, although they are expected to adapt to a pre-existing structure.
Mainstreaming is a practice of placing students with special education preferences in
general education classrooms during specific periods based on their skills.
In mainstreaming, selected learners are included in a general education class based on their
readiness instead of their age.
Importance of inclusive education
As educators, our desire should always be to reach all of our students for learning purposes. If
we do believe that all students can learn, then we should also believe that all students should
be included in all components of education. Through experience in working with elementary
students, they are much more forgiving of learning differences than, say, their middle or high
school peers. A truly inclusive education system is inclusive of all students regardless of race,
ethnicity, gender, or physical, social, or emotional differences.
Educators and school communities need to understand what an inclusive education system is.
It’s also critical to understand why it’s best for students. A critical piece of that is the need to
promote inclusive education using best practice approaches that grow all students in lifelong
learning. This article will attempt to answer the question of what inclusive education is along
with the benefits of this type of system, and briefly touch on specific school best practices
strategies. Promoting an education system that includes all children should be the goal of all
educational leaders.
Benefits of inclusive education
, If the goal of an inclusive education system is to include all children, then we should think
about why it’s good for children, teachers and staff, and the whole school. In order for our
students to be on a level playing field with each other, students/learners with disabilities need
to be accorded the same opportunities as those in the general population. Students in an
An inclusive system should provide academic, social, emotional, and physical support. Why
Is this inclusive approach better for our citizenry?
When our learners leave Grade 12 school and enter post-secondary education or the
workforce, they need to understand the importance of cooperating with different types of
people. An inclusive system of education builds on that understanding for the learners. When
learners with disabilities are pulled out of the classrooms and instructed in totally separate
settings, they aren’t always accepted by their peers. Those learners also can begin to feel and
notice differences. Inclusive, setting-based schools can also promote more teamwork and less
division.
Components of Inclusive Education
The pieces of an inclusive education system include the academic, non-academic, and
extracurricular areas of school. The focus should be on the inclusive education of all children in
these three major components of this system.
The academic area includes the traditional classroom, media center, and student intervention.
settings. The non-academic area includes areas like the cafeteria, school bus, and playground.
Extracurricular areas involve how the student is provided support and allowed to participate.
in school-sponsored sports or clubs. If students are to be included as part of the whole, they
should all be served in each component of the education system.
Strategies to promote inclusive education in your
classroom or school
Many middle schools have had good success with inclusive settings. Learners in that age
group can be apprehensive if they feel they are treated differently. For example, learners in
middle schoolers are often cautious of going to a resource or being taken out of the classroom
and being
treated differently. However, all schools, regardless of grade levels, can benefit from inclusive
It refers to a model where students with special needs spend most or all of their time with
non-special or general students.
It can also be defined as a learning environment that provides a full person with academic and
professional development of all learners irrespective of race, class, gender, or disability,
religion, culture, sexual preference, learning style, and language.
Inclusive schools are places where educational barriers are removed and students of all
abilities are educated in general education classrooms.
Integration is a setting where students with disabilities learn alongside peers without
disabilities, although they are expected to adapt to a pre-existing structure.
Mainstreaming is a practice of placing students with special education preferences in
general education classrooms during specific periods based on their skills.
In mainstreaming, selected learners are included in a general education class based on their
readiness instead of their age.
Importance of inclusive education
As educators, our desire should always be to reach all of our students for learning purposes. If
we do believe that all students can learn, then we should also believe that all students should
be included in all components of education. Through experience in working with elementary
students, they are much more forgiving of learning differences than, say, their middle or high
school peers. A truly inclusive education system is inclusive of all students regardless of race,
ethnicity, gender, or physical, social, or emotional differences.
Educators and school communities need to understand what an inclusive education system is.
It’s also critical to understand why it’s best for students. A critical piece of that is the need to
promote inclusive education using best practice approaches that grow all students in lifelong
learning. This article will attempt to answer the question of what inclusive education is along
with the benefits of this type of system, and briefly touch on specific school best practices
strategies. Promoting an education system that includes all children should be the goal of all
educational leaders.
Benefits of inclusive education
, If the goal of an inclusive education system is to include all children, then we should think
about why it’s good for children, teachers and staff, and the whole school. In order for our
students to be on a level playing field with each other, students/learners with disabilities need
to be accorded the same opportunities as those in the general population. Students in an
An inclusive system should provide academic, social, emotional, and physical support. Why
Is this inclusive approach better for our citizenry?
When our learners leave Grade 12 school and enter post-secondary education or the
workforce, they need to understand the importance of cooperating with different types of
people. An inclusive system of education builds on that understanding for the learners. When
learners with disabilities are pulled out of the classrooms and instructed in totally separate
settings, they aren’t always accepted by their peers. Those learners also can begin to feel and
notice differences. Inclusive, setting-based schools can also promote more teamwork and less
division.
Components of Inclusive Education
The pieces of an inclusive education system include the academic, non-academic, and
extracurricular areas of school. The focus should be on the inclusive education of all children in
these three major components of this system.
The academic area includes the traditional classroom, media center, and student intervention.
settings. The non-academic area includes areas like the cafeteria, school bus, and playground.
Extracurricular areas involve how the student is provided support and allowed to participate.
in school-sponsored sports or clubs. If students are to be included as part of the whole, they
should all be served in each component of the education system.
Strategies to promote inclusive education in your
classroom or school
Many middle schools have had good success with inclusive settings. Learners in that age
group can be apprehensive if they feel they are treated differently. For example, learners in
middle schoolers are often cautious of going to a resource or being taken out of the classroom
and being
treated differently. However, all schools, regardless of grade levels, can benefit from inclusive
