Inclusion Is Needed In Classrooms

Introduction				(Norwich and Weddell, 1994)
Inclusion is the process of acknowledging the fact				Inclusion in classes will also teach children without
that all members of humanity are one despite				disabilities some virtues. For example, it will teach
their differences and that they have the right to				them how to be patient or how to be more
access all the resources and privileges available.				helpful. There may be instances when a child with
Inclusion encompasses the fight against social evils				a special need requires help getting to the black
that have propagated exclusion in the past. This				board or throwing a ball at base ball practice.
means that there is no room for racism,				These will be many instances when children
handicapism or even sexism. Consequently, there				without special needs will need to chip in and help.
is a need to acknowledge the fact that everyone				They also need to be more patient during class.
is born equal and no one has the right to deny				This is because their teacher might have to deal
them opportunities just because they think that				with a special needs child at a slower rate and
they are different from them. (Hanson, et al,				other members of the class have to wait for
1998)				their teacher to deal with that child. Consequently,
Inclusive education may be defined as the				such children will be encouraged to wait their turn
provision of all-encompassing -education. In this				and exercise patience. These are all necessary
sort of approach, no child is discriminated upon				tools in later parts of their life. Inclusive schools will
regardless of their abilities or disabilities. It was				serve as a platform for creating more
created after the realization that normal				harmonious and enduring citizens in the future.
children’s development could be enhanced				(Lieber et al, 1997)
through interaction with all types of pupils. It was				Children without special needs also get the
also useful for those children with special needs				opportunity to practice leadership skills. Children
because they would get an opportunity to grow				with special needs may not have the ability to do
both socially and psychologically. Inclusive education				certain things. This means that those with the
is opposed to the separation of children with				ability to do it will b seen as role models. The
special needs into special schools that alienate				special needs children can gain motivation from
them from the rest of the world. (Odom et al,				the fact that some of their peers have the ability
1999)				to have ambitions, pursue them and eventually
Inclusion within classrooms requires a lot of				achieve them. In order top have the ability to
preparation from all stakeholders involved in the				inspire special needs children, other children may
process. First of all, teachers need to change their				have to develop leadership skills which will be quite
curriculum to accommodate children with special				instrumental in their future lives. (Jenkinson, 1997)
needs. Additionally, they also need to change their				In line with this argument, mixing children with and
method of delivery in the classroom.				without special needs helps the latter group
Communication needs to be done in such a way				develop better self esteem. This is because they
that it can include those children with special				will learn to appreciate the fact that they were
needs. Children with special needs require				blessed to have all their bodily function in place.
overwhelming support from teachers, school				Besides that, they will also feel relevant since they
administrations and their parents too.				can give their counterparts when it is needed and
Consequently, schools wishing to implement this				can also serve as role models. For example, when
program need to plan and research adequately				a classmate needs help doing certain things and
before embarking on an inclusion exercise. Training				they receive it adequately for another child, then
may be necessary in order to achieve this and				the helper will always feel better about
there may also be a need to ensure that				themselves. (Fletcher-Campbell, 1994)
resources and structures needed by all children				Children with disabilities teach children without
are well in place.				them a chance to lean how to communicate. This
How inclusion in education started (Mitchell, 2005)				is because some special needs children may not
Inclusion in classrooms started after the realization				have the ability to perceive using conventional
that people with disabilities had been accorded				techniques. Consequently, their colleagues need
historical injustices. There was a misconception				come up with ways that will be the most
that Inclusion means inviting those who are out				appropriate. For example, when one’s
‘in’. But there were many persons with				classmate happens to be dumb and deaf, there is
disabilities, human rights groups and concerned				a need for his classmates to first learn them and
parties that made a cry about those ideas. They				then come up with communication strategies. For
asserted that this definition of inclusion was totally				example, they could learn sign language or they
inaccurate since there were no clear stipulations				could create objects and symbols that covey
on who had the right to invite another ‘in’				their message. This enhances their communication
or who was supposed to receive the invitation.				tools and they can apply that knowledge in the
They argued that all persons had the right to take				outside world. (Bradley, 1994)
part in society and that it was their right from the				Benefits of inclusion to teachers
start; that every human being was born				Teachers are role models in society. They are
‘in’. (Bunch and Valeo, 1999)				supposed to inculcate certain virtues to the
Such ideas prompted legislations such as The				children they are working with. Consequently,
American with Disabilities Act and ‘The every				when teachers carry certain misconceptions, then
Child Matters Act’ in the UK. (The Children				chances are that it will trickle down to the children
Act, 2004) These legislations were passed after				they are working with. By placing children with
many complaints were raised about the fact that				special needs in mainstream classes, teachers
most children or persons with special had been				have the opportunity to embrace and accept the
ignored in society. And even those who had been				individual differences among members of society.
recognized were not given the incentives to go				This will make them better at their profession
about their daily chores with ease. There were				because they can teach children those values that
complaints about having access to wheelchairs,				they have acquired. Research has shown that
getting more material written in Braille and the				most biases are created by those around us and
need to see more people understanding the sign				especially those who seem at a level greater than
language. There was also a cry for more				another’s. Since children spend most of their
integration and this is the reason why inclusive				time in schools, then most of their values are
education was started.				acquired from their school environment including
Ion the 1980s, the notion that having compulsory				their teachers. By teaching inclusive education,
placements of special needs children in special				teachers will be at a better position inculcate
schools was beginning to phase out. Many people				values. (Odom et al, 1996)
started seeing it as a form of discrimination.				Teachers who deal with inclusive classrooms also
These views were carried forward by numerous				get the chance of acquiring certain facilities and
international bodies such as the United Nations in				resources that will be beneficial to other members
the year 1989; UN had a convention on Rights of				of the classroom other than the children with
the Child. (UNESCO, 1994) The body set up a				special needs. There have been complaints in the
‘UN Standard Rules on the Equalization of				education fraternity that so teachers do not
Opportunities for persons with Disabilities’ in				employ adequate efforts in the process of
the year 1993 and thereafter, there was				teaching. Most of them restrict themselves to the
Salamanca Statement (1994). (UNESCO, 2001)				curriculum and do not go out of their way to
Thereafter, governments started to include some				enrich the learning experience. Therefore inclusive
of their special needs children into mainstream				education allows teachers to have that
classes. As time went by, more and more				opportunity. Teachers dealing with inclusive
integration was facilitated and this became				education can use either of these three areas to
something acceptable.				derive knowledge, competency and skills from;
Organization for Economic Co-operation and				- early childhood education
Development (OECD) conducted report called				- special education
Inclusive Education at Work: Students with				- bilingual education
Disabilities in Mainstream Schools (Paris, 1999) this				Teachers dealing with inclusive education have the
is what it states:				opportunity to meet with other teachers and to
'The rights of students with disabilities to be				meet other stakeholders in the education sector.
educated in their local mainstream school is				By attending those seminars, teachers have an
� becoming more and more accepted in				opportunity to grow in their profession. They learn
most countries, and many reforms are being put				about numerous techniques that can be used for
in place to achieve this goal. Further, there is no				handling children. For example, a special needs
reason to segregate disabled students in public				child may have an assistant teacher to help them
education systems. Instead, education systems				when they get home, they may also have an
need to be reconsidered to meet the needs of all				itinerant teacher. In order for inclusive education
students.'				to work out –properly, then classroom
This has acted as a foundation for most of the				teachers need to collaborate with all other parties
non governmental and governmental bodies				involved in the process. Teachers are also
spearheading the implementation of inclusive				expected to exchange philosophies with other
education.				teachers and they will therefore learn about what
Why inclusion is needed in classrooms				is needed to become better at their profession.
Inclusion can bring bout numerous benefits to				(Lieber, et al (1998)
children with special needs, children without special				In relation to this, teachers also learn how to
needs and also to teachers handling inclusive				collaborate with members of the community. By
classrooms. However, some critics have argued				doing this, teachers realize that education is an all
that these benefits are few and far between.				encompassing phenomenon. Teachers have to be
Perhaps the best response to such a point of				ready for unannounced visits by local; politicians
view is that most of the negative effects have				who may have interest in the issue of special
been witnessed in areas where the method of				education. They must also work hand in hand with
implementation was done very poorly. (Reynolds				various committees set up to deal with special
and Fletcher-Jansen, 2007)				education. In line with that, they mist be ready to
Benefits to children with disabilities				make committee reports. Additionally, teachers
Inclusion in classrooms is necessary because				may also entertain education assessment
children with disabilities get a first hand experience				authorities in their classroom at certain instances
of what it means to be part of society. Taking				that may not be stipulated. This means that a
children with learning disabilities to mainstream				teacher will always try her best to deliver
schools would provide a platform for them to be				adequately since she does not know when a
able to socialize with other members of society.				stakeholder may pop in. this also motivate them
Since they were learning with other types of				to be equipped with all the latest curriculum
children, then they would have the chance of				changes and technological innovations available
forging friendships with them. They could also get				since those stakeholders expect her to know this.
the benefit of engaging in certain social activities				One can therefore say that special needs
that would have been very difficult if they had				teachers are more prepared for the classroom
been placed in special institutions. Consequently,				than other types of teachers. (Daniels, 2000)
children with disabilities can do simple things like				Inclusion is also critical to teachers because it
going to the playground, prepare to go home,				makes them more diverse. They learn how to
chatting at the lunch table, preparing for school				cop with different circumstances are different
assemblies and other activities. These activities				times. They also learn certain virtues. For
would not have been available to children with				example, a teacher was teaching in an inclusive
disabilities if they had been in special schools since				classroom where one of their children had
preparation would be too tedious. (Florian et al,				cerebral palsy. This child had difficulties
2006)				understanding basic instructions and did not know
Inclusion in classrooms is also necessary because				how to express themselves properly. His teacher
traditional approaches in the past have failed				quickly learnt that she had to teach the child how
drastically. In the past, there were mainstream				to respond in the affirmative or the negative; this
schools that were associated with children without				would be her first step. She had to focus on that
special needs while those with disabilities were				issue for a period of four months but eventually,
taken to their own institutions. This approach was				the child was able to understand that nodding his
not yielding results. The latter group was not doing				head laterally meant no and nodding his head
well in the psychological apect, the academic and				vertically meant yes. The next step was to teach
even the social realms. Research conducted in				the child how to ask for permission before going
special needs schools (schools designed for special				to the restroom. This took another six months
needs children alone) found that there were				but the point was made. When this teacher was
certain negative traits that those children				asked what she learnt from that experience e,
possessed. These include (Evans and Lund, 2002)				she asserted that she was able to individualize
- low confidence				instructions. She now understood that all children
- low levels of enthusiasm				have different capabilities and that an effective
- low self image				teacher was one who changed their instructions
- low motivational levels				to suit the situation i.e. one has to be diverse.
It was also found that their overall performance in				(Mittler, 2000)
life was wanting. Special needs children schooled in				Conclusion
separated schools had lower chances of joining				Inclusion was started after the realization that
post secondary institutions and graduating while				every human being had a right to access equal
they got there. The researchers asserted that				opportunities. It was founded on the belief that all
their employment rates were also quite low as				people can think and feel. Besides that, a person is
very few of them were even well qualified for				not deemed worthy just because of their abilities.
their jobs. The situation was made worse by the				Inclusive education is also founded on the principle
fact that most of them had very limited levels of				that real education occurs when relationships are
independence even in adulthood. They rarely could				created. (Beckman et al, 1998)
afford their own residence and still heavily relied				Inclusion is necessary in the classroom because it
on their parents or relatives for these basics.				raises the self esteem of all children; it teaches
Since this approach to special needs cases has				them how to accept diversity and also enhances
proven ineffective, there is a need to embrace a				their leadership capabilities. Inclusion also makes
more proactive method; that of integration and				teachers better in their profession as they
inclusion. Inclusion in classrooms has the ability to				become more diverse. (Sebba and Sachdev,
equip children with special needs the necessary				1997)
academic and social skills needed to survive in				References
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Inclusion is also needed in the classroom because				and inclusion; Early Childhood Research Quarterly,
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of hate crimes and other societal wrongs.

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Inclusion Is Needed In Classrooms