The Importance Of Inclusion In Education

At a basic level, inclusion involves the right for every person to be actively involved in all aspects of daily life (Hyde, Carpenter & Conway, 2015). This report discusses the notion of inclusion with regards to the implementation of inclusive practices in the Australian education system. The attitudes of pre-service and classroom teachers towards inclusion vastly influence the extent and types of inclusive practice that are adopted in the classroom. The views of all parents need to be raised in an attempt to reduce any misconceptions that negatively impact the effectiveness of school inclusion policies. The influences that alter the views of the community need to be considered when promoting a school that endorses the right for all children

Previously in history, segregation was adopted with a push towards sending children with a disability to a specialized school, where a needs-based approach was enforced (Hyde et al., 2015). From this, a move towards practices of integration began, where the focus was about placing students with a disability in a regular school, in the hopes that they would succeed the mainstream way (Anderson, Klassen & Georgiou, 2007). Since the release of the Salamanca Statement in 1994 (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, 1994), which began the public movement towards inclusion, there has been a shift towards adopting a rights-based approach to education for all students (Forlin, Loreman, Sharma & Earle, 2009). Inclusive education involves all schools providing for the needs and diversities of all students in their community and promoting the active participation of all learners, regardless of any abilities or disabilities (Foreman & Arthur-Kelly, 2014; Hyde, Carpenter & Conway, 2015). This right for all students to an inclusive education is expressed in the Convention on the Rights of the Child, as well the Convention on the Rights of the Persons with a Disability (Cologon, 2013,

Within the study, comments emerged from parents with views that altered from the majority. Some of the reasons given by the 10% who were in favour of special schools included views such as the availability of trained professionals and a focus on needs based programming rather than rights based (Narumanchi & Bhargava, 2011). Parents involved in the study were apprehensive towards an inclusive setup where their concerns were not being met, including concerns specifically regarding their own child’s learning (Narumanchi & Bhargava, 2011). Results of Narumanchi and Bhargava’s (2011) study found similar results to that of Gasteiger-Klicpera’s 2013 study regarding parent’s attitudes and experiences of inclusive education. Overall both studies found mixed views, with a majority of parents supporting the idea of inclusion, with some concerns that were not being communicated to the