Inclusion
Discuss the benefits and challenges of Inclusion of Special Needs children in mainstream education
Special educational needs also referred to as SEN, is a term that is widely used in clinical diagnostic and functional development to enable professionals to differentiate between individuals that require assistance for disabilities and individuals who do not. These disabilities tend to come under the following categories: medical, mental, behavioural or psychological. Inclusion in education is an approach that has been prompted by educational policy since the late 1980’s. ‘The notion of inclusion has become dominate within educational policy as it does not set parameters (as integration once did) yet it has developed a philosophy of acceptance and has provided a framework of equality, whereby irrespective of the cause of the disability every child can be treated with respect and provided with equal opportunities at school’ (Thomas, 1997). The term Inclusion as depicted by Thomas,(1997) argues that an inclusive school is one that accepts all children, regardless of their educational abilities. As well as this it has been articulated that inclusive schools must make it mandatory policy that all children feel involved and belong within their educational environment.
Advocators of inclusion believe that if properly implemented, inclusive education is the definitive answer to educating individuals who have a disability (Avramidis, E., & Norwich, B., 2002). Under the SEN 1944 Education Act ‘children with SEN were categorised by their disabilities and were defined in medical terms’. This led to many children being considered as ‘uneducable’ whereby pupils were segregated and labelled as being ‘maladjusted’ or ‘educationally sub-normal’ resulting in ‘special educational treatment’ which occurred in schools that excluded the integration of children who had disabilities and children who did not. By the 1960s, terminology changed from 'mentally deficient ' and
Special educational needs also referred to as SEN, is a term that is widely used in clinical diagnostic and functional development to enable professionals to differentiate between individuals that require assistance for disabilities and individuals who do not. These disabilities tend to come under the following categories: medical, mental, behavioural or psychological. Inclusion in education is an approach that has been prompted by educational policy since the late 1980’s. ‘The notion of inclusion has become dominate within educational policy as it does not set parameters (as integration once did) yet it has developed a philosophy of acceptance and has provided a framework of equality, whereby irrespective of the cause of the disability every child can be treated with respect and provided with equal opportunities at school’ (Thomas, 1997). The term Inclusion as depicted by Thomas,(1997) argues that an inclusive school is one that accepts all children, regardless of their educational abilities. As well as this it has been articulated that inclusive schools must make it mandatory policy that all children feel involved and belong within their educational environment.
Advocators of inclusion believe that if properly implemented, inclusive education is the definitive answer to educating individuals who have a disability (Avramidis, E., & Norwich, B., 2002). Under the SEN 1944 Education Act ‘children with SEN were categorised by their disabilities and were defined in medical terms’. This led to many children being considered as ‘uneducable’ whereby pupils were segregated and labelled as being ‘maladjusted’ or ‘educationally sub-normal’ resulting in ‘special educational treatment’ which occurred in schools that excluded the integration of children who had disabilities and children who did not. By the 1960s, terminology changed from 'mentally deficient ' and
Bibliography: Arthur,James and Teresa Cremin,(2010) Learning to teach in a primary school teacher Avramidis, E Hornby, Tod (1999) Inclusion or delusion: can one size fit all Law, J Thomas, Gary. (September 1997). Inclusive Schools For An Inclusive Society. British Journal of Special Education. 24 (3), 103-10 WARNOCK REPORT