What Is Inclusive Education and How Will This Shape Your Teaching Practice?

What is inclusive education and how will this shape your teaching practice?

3142/7278EBL – Assignment 1

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Introduction An inclusive education upholds the ideals of an equitable society where access to and successful participation in education are considered to be the right of every person in that society. This paper will argue that whilst some steps have been taken to ensure equity in education for all, there is still a long way to go before Australia can provide a truly inclusive educational experience for all participants. It will be shown that there are deficit based and systemic approaches to exclusion and that rather than promote inclusiveness; these approaches place the blame upon either individuals or institutions for exclusive practices. It will further be shown that for some equity groups, participation and successful outcomes are limited due to the socio-cultural nature of exclusivity experienced by these groups. In particular, education equity issues for Indigenous Australians will be examined. The role of government legislation and policy, and the nature of teaching practices that shape inclusivity will also be explored.

What is inclusive education? According to Thomas & Vaughan (2004, p. 17), an inclusive education is that which seeks to include all participants, regardless of “disability, poverty, gender or culture,” or as Kalantzis & Cope (2000, p. 36), describes it, the “relationship of diversity to access”. In modern Australian society socio-cultural factors have led to groups of people being disadvantaged in terms of access to and participation in education. These factors may include ethnicity, socioeconomic status, disability, impairment, language, literacy or numeracy needs, cultural differences, gender, disengagement, age, religion, remote locations, or a combination of several of these factors (Krause, Bochner & Duchesne, 2003, pp. 263-299).

To pretend that there are no differences between people would be absurd according to

References: Alford, K. & James, R. (2007). Pathways and barriers: Indigenous schooling and vocational education and training participation in the Goulburn Valley Region. Adelaide: National Centre for Vocational Education Research Anti-Discrimination Commission Queensland (ADCQ), (2007). Discrimination in Education booklet, available at http://www.adcq.qld.gov.au/pubs/Booklet_series/Booklet_educ.pdf [5/4/07] Australian National Training Authority. (2005). Australian Quality Training Framework: Standards for Registered Training Organisations. Department of Education, Science & Training. Blackmore, J., Hardcastle, L., Bamblett, E., & Owens, J. (2003). ‘Transforming Teaching’. In Effective use of information and communication technology (ICT) to enhance learning for disadvantaged school students. Canberra: Department of Education, Science and Training, pp. 83-132 Considine, G., Watson, I., & Hall, R. (2005). Who’s Missing Out? Access and equity in vocational education and training, Adelaide: National Centre for Vocational Education Research. Department of Education, Training and the Arts (DETA), (2007). ‘Inclusive Education, inclusive learning’, Policies and Frameworks. Queensland Government. Available at http://education.qld.gov.au/curriculum/advocacy/access/equity/students/inclusion/poli cies/index.html [5/4/07] Kalantzis, M. & Cope, B. (2000). Towards an inclusive and international higher education, King, R.H., Doug; and Hemmings, B., University and Diversity: Changing Perspectives, Policies and Practices in Australia, Wagga Wagga: Keon Publishers. pp. 30-53 Krause, K., Bochner, S., Duchesne, S. (2003). Educational Psychology for learning and teaching. Victoria: Thomson. Lynwood, R., Graham, J., & Atkinson, J. (2005). Maintaining the practice of ceremony in Indigenous pedagogy: enhancing self and community learning, at the What a Difference Pedagogy Makes: Researching Lifelong Learning and Teaching Conference, University of Stirling, Scotland, pp. 221-227. Marika, B., Lane, C., Smith, H., & Reinke, L. (2004) ‘Working towards an Indigenous training model, Learning from Famarrwa Nuwul Landcare, Yirrkala’. In Bowman, K. (2004). (Ed.) Equity in vocational education and training: Research readings. Adelaide: National Centre for Vocational Education Research, pp. 72-89. McIntyre, J., Volkoff, V., Egg, M., & Solomon, N. (2004). ‘Perspectives on equity.’ In Understanding equity strategies of training providers, Ch. 3, Adelaide: National Centre for Vocational Education Research, pp. 17-31. 12 Noonan, P. (2004). ‘Equity in education and training in correctional services institutions’. In Bowman, K. (Ed.) Equity in vocational education and training: Research readings. Adelaide: National Centre for Vocational Education Research, pp. 173-183. Preece, J., (2001). ‘Challenging the discourse of inclusion and exclusion with off limits curricula’, Studies in the Education of Adults. 33 (2): 201-216 Saunders, J., Jones, M., Bowman, K., Loveder, P., Brooks, L. (2003). Indigenous people in vocational education and training: A statistical review of progress. Adelaide: National Centre for Vocational Education Research. Teese, R. (2000), Academic Success and Social Power: examinations and inequality. Victoria: Melbourne University Press. Teese, R. & Polesel, J. ( 2003). Undemocratic Schooling, Equity and Quality in Mass Secondary Education in Australia. Victoria: Melbourne University Press Thomas, G., & Vaughan, M. (2004), ‘The context – rights, participation, social justice’. Inclusive education: readings and reflections, Berkshire: Open University Press, pp. 7-28. Legislation Anti-Discrimination Act (1991). Reprint 7A. Queensland Government. Available at http://www.legislation.qld.gov.au/LEGISLTN/CURRENT/A/AntiDiscrimA91.pdf [5/4/07] 13