This study was conducted to investigate the practice of the Special Education Unit (SEU) system in regular schools and its way forward to support the Inclusive Education (IE) system in the Ampara District. A survey design and qualitative and quantitative approaches were followed to conduct this study. The questionnaire, interview, and focus group discussion were utilized to collect data. 27 schools with Special Educational Needs (SENs) and participants were purposively selected. Data was collected from 27 school principals, 86 teachers from SEUs, seven In-Service Advisers of Special Education (ISA SE), and 35 parents of students with SEN. SPSS-16 was utilized for quantitative data analysis and the content analysis utilized qualitative data. The findings show that SEUs have been in practice since 2002 with the collaboration of the stakeholders, and it supports the improvement of IE practices in schools. Further, the study recommends that educational administrators should be allocated adequate resources and follow a mechanism to improve IE practices.
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This study was conducted to investigate the perception of stakeholders about the SEU system and its way forward to support inclusive education in the schools which practice the SEU system. The methodology of the study was mixed design (both qualitative and quantitative) and the survey method was used to conduct the study. 27 principals, seven In-Service Advisors (ISA) of Special Education (SE), and 86 SE teachers were selected purposively. Also, 35 parents of children with Special Educational Needs (SENs) were randomly selected for this study. Questionnaires, interview schedules, and focus group discussion schedules were administrated to collect data. The descriptive analysis method was applied to analyze the data. Also, the SPSS-21 version was used to analyze the data. Tables, bar-charts, and pie charts were utilized to interpret the findings of the study. Findings: the educational qualification and appointment type of the SE teachers and educational qualification of principals support to improve the SEU system and improve the inclusive education practices in their schools. Similarly, the 10 years of experience of the SEU system can support inclusive education. The positive perception of the SE teachers, principals, and ISAs SE supports the improvement of the SEU and inclusive education systems. The practices of the SEU system and support given to the SEU system can improve inclusive education practices of the students with SEN in the government schools of the Ampara District. This study suggests the proper guidance for inclusive education practices of students with SEN needs to develop in the schools in the Ampara District.
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