Inclusive education in South Africa: path dependencies and emergences

Abstract

Inclusive education is a fundamental right of all students. Despite international policy initiatives, educational exclusion is pervasive, especially in the Global South, and disproportionately affects disabled students. Barriers to inclusive education have been itemised in the literature, but in this conceptual paper that offers a novel perspective on the topic, we argue for a complexity approach to understand its evolution. Using a qualitative deductive content analysis of South African laws, policies, reports and scholarly literature, we explore three path dependencies from colonial/apartheid times that lock the country into historical patterns of categorisation and segregated schooling. These operate alongside the emergence of new and inclusive practices by actors at a system-wide and local level, made possible by inputs into the policy ecology. South Africa represents a complex, contradictory educational environment that confounds the expectation of linear progression towards greater inclusivity. Instead of identifying barriers to inclusive education, we argue for a nuanced understanding of the imbrications of historical investments and drivers of inequality, with policy possibilities and the impetus for transformation among system actors.

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“…See https://www.wits.ac.za/education/research-centres/unesco-chair-in-teacher-education-for-diversity-development/ 2 See https://www.cput.ac.za/research-technology-and-innovation/centres/cite inclusive education in teacher preparation programmes (Walton & Rusznyak, 2019) and work-integrated learning (PrimTEd, 2019).…”

Preparedness and Response to COVID-19 Disruptions and Learning Challenges for Students with Disabilities in South Africa: A Systematic Review

“…However, in terms of preparedness and responses to the pandemic generally, South Africa is different from other African countries based on its resources and economic status. Currently, it ranks second highest in terms of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the continent, following Nigeria [36], and also has comprehensive policies on inclusive education [37]. This suggests that these institutions' preparedness and response to the pandemic could having been better than other African countries.…”

Reimagining a framework for parent involvement in South Africa: Preparing preservice teachers

“…Teacher training can facilitate critical reflection on attitudes and beliefs about families and better equip preservice teachers to collaborate across lines of cultural difference (Freed, Benavides & Huffling 2019;Paz-Albo, Jor'Dan & Hervás-Escobar, 2023;Smith & Sheridan 2019). One of the main goals of teacher education is to facilitate transformational learning that brings into awareness bias, misunderstanding and stereotypes that may hinder culturally competent interaction with families (Freed et al 2019), and to prepare teachers to work with families as collaborators in education (Walton & Engelbrecht 2022). However, some argue that preservice teachers are not adequately trained for family engagement in schooling (Epstein 2018;Walker 2019).…”