Information and advocacy: Forgotten components in the strategies for achieving inclusive education in South Africa?

Maher, Marguerite

doi:10.1080/18146620902857251

Cited by 14 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…In recent years, the practice of inclusive education has been widely embraced as an ideal model for education, both in South Africa and internationally (Maher, 2009). However, this acceptance of ideal practices does not necessarily translate into what actually occurs within the classroom.…”

Section: School-level Barriers To Inclusionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa, a study of teachers, parents, children and aid workers was undertaken to determine how these various parties perceived the extent to which inclusive education was being implemented in their communities (Maher, 2009). It was found that ostracism of learners with disabilities was perceived as a barrier by all participant groups.…”

Section: Cultural-level Barriers To Inclusionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Moreover, with the introduction of the information and advocacy programme, the rights, responsibilities and obligations attached to inclusive policy was supposed to be disseminated to key players. However, a recent study conducted in KwaZulu-Natal (Maher, 2009) found no evidence of the programme having been employed in any regard and revealed that no formal guidelines for the execution of the information and advocacy programme even exist.…”

Section: A Top-down Approach To Policy Implementationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Following the demise of apartheid, compulsory education was implemented for all South African children and segregated schooling practices were eliminated. One national Department of Education replaced the former 19 distinct departments with the goal of promoting educational equality (Maher, 2009). The new Department of Education attempted to redress some of the educational inequities between ethnic groups by providing low-income schools with a higher proportion of government subsidy (Lam, Ardington & Leibbrant, 2008).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The challenges of realising inclusive education in South Africa

Donohue¹,

Bornman²

2018

Learning and Teaching Around the World

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In South Africa, up to 70% of children of school-going age with disabilities are out of school. Of those who do attend, most are still in separate, "special" schools for learners with disabilities. This situation prevails despite the push for the educational inclusion of learners with disabilities over twelve years ago by the South African policy document, the Education White Paper 6. In this article, we take a primarily top-down theoretical approach to policy implementation and focus on two main factors that hinder the implementation of inclusive education. Firstly, we focus on what we regard as the most significant constraint, namely, the apparent lack of clarity in the policy, i.e. ambiguity about the goals for inclusion and the means through which they can be achieved and, secondly, various issues around the poor implementation of the policy. We argue further that the primary means by which the divide between inclusive policy and practice will ultimately be closed is through the implementation and enforcement of education policy by the South African Department of Education.

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Section: School-level Barriers To Inclusionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Cultural-level Barriers To Inclusionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: A Top-down Approach To Policy Implementationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

The challenges of realising inclusive education in South Africa

Donohue¹,

Bornman²

2018

Learning and Teaching Around the World

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“…Following the Salamanca Statement , inclusive education has been widely accepted as a model for education (Maher 2009). Proponents see inclusive education as foundational to a more just society (Ainscow et al 2004), because it obliges mainstream educational institutions to focus on increasing the participation and levels of attainment of SWDs as a historically marginalised group (Wolanin & Steele 2004:vii).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Funding and inclusion in higher education institutions for students with disabilities

Chiwandire

Vincent

2019

Afr. j. disabil.

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Background: Historically, challenges faced by students with disabilities (SWDs) in accessing higher education institutions (HEIs) were attributed to limited public funding. The introduction of progressive funding models such as disability scholarships served to widen access to, and participation in, higher education for SWDs. However, recent years have seen these advances threatened by funding cuts and privatisation in higher education.Objectives: In this article, the funding mechanisms of selected developed and developing democratic countries including the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Australia, South Africa and India are described in order to gain an insight into how such mechanisms enhance access, equal participation, retention, success and equality of outcome for SWDs. The countries selected are often spoken about as exemplars of best practices in relation to widening access and opportunities for SWDs through government mandated funding mechanisms. Method: A critical literature review of the sample countries’ funding mechanisms governing SWDs in higher education and other relevant government documents; secondary academic literature on disability funding; online sources including University World News, University Affairs, newspaper articles, newsletters, literature from bodies such as the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Disabled World and Parliamentary Monitoring Group. Data were analysed using a theoretically derived directed qualitative content analysis.Results: Barriers which place SWDs at a substantial educational disadvantage compared to their non-disabled peers include bureaucratisation of application processes, cuts in disability funding, means-test requirements, minimal scholarships for supporting part-time and distance learning for SWDs and inadequate financial support to meet the day-to-day costs that arise as a result of disability.Conclusion: Although the steady increase of SWDs accessing HEIs of the sampled countries have been attributed to supportive disability funding policies, notable is the fact that these students are still confronted by insurmountable disability funding-oriented barriers. Thus, we recommend the need for these HEIs to address these challenges as a matter of urgency if they are to respect the rights of SWDs as well as provide them with an enabling environment to succeed academically.

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Inclusion in Education Policy as an Enabler: Lessons from South Africa

Tlale

2023

Sustainable Development Goals Series

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Information and advocacy: Forgotten components in the strategies for achieving inclusive education in South Africa?

Cited by 14 publications

References 8 publications

The challenges of realising inclusive education in South Africa

The challenges of realising inclusive education in South Africa

Funding and inclusion in higher education institutions for students with disabilities

Inclusion in Education Policy as an Enabler: Lessons from South Africa

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