Oh, Canada: bridges and barriers to inclusion in Canadian schools

Abstract

Inclusion in Canadian schools, both academic and social, is explored through the historic legislative structures that have resulted in a diversity of approaches to meeting the educational needs of Canadians. Innovative programmes that have been developed which showcase Canadian commitment to inclusive academic and social practices are described. Finally, we explore some of the challenges that Canadians are facing in truly being inclusive in our educational practices, and we make three specific recommendations about how we can become more inclusive.

Leadership in Implementing Inclusive Education Policy in Early Childhood Education and Care Playrooms in South Africa

“…Teachers lack the skills and knowledge required to deal with an all-inclusive class. Sokal and Katz [23] assert that teachers and centre managers need to have the appropriate knowledge, skill, and understanding of inclusive education for adequate support to special needs children. They also need the necessary resources for optimal teaching and learning.…”

Teachers’ Unpreparedness to Accommodate Student Needs

“…While in the past, teacher education programs have provided little information about inclusive education; in many teacher preparation programs today, courses in inclusive education are optional if they are offered at all (McCrimmon, 2015;Smith & Smith, 2000;Sokal & Katz, 2015). Following their preparation programs, teachers may seek out information about inclusive education through professional development (PD); however, the research is unclear regarding whether these PD opportunities lead to effectiveness in supporting inclusive education in the classroom (Ely, 2013;Idol, 2006;Sokal & Katz, 2015;Waitoller & Artiles, 2013). These PD opportunities cannot replace the duration, content, and evaluation components that are emulated in a teacher preparation course.…”

“…An inclusive classroom inherently has students who have varying abilities as well as students who have internalizing or externalizing concerns. Often, teachers only have an understanding of how to teach students who present as "typical" and have difficulties managing internalizing mental health and externalizing disruptive behavior challenges within the regular classroom (Carrington et al, 2016;Smith & Smith, 2000;Sokal & Katz, 2015). Internalizing and externalizing behaviors present teachers with different challenges.…”

“…Internalizing and externalizing behaviors present teachers with different challenges. Internalizing mental health concerns are often difficult to support in the classroom as they are experienced internally by the student and difficult to overtly observe (Sokal & Katz, 2015). On the contrary, externalizing behaviors can be more concerning to teachers because they may distract the whole class from learning (Smith & Smith, 2000).…”

“…Teachers' reports of lower number of students with special needs in their classrooms could be due to the fact that some students with severe disabilities (e.g., physical disabilities like cerebral palsy) may be educated outside of the inclusive classrooms in an effort to meet their needs. In addition, these numbers may not take into account internalizing mental health concerns not easily identified by teachers (Sokal & Katz, 2015). Hence, the students with disabilities who are educated in inclusive classrooms are a subset of the overall number of such students.…”