Abstract
M.Ed.
Inclusion of a Learner with Special Educational Needs in the mainstream of education
has beneficial effects on both the aforementioned learner and the normal achieving
student. With inclusion, Learners with Special Educational Needs thrive in a stigma free environment demonstrating academic and social-emotional growth (Banerji & Dailey, 1995: 511).
Van Dyke, Stallings & Colley (1995: 476) contend that to be truly prepared to take
part in the real world as adults, children with disabilities need to be educated in
language-rich classrooms and to interact daily with peers who are appropriate role
models. Against the background of the brief discussion above the problem being researched in this study will be formulated as follows:
How can regular teachers be assisted to accommodate Learners with Special
Needs with specific reference to the mentally handicapped learner in the mainstream of education?
What is the function of educational psychologists in providing guidelines to
classroom teachers with regard to inclusive education of mentally handicapped
learners?
AIMS:
This study aims to: determine how regular teachers judge the inclusive education system and how willing and prepared they are for the inclusion of mentally handicapped learners in this system; explore and describe how teachers can be assisted by educational psychologists to accommodate the mentally handicapped learner in the mainstream of education; and find guidelines for an inclusive education system for the use of educational psychologists in the case of mentally handicapped learners.