Abstract
Schools are complex in nature, which makes research into specific areas challenging as there are many systems and sub-systems at play within the education system as a whole. South Africa and its adverse historical effects on education have resulted in an unequal system of education delivery. Post-1994, a new democratic government proposed a constitutionally driven approach to education and acknowledged that the concept of inclusion not only related to diagnosed physical or mental disabilities but also recognised that the environment created disabilities and difficulties for learners in accessing and continuing their education. This study aimed at developing an understanding of the extent to which primary school leaders in South African schools are challenged when implementing inclusive education and achieving the outcomes of the government’s White Paper 6 policy regarding their understanding of what the policy intended.
Inclusive leadership is a concept that has been studied extensively, as this study will rely on the findings of authors who have studied this leadership area. As a style of complex leadership, inclusive leadership has been proven to ground itself in the relationships between practice, theory and the implementation of resources, policies and planning (Olsson, Thunborg, Björkman, Blom, Sjöberg, and Salzmann-Erikson’s, 2020); these aspects all influence by how well school leaders integrate their interpretation of the elements as they perform their duties hoping to initiate progressive transformation (Wuffli, 2016). This type of leadership style considers the perspectives of stakeholders as tantamount to positive change development and encourages problem-solving using critical thinking and managing expectations as a response to dynamic environments (Wuffli, 2016).
In this qualitative study, interpreted through the lens of complexity theory, two primary school leaders were interviewed using the semi-structured interview process. Complexity theory considers and acknowledges that systems are operating within systems, all connected, dependent, and/or independent of each other and, through their interactions, emergent patterns and behaviours develop, all unique to their own and the whole system. Complex systems further recognise
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that for systems to survive, they need to be adaptable as the elements within the system are constantly evolving.
The study could not ignore the impact of globalization in transforming and shaping how school leaders exercise leadership in current times (Wuffli, 2016:5). The study found that school leaders had a vague understanding of what White Paper 6 intended and the difficulties in realising its outcomes, and the findings further corroborated the vast existing literature in support of the constraints that school leaders face related to resources, training, policy and the resilience displayed by schools in responding to the challenges of inclusive education’s implementation. Further, school leaders had difficulty interpreting the concepts contained within White Paper 6 which was further expounded by approaches to inclusive education that were subjectively applied rather than against a framework that offered consistent application, interpretation, and intervention. There was further evidence that interventions necessary to effectively approach and manage diversity required a whole-system approach that accounted for the systemic, socio-economic, and culturally relevant influences that informed the implementation and acceptance of inclusivity as a whole and inclusive leadership as a practice.
It is crucial to recognise that implementing inclusive education in South African schools is a process that is constantly evolving and is influenced by the social and economic contexts that influence how school leaders address inclusivity challenges.