Abstract
M.Ed.
Changes specifically taking place in specialised education due to the inclusive education policy have resulted in stress and higher anxiety levels in educators.
The purpose of this research is to investigate the perceptions of educators teaching at one specialised school, specifically the perceptions of their responsibilities, of the expectations they have as well as the training and support they receive in this educational environment.
The literature study describes the changes brought about by the implementation of the inclusive education policy and the effect it has on the educators.
A questionnaire was designed to ascertain what the educators perceive. The instrument was tested for reliability and validity.
The recommendations were as follows:
All educators should become knowledgeable regarding the content of the inclusive education policy in education. The education department is responsible for a training and implementation programme that will empower educators to successfully implement the tasks and responsibilities as required by the policy of inclusive education. If this training and support is not provided, it cannot be expected of educators to be able to successfully handle the implementation of the inclusive education policy or to be positively orientated towards the implementation of this policy. The education department and district offices should play a bigger role in providing the training and necessary support in order for the implementation of inclusion to be successful.
The training of all educators and training centres will have to include the accommodation/management of diverse needs of learners in order to meet the requirement of this policy. As all educators will be exposed to more diverse learning needs, the training provided at the training centres will have to emphasise the accommodation/management of diverse learning according to the inclusive education policy.
The educators that have specialised training at ‘specialised schools’ can be utilised as consultants to provide support to educators at other schools by working together co-operatively with these educators. The district offices ought to provide a co-ordinator to assist this support group.
The perceptions of educators at the specific specialised school with regards to inclusive education are influenced by their own experiences and interpretations of inclusive values and practice. The manner in which educators experience inclusive education will have an influence on the quality of their performance of tasks and their responsibilities towards inclusive education. Therefore, how educators are introduced to and supported in inclusive practices may play a significant part in terms of establishing environments for inclusive education.
The role of the education department and district offices are clearly emphasised in this investigation. Knowledge regarding the policy of inclusion, as well as support and training are essential elements to the successful implementation of this policy.