Abstract
M.Ed.
Education in South Africa is facing dynamic changes since the election of a democratic government in 1994. After some investigations into all aspects of special needs education and support services in education and training in South Africa, it was recommended that a new policy on education for learners with special needs be developed in line with the Constitution of South Africa. The White paper 6: Special Needs Education. Building an Inclusive Education and Training System (Department of Education, 1997), outlines the way forward for South Africa to embrace an inclusive education and training system that allows all learners, including those with special educational needs, to be educated together in age-appropriate ordinary education programs in their neighbourhood schools.
The change to inclusion implies a change in the roles of the principals in teaching and management practices. The response made by a particular school to inclusion is intimately bound up with the principal’s perceptions of diverse learning needs. The purpose of this research study was to investigate the primary school principals’ perceptions of diverse learning needs in the Thohoyandou area in the Lompopo province, as they are the people responsible for the successful implementation of inclusion in schools.
Qualitative research methods were employed for data collection and analysis. Purposive sampling was used to select the participants. Although participants in this research study were open to accept all learners in their schools, it was found that they lack proper knowledge and skills for educating and working with learners with barriers to learning. Because of their lack of knowledge, the participants’ understanding of diverse learning needs and inclusion varied. Most of the participants’ schools lack the necessary resources for meeting diverse learning needs, and the participants see this as a barrier to the successful implementation of inclusion.
The participants in this research study realise that they need to work in collaboration with the educators, learners, other principals and service-providers for inclusion to be successful. They also realise that there has to be changes concerning their roles if diverse learning needs are to be met within their schools.
The findings of this research study may be used as a starting point for preparing schools, educators, and especially the principals in the Thohoyandou area, for the successful implementation of inclusion in the area.