Rachel Heaslip

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Inclusive Education Essay

Inclusive education is often misunderstood when spoken about in school and classroom

settings, highlighting the importance for anyone associated with education to have a clear

definition of what inclusive education means and involves. The Queensland Government

Department of Education (2008), states that “inclusive education means that every day in

every classroom, every school student is learning and achieving in a safe, supportive,

inclusive and disciplined learning environment and ensures that schools are supportive and

engaging places for all school community members.” This essay discusses the changing

views towards inclusion within school settings and how specific legislation such as, the

Disability Discrimination Act, 1992 and the Disability Standards for Education, 2005 have

impacted these views. It also examines students with additional needs in the classroom,

including students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and how inclusive education

affects them and their learning. It will also look at the role of teachers and the wider school

community and the specific skills teachers have that they can use to develop and encourage

an inclusive learning environment for all students.

Since education began, students who were seen as ‘different’ from other students were

simply excluded from education (Dunn, 1968). There has been a big shift from this, moving

to classes being run for these ‘different’ students, but up until the 1970’s they were

segregated from other students. It was not until the mid 1970’s that students with

disabilities were included in the same classrooms as students without disabilities. This

change came from a change of beliefs and attitudes of the people of the Western

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civilization, who fought strongly for the ‘normalisation’ of people living with disabilities, in

regards to the education, they should receive and how they should live their lives (Konza,

2008). Since the inclusion of students into ‘regular’ classrooms, the Australian education

system has had a complete makeover in regards to the way educators are taught, with a

strong focus now put on inclusive learning. Policies and legislation have played a strong role

in developing a curriculum and assessment schedule that can be adapted to meet the needs

of all students (Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority [ACARA],

2013). The term ‘inclusive education’, which originally focused on the exclusivity of students

with disabilities, has been remodeled into a term which uses legislation and educational

policies to aim to provide an equal opportunity to all students, regardless of any factors that

may affect their learning (Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth [ARACY],

2013).

The Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for Young Australians, 2008 was published

by the Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs. The

declaration places young Australians and education at the centre of their goals, which are

aimed at creating a fair and equal opportunity for learning for all young Australians

regardless of ability or socioeconomic factors. The declaration outlines a clear set of goals

and action items for all educators in Australia to adhere to and aim to. The declaration is

further backed up by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation

(UNESCO), (2009), who developed a set of guidelines for policies on inclusion in education,

and stated that an “inclusive education system can only be created if ordinary schools

become more inclusive – in other words, if they become better at educating all children in

their communities (p. 8)”. These policies and goals show a shift in the way educators and

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the wider community view disability and inclusion, which are also evident in the Disability

Discrimination Act, 1992, and the Disability Standards for Education, 2005, which both

outline the legal requirements associated with inclusive education for all educational

institutes to adhere to.

The Commonwealth Disability Discrimination Act, 1992, defines disability discrimination as

“when a person with a disability is treated less favourably than a person without the

disability in the same or similar circumstances”, and “makes it against the law to treat

people unfairly because of a disability” (Australian Government Department of Education

and Training [DET], 2015). The Disability Discrimination Act, 1992, covers disabilities that

people have had in the past, have at present or may develop in the future, and makes it

unlawful to discriminate against someone because they are associated with a person who

has a disability (DET, 2015). The Australian Government supports this Act, and outlines that

all state and territory education providers must comply with the Disability Discrimination

Act, 1992, and any other relevant disability discrimination legislation, including the Disability

Standards for Education, 2005 (DET,2015).

The Disability Standards for Education, 2005, were formulated under the Commonwealth

Disability Discrimination Act, 1992. The standards outline how education and training are to

be made accessible to students with disabilities. They cover: enrolment, participation,

curriculum development, student support services and elimination of harassment and

victimisation (Australian Government Department of Education and Training [DET], 2012).

Under the standards, it is the responsibility of the educator to ensure that every student is

able to access and participate in learning activities, regardless of their individual learning

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needs. This requires educators to undergo training to learn how to effectively cater for

diverse learners, which is a requirement of the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA).

The Disability Standards for Education, 2005, provide guidance for students who need

adjustments made to their learning programs, and provide steps for educators to follow to

ensure the correct processes are put into action. Students with disabilities and their parents

must be consulted before any action is taken on adjusting their learning programs, and

adjustments must adhere to the Standards, as well as the associated curriculum (DET,

2012).

In 2012, there were approximately 3,840,000 students aged 5-17 enrolled in schools. Of this

there were 295,000 children with disabilities enrolled in schools across Australia, with 86

per cent of these students enrolled in mainstream schools, where the rest were enrolled in

special schools (Australian Bureau Statistics, 2012). The main issues these children

experienced were learning difficulties, trouble fitting in socially, and communication

difficulties. Of the 295,000, approximately 40 per cent of students had confirmed

disabilities, including hearing or vision impairments, mental health, physical, intellectual and

autism, and over 60% of the total number of students had additional needs relating to

learning difficulties (DET, 2012 & Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2012). The number of

students diagnosed with disabilities is increasing, as is the number of children with

disabilities enrolling in mainstream schools, highlighting the importance of educators

understanding disabilities and how they can use their skills to cater for the diverse learning

needs of each individual student (Mngo, 2017).

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a “lifelong development condition characterised by

difficulties in social interaction, communication, restricted and repetitive interests and

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behaviours, and sensory sensitivities” (Autism Spectrum Australia, 2017, pp.1), there is an

estimated one in 100 Australians on the autism spectrum; that is around 230,000 people.

Approximately 90,000 of these people are aged between 5-17 (Autism Aspergers Advocacy

Australia, 2015). As the number of children being diagnosed with Autism increases, the

number of students being educated in mainstream schools is also increasing, placing

pressure on teachers and educators to be prepared in knowing the general needs of the

student, as well as what the disorder involves and what they will need to do to

accommodate for the student/s (Autism Spectrum Australia, 2017). Teachers are

encouraged to use the Disability Standards for Education, 2005 as a guide when adjusting

students’ learning schedules, to ensure they are complying with the syllabus and to ensure

their methods are appropriate.

There are a number of methods that a teacher can apply to their classroom when planning a

lesson to include students with ASD. Autism Speaks (2010), lists the strengths of students

with Autism, including:

 Attention to detail

 Tendency to be logical

 Using visual processing

 Often very verbal

 Honesty

 Non-judgmental listening

These skills can be used as the basis of creating a lesson plan for students with ASD. One

method teachers could adopt, is the use of demonstrations and visual aids, which could also

assist students with other disabilities and those without disabilities (Autism Speaks, 2010).

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For example, if the teacher asks students to perform a research task on the computer, they

should go through the process step-by-step, showing and explaining the task to all students.

This will assist students with ASD, as well as helping students who are visual learners and

those with hearing impairments. Another example is to print out worksheets in a larger font

of on larger paper for all students, which would avoid the student with the disability feeling

singled out. This would accommodate for students with visual impairments and some other

learning difficulties where students struggle to focus.

The skills required by teachers to prepare for these modifications are a specific set,

developing them to be prepared for students with ASD, other disabilities and students with

severe difficulties such as ASD and anxiety. The ability to cater for all types of learners in a

class, as well as students with disabilities, is a hard skill to master, but the use of a range of

other skills can help to achieve this goal. These skills include:

 Adaptability

 Responsibility

 Knowledge and understanding

 Approachability

 Positivity

 Communicative

 Supportive

It is crucial for teachers and educators to accept responsibility of their teaching methods,

and to have the learning needs and outcomes of the students as their priority. The teacher

needs to be adaptable, to appropriately cater for all students’ learning needs and disabilities

when necessary. They must have a strong knowledge of their students and how they most

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successfully learn, to encourage an equal learning environment for all students to thrive.

Teachers must be approachable, and build a strong rapport with their students, so they feel

comfortable enough to approach their teacher if they are faced with a difficulty (Mngo,

2017). They must show and promote positivity throughout their classrooms and teaching, to

encourage all students to think highly of themselves and others. They must be a good

communicator with both their students, other teachers, support staff and the wider school

community to create an environment where everyone is on the same page, and they must

be supportive, towards their students, encouraging them when they are performing well,

and believing in them when they need it. If a teacher can develop and apply these skills and

more to their teaching practices, they will be a great teacher (Mngo, 2017, & Orakci, Aktan,

Toraman, & Çevik, 2016).

In conclusion, changing the views of inclusion and inclusive education in Australian schools

and the wider school communities has been successful. The success of the shifted view

comes from the development and implementation of legislation such as the Melbourne

Declaration on Educational Goals for Young Australians, 2008, the Disability Discrimination

Act, 1992 and the Disability Standards for Education, 2005. The application of the legislation

towards students with disabilities, curriculum’s and schools in general has seen the change

in view occur over time. Since the implementation of the legislation, there has been an

increase in the number of enrolments in ‘regular’ schools of students with disabilities.

Because of this increase, teachers and educators have also undergone a shift in the way

they approach their teaching. Teachers now require some specific skills to be prepared to

modify lessons and teaching activities to meet the needs of individual learners. They must

communicate with various people, before, during and after making modifications to an

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individual’s learning, placing a high amount of pressure on the teacher. By applying these

skills and having a thorough understanding of disabilities and ASD, teachers are being set up

to be successful in the present and future.

References

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2012http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Lookup/4427.0main+features302012

Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority [ACARA]. (2013). Student

diversity and the Australian curriculum: Advice for principals, schools and teachers.

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http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/StudentDiversity/Pdf/StudentDiversity.

Australian Government Department of Education and Training (DET). (2015). Disability

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Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth. Retrieved March 24, 2017, from

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Dunn, L. (1968). Special Education for the Mildly Retarded—Is Much of it

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http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/001440296803500101

Konza, D. (2008). Inclusion of students with disabilities in new times: responding to the

challenge. In Kell, P., Vialle, W., Konza, D. & Vogl, G (eds), Learning and the learner:

exploring learning for new times (pp. 38 – 64). University of Wollongong.

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(1904515897). Retrieved from https://search-proquest-

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