Policies, statements, mandates, and frameworks

Regular schools with an inclusive orientation are the most effective means of combating discriminatory attitudes, creating welcoming communities, building an inclusive society and achieving  education for all; moreover, they provide an effective education to the majority of children and improve the efficiency and  ultimately the cost-effectiveness of the entire education system.


from the Salamanca Statement and Framework for Action on Special Needs Education.




1975 - DECLARATION OF THE RIGHTS OF DISABLED PERSONS 

UN member countries pledged support to the human rights, education, integration, full employment, social and economic progress of persons with disabilities

1981 - INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF DISABLED PERSONS

1982 - WORLD PROGRAMME OF ACTION CONCERNING DISABLED PERSONS

1990 - WORLD DECLARATION ON EDUCATION FOR ALL 

A world conference hosted by the UN in Jomtien, Thailand for the provision of free primary education to all children by participating governments

1993 - STANDARD RULES ON THE EQUALIZATION OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES

Produced by the UN; distinctions were made between disability and handicap. Disability refers to different functional limitations. Handicap refers to loss or limitations of opportunities.

1994 - SALAMANCA STATEMENT OF PRINCIPLES, POLICY, PRACTICE IN SPECIAL NEEDS EDUCATION AND A FRAMEWORK FOR ACTION

92 governments and 25 international organizations attended in order to promote inclusive education in Education for All

2000 - DAKAR FRAMEWORK FOR ACTION: EDUCATION FOR ALL

The World Education Forum adopted this framework in the attempt to achieve education for all by 2015.

2004 - THE FLAGSHIP ON THE EDUCATION FOR ALL. THE RIGHT TO EDUCATION FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITES: TOWARDS INCLUSION

A rights-based paper to promote inclusiveness of all persons with disabilities.

Inclusive legislation ≠ Inclusive practices

What is the prize of victory if one wins the fight against the miscarriage of justice with regards to exclusion from schooling?

Entry to a school where one is not wanted.  (Slee, 2011)

A common occurrence within the domain of inclusive education is that the international legislation of the Salamanca Statement or the EFA Framework does not translate into law at the local government level.

Instead, local authorities are able to manipulate the clauses to create exemptions and exceptions (Slee, 2011; Winzer & Mazurek, 2009).

Below is an extract from a case in Australia where the school was able to avert 'breaking the law'.

The imagination and creativity applied by education leaders to maintain institutional rigidities is sometimes staggering. I can report an instance where a principal of a small rural school in Australia attempted to prevent the enrolment of a student who used a wheelchair. In the event of a bomb scare and the enforced evacuation of the school, he argued, other children would be help up behind this child in the corridor. The case out to be straightforward at law, and more importantly as an ethical issue. Sadly it is an instance where a school will expend valuable resources in its fortification from the threat of the dangerously disabled child. (Slee, 2011, p.113)

"The law does not in or of itself make an inclusive culture, but it remains an important tactical step and a force for changing community understanding as has been demonstrated elsewhere through disability discrimination law" (Slee, 2011, p.113).

Unfortunately, there is a gap between the rhetoric of inclusive education and the actual practice of inclusive action in reality.

Even though many countries have signed up to the legislation of providing inclusive education for all, many of these nations do not have a constitutional guarantee for providing the service.

"Rights are rhetorically acknowledged, but economic difficulties, cultural parameters, traditional perceptions, and bureaucratic logistics govern a restricted scope of practical acknowledgement" (Winzer & Mazurek, 2009, p. 2).

Finally, even where inclusive legislation does lead to inclusive practices, there are questions about the quality of the education being provided in some of these cases. Quality needs to incorporate the values of inclusion and human rights. Therefore, the focus needs to move away from just quantity; in other words, the number of children receiving schooling, and instead focus on the type and quality of schooling they are receiving. Only then will they be part of an inclusive education system.

Slee, R. (2011). The irregular school: Exclusion, schooling and inclusive education. London: Routledge.
Winzer, M., & Mazurek, K. (2009). Inclusive schooling; Global ideals and national realities. Journal of International Special Needs Education, 12, 1-10.

Frightening Facts

Winzer & Mazurek article (2009)

• Only 2% of the estimated 150 million disabled children receive special needs services
• Only 1-2% of children with disabilities have access to social, medical or educational services
• Every year, approx. 500,000 children lose some or all of their vision due to vitamin A deficiencies
• 40% of the 26,000 people killed or maimed by landmines are children
• 90% of children with disabilities living in developing countries don't have access to schooling

UNESCO Report 2000

•  less than 110 million children - 60% of them girls - had no access to primary education
•  at least 880 million adults were illiterate
•  less than a third of more than 800 million children (6 years and less) benefitted from early childhood care/education

UNESCO Report 2008

• about 75 million children still have no access to education

UNICEF 

• estimates that only 1 in 50 children with disabilities has access to education

Different Education Systems

Sue Stubbs, August 2000 (Retrieved from http://www.eenet.org.uk/resources/docs/square_holes.php)