Inclusive education: all about humanity and YET .... / Mirna Nel

Abstract

Since the adoption of the Universal Human Rights Declaration (UDHR) in 1948 the world has attempted to move towards a more humane society where human rights and social justice were integrated as fundamental principles to foster humanity. Education was regarded as a guiding force to achieve a more humane society which culminated in the Education for All (EFA) movement. The primary goal of the EFA is to develop inclusive education systems in order to provide equal access to education for all children and eradicate discriminatory attitudes and responses to diversity in race, social class, ethnicity, religion, gender, and ability. South Africa is an ardent signatory of the movement towards a more inclusive education system and through its policies encourage a growth mindset in asserting the belief that all children can learn. However, the implementation of a successful inclusive education system continues to be a challenge. Through an autoethnography I have identified my main concerns that I believe contests the conceptualisation, philosophical framework and practice of inclusive education. These include understanding inclusion, a fixed mindset, and curriculum inflexibility – stuck in a fixed mindset.