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INCLUSIVE EDUCATION IN THE 21ST CENTURY: PARAMETERS AND

OPPORTUNITIES FOR LEARNERS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

Article  in  Scientific Journal of Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences · April 2016

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 European Scientific Journal April 2016 edition vol.12, No.10 ISSN: 1857 – 7881 (Print) e - ISSN 1857- 7431

Inclusive Education in the 21st Century: Parameters

and Opportunities for Learners with Special Needs

Jacob Udeme Samuel

Olisaemeka Angela Nneka
Special Education Department, Faculty of Education,
University Of Ibadan, Ibadan, Oyo State

doi: 10.19044/esj.2016.v12n10p188 URL:http://dx.doi.org/10.19044/esj.2016.v12n10p188

Abstract
This paper examined parameters and opportunities for learners with
special educational needs in an effective inclusive education as it relates to
21st century. It differentiated inclusive education from mainstreaming and
integration and went further give a comprehensive meaning to the term
inclusive education. Some of the benefits of this inclusive education are
multicultural learning environment, socialization and the development of the
child. Parameters identified for effective inclusive education are placing the
child in age appropriate grade place, no special classes or schools and
cooperative learning practiced where teachers can share ideas for
improvement of the educational system. Conclusion was made on the need
for inclusive education.

Keywords: Inclusive Education, Parameters, Opportunities, Special Needs

Introduction
Children with disability deserve equal access to quality education
which enable them develop into useful member of the society and contribute
to the economic growth of their immediate community irrespective of their
areas of special needs. Special needs children include all children who, for
whatever reasons, are failing to benefit from school (UNESCO Report,
1994). Young people with disabilities otherwise known as special needs are
among the poorest and most marginalized of the world’s youth. Estimates
suggest that there are between 180 and 220 million youth with disabilities
worldwide, and nearly 80 percent of them live in developing countries
(United Nations, Division for Social Policy and Development, 2011). This
might be due to their inability to make economic contribution to the society
and earn a meaningful leaving wage but are made to depend on others for
alms through begging.

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It is estimated that there will be at least 200 million people (at least
18 million people with disabilities) displaced by climate events by 2050
(Skoufias Rabassa & Olivier, 2011), they are in need of modification of the
learning environment in one form or the other to suit their learning. Although
in Nigeria, today special educators, parents of students with disabilities,
policy-makers and other stakeholders continue to debate the benefits and
challenges of inclusive education (Ajuwon, 2008). Oyewo (1999) remarked
that the growth of the human society depends almost entirely on the
contributions of its members. Experts have suggested that an inclusive
education should be encouraged by governments by way of providing
infrastructure and other facilities that enhance learning, socialization and the
overall development of children with disability (Chika, 2011). There is a
growing recognition that including students with disabilities in general
education can provide them with the opportunity to learn in natural,
stimulating settings, which may also lead to increased acceptance and
appreciation of differences (Ajuwon, 2008). This will be possible where the
learning environment is stimulating and the teacher are adequately training
on managing the different needs that comes with such learning environment
According to Osakwe (2010), the school systems now face increasing
pressure to raise standards, develop social and personal skills, broaden
curricula, pay greater attention to equal educational opportunities and
prepare young people for rapidly changing world. Invariably, the modern
trend all over the world is shifting towards addressing the educational plights
of students with one form of disabilities or the other so as to better their life.
It must be understood that in some developing countries like Nigeria,
inclusive education is thought as an approach to serving children with
disabilities within general education settings. Consequently the National
Policy on Education in Nigeria states that Special Education is created as a
formal special educational training given to people (children and adults) with
special needs (Federal Government of Nigeria, 2004).
However, this is contrary to the international practice where inclusive
education is seen “as a reform that supports and welcomes diversity amongst
all learners” (UNESCO, 2001). Precisely, Inclusive Education (IE) insists
that all children with special needs should be included in the traditional
classroom to study with their non-disabled peers (Abosi, 2001) because
socialization of these children will be done at this stage since they have
opportunity of interacting with the regular learners. It is anchored on human
rights, social justice and equity ideals and through it, segregatory practices
are eliminated and students benefit from the socialization and educational
processes (Lo, 2007). Inclusion is when students with disabilities receive
their entire academic curriculum in the general education program. This is
different from mainstreaming, which is when students with disabilities spend

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a portion of their school day in the general education program and a portion
in a separate special education program (Idol, 1997).

Inclusive Education
Inclusion refers to the "full-time placement of children with mild,
moderate and severe disabilities in regular classrooms" (Staub& Peck,
1994/95). Inclusive education differs from previously held notions of
“integration” and “mainstreaming”, which tended to be concerned
principally with disability and “special education needs” and implied
accommodation of all categories of learners in the classroom (Wikipedia, the
Free Encyclopedia, 2014). Inclusion is a step further in mainstreaming, as it
presents a means "by which a school attempts to respond to all pupils as
individuals, by reconsidering and structuring its curricular organization and
provision, and allocating resources to enhance equality of opportunity and
through this process, the school builds its capacity to accept all pupils from
the local community who wish to attend, and in doing so, reduces the need to
exclude pupils" (Sebba&Sachdev, 1997).
Inclusive education is concerned with minimizing and removing
barriers to access, participation and learning for all children, but especially
for those who have been socially discriminated because of poverty,
disability, gender, religion, ethnicity or any inequalities (UNESCO, 2006).
According to the National Centre on Educational Restructuring and Inclusion
(1995), inclusive education means: Providing to all students, including those
with significant disabilities, equitable opportunities to receive effective
educational services, with the needed supplementary aids and support
services, in age appropriate classrooms, in order to prepare students for
productive lives as full members of society.
Centre for Studies on Inclusive Education (2002) as cited in Okobah
(2007) defines inclusive education as a programme for all children and
young people with or without disabilities or difficulties learning together in
ordinary pre-primary provisions, schools, colleges and universities with
appropriate network. The aim of inclusive education is not to erase
differences in children but to enable all children to belong to the same
educational community (Knight, 1999), while at the same time eliminating
social exclusion arising from attitudes and responses to diversity in race,
social class, ethnicity, religion, gender and ability (Vitello and Mithaug,
1988 cited by Ainscow, 2004).
The goal of inclusive education as rightly observed by Knight (1999)
is not to erase differences in children but to enable all children to belong to
the same educational community. Kochlar, West and Taymans (2000)
equally stated that inclusion in special education means that schools, classes
and activities are scheduled for students with disabilities so that opportunities

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for their participation are maximized. UNESCO (2009), perceives it as a

process of transforming schools and other centers of learning to
accommodate all learners including boys and girls, learners from ethnic and
linguistic minorities, rural populations, those infected and affected by HIV
and AIDS, those with disabilities and difficulties in learning and as well
provide learning opportunities for all. Accommodating such learners will in
small way help in developing self-esteem needed to overcome obstacle that
the disability would have posed to them.

Parameters for Effective Inclusive Education

A critical aspect of inclusive education for a special needs child is
having the acceptance and friendship of classmates. This kind of support also
aids in the progress of special children and helps them gain confidence
within the school environment(Balasubramanian, 2012).There is need to
document the number, characteristics and specific geographic location of
students required to be in inclusive programs, the number of specialists who
will support their instruction, the necessary amount of in-class and out-of-
class collaboration between special and general education teachers and
guidance counselors, and the optimal type and extent of support from
ancillary staff (Eskay, Ezegbe&Anyanwu, 2013).
Giorcelli (1993) listed the following as principles of a properly
planned and fully implemented inclusive education: appropriate age and
grade placements; no special classes or schools; cooperative learning
practiced; special education support given to regular education; and
collaborative efforts needed to provide service to all who need
them.Giangreco (1997) identified common features of schools where
inclusive education is reported to be thriving. These features are:
collaborative teamwork; a shared framework; family involvement; general
educator ownership; clear role relationships among professionals; effective
use of support staff; meaningful Individual Education Plans (IEPs) and
procedures for evaluating effectiveness.
Standard and adequate supervision should be ensured so that these
lofty but well intentioned introductions into the educational system will
achieve its desired goals. The first important step is to change the
discriminatory attitudes towards youth and adults who have disabilities
which are as a result of superstitions about causation of disabilities
(Ajuwon& Sykes, 1988).Teachers’ attitudes have been found to influence the
process and the outcome of inclusion to a great extent (Avramidis,
Bayliss&Burdenet, 2000). Zambelli and Bonni (2004) stated that two factors
are important in the formation of positive attitudes towards inclusion,
namely, increased knowledge and information about school inclusion and
disabilities.

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Inclusive schools have to be well-equipped in all aspects to cater and

deliver quality education for all children. This includes having a balanced
curriculum that is appropriate for all categories of children, teachers who
have the ability to handle the individual needs within the classroom and
thereby promote an environment where personal development, social skills
and student participation are strongly encouraged (Balasubramanian, 2012).

Benefits of Inclusive Education

Salend (2005); Smith, Palloway, Patton and Dowdy
(2006)summarize the advantages of inclusion: Research indicates that at the
elementary school level, students with disabilities who are included in
general education curricula can benefit socially and academically without
facing the stigma of segregated or pull-out classrooms. Standards for
behavior and instruction are higher, and students with classifications have
more opportunity to reach higher standards and become independent
learners. It is also believed that integration into the mainstream enables
students with disabilities to benefit from the stimulation of mixing with
relatively more able students and to have the opportunity to observe higher
models of social and academic behaviour (Elkins, 1998).
Inclusion has academic and social benefits for all students, whether
with or without disabilities, such as increased communication and social
interaction opportunities, age-appropriate models of behaviour skills, more
active participation in the school community, individualized education goals,
as well as access to the rich core curriculum (Grenot-ScheyerJubala, Bishop
&Cootset, 1996).Inclusion recognizes that all students are learners who
benefit from a meaningful, challenging, and appropriate curriculum and
differentiated instruction techniques that address their unique strengths and
needs (Salend, 2005).
Studies also indicate that students without disabilities can benefit
from inclusive settings. Findings reveal academic performance is equal or
superior to comparative groups of students educated in a non-inclusive
setting, and students with severe disabilities do not significantly limit or
interrupt instructional time for nondisabled peers in inclusive settings.
Friendships and awareness of diversity are also benefits of the inclusive
classroom for individuals without disabilities (Vollmer & Vollmer, 2002).
On an interpersonal level, inclusive education allows children to
develop friendships with their peers and feel less social tension about their
disabilities. Some people believe that children who are placed in standard
classroom environments generally have higher self-esteem than children who
are isolated to different classrooms simply because they have special needs
(California Special Needs Law Group, 2009). The implementation of

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inclusive education system as against segregated education system has a

number of advantages. These include the fact that it:
• encourages students without disabilities to accept and tolerate
children with special needs;
• improve the sociability of children with special needs;
• reduces the cost of providing separate education for children with and
without special needs;
• eliminates or reduces social stigma associated with people with
special needs;
• provides an all-round development of the child with and without
special needs; and
• enables children without special needs develop positive attitude
towards people with handicapping conditions (Gesinde, n d).

Recommendation
The following are recommendations made:
• Teachers should be trained on what their roles should be in effective
implementation of inclusive education
• The curriculum should be modify to accommodate learners with
special needs different learning style so as to achieve the needed change
• Learners in the inclusive educational system should be allowed to
learn at their own pace as this will lead to achieving learning objectives
• Resource teachers trained in handling children with special needed
should employed and motivated to embrace this system of education

Conclusion
There are several barriers for providing education to special children
in a regular classroom such as all forms of superstitious beliefs about
disabilities that have for so long inhibited involvement with people with
disabilities in education and the community. When this is done, it will enable
children with special needs to have a distinctive experience by undergoing
inclusive education along with normal, non-disabled classmates. Obstacles to
inclusive education can be overcome by creating awareness on what
inclusion is and the benefits to the society, schools having the resources and
the ability to re-structure their curriculum to cater to all types of students, by
recruiting teachers who have the skills and proficiency to meet varying
demands within the classroom and by having the support of family. The
bottom line of this type of education for students with disabilities should be
equitable access to opportunities that will guarantee successful outcomes in
education, employment and community integration.

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