What is Inclusive Education?

Inclusive education is a type of teaching model where all students, irrespective of age, language, family background, culture, and special educational ability learn together. Under this, all the students are welcomed by their neighboring schools and supported to take part in all aspects of school life. The main aim of inclusive education is to make sure each student is treated in a fair manner.

Benefits of Inclusive Education

Inclusive education benefits the children in a lot of ways. The following are some examples of how it assists them.

Developing friendships with other children, each with their distinct capabilities.
Developing independent strengths amongst children.
Promoting a culture of belonging and respect. Inclusive education lets children accept the fact that each child is distinct from the other, thereby reducing the repercussions of bullying.
Taking part in classroom activities helps them focus on individual goals.
Leaving an overall positive impact on the community and school to appreciate inclusion and diversity on a broad scale.

Features of Inclusive Education

Following are some typical features of inclusive education.

The system provides an effective environment for physically challenged children, so they can live their lives better.
It is not a substitute for exclusive education. Rather, it is complementary to it.
All students get an equal education opportunity and the right to education.
Under such a system of education, physically challenged children are considered equally important as physically fit children.
To make the students reach their potential, they are provided with support from teachers.

Need for Inclusive Education

Inclusive education is crucial for every country because it increases the learning abilities of disabled and special children and creates a natural environment and develops a sense of unity among them.

Let’s now know more about the need for such an education system.

Physically challenged students get to progress.
Feelings of brotherhood and unity are developed due to inclusive education.
It leads to optimum utilization of resources and minimized expenditures.
Healthy competition is created among students.
It is significant in today’s era as only such a type of education can bring a change in society.

How to Implement Inclusive Education in The Classroom?

Now that we have learned about what is inclusive education, let us now know how to implement it in the classroom.

Cooperative learning

Activities and tasks should be presented to the student in such a way that it brings students together and develops coordination among them. You can divide them into groups so that each student can participate in the activity.

Specialized training

Teachers should be equipped with specialized tools and equipment to make sure they are creating the best possible learning environment. For teachers who are keen to upskill and improvise inclusive education, additional training is beneficial.

Use Diverse lessons

Gone are the days when teachers used to stick to the traditional methods of learning. To make students learn with ease, teachers should alter the curriculum according to the students’ needs. For instance, incorporating the use of videos and pictures could help those who struggle with text-based learning.

Supplementary materials

Providing students with additional learning aids can help them grasp the task more efficiently. To put their learnings into long-term comprehension, tools such as physical science models or calculators can be used.

Importance of Inclusive Education

What makes inclusive education important, you ask? Let’s know about it!

Boosts confidence

Teaching students apart from classroom lessons can help boost their confidence. Each student is different and they should be taught in a different manner.

Quality education

Through inclusive education, each child would be treated equally, which grants them the right to access quality education. It also ensures that no student is missing any part of the curriculum.

Enhances communication skills

Inclusive education strengthens the communication skills of students as they get to interact with other students and form a larger friend circle that would otherwise be restricted.

Types of Inclusive Education

Based on distinct individual needs, it is significant to choose the right type of inclusive education. There are four types of inclusive education.

Full Inclusion

Under this model, all students are taught in a standardized form regardless of their learning disorders. Full inclusion proves to be a viable option if the expectations of a special child are fulfilled. Otherwise, special education teachers are required to provide supplemental education to them.

Partial Inclusion

The partial inclusion model allows students to interact with their peers, but it does not mandatorily require the student to remain in the standard classrooms. Rather, they are taken to separate classes to avoid disrupting the standard classrooms.

Mainstreaming

Under the mainstreaming model, special needs students are enrolled in a self-contained room, away from standard classrooms. Students who perform well are then integrated into “mainstream” classes.

Individualized Education Program

As per the national center for learning disabilities, every school which receives special needs children should have an “individualized education program”. Different goals regarding inclusion are set since IEPs vary from student to student.

Conclusion

Inclusive education is a type of education system wherein diverse students learn in the same classroom. Regardless of students’ unique capabilities, inclusive education focuses on providing education to everyone to ensure that they become successful in life. It fosters a sense of belonging among the students along with making them future-ready.

Inclusive education is important owing to its various advantages which we covered in the article. Apart from this, we also discussed the need, features, and benefits of inclusive education.

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