Challenges of Inclusive Education

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Inclusive education brings all learners together in one classroom and community irrespective of their weakness or strength in any specific areas and tries to maximize the potentials of all students. It is a wide range of strategies, activities and process that promotes universal right to equal education. There are some challenges of inclusive education. In this article the main problems in implementation of inclusive education and the solutions to challenges of inclusive education will be discussed.

What are the challenges of inclusive education?

The issues and challenges in implementation of inclusive education are as in the following-

1. Negative attitude of parents

For successful implementation of inclusive education is mainly depends on the support from the parents of the children with disabilities. Some parents do not like to bring their children with disabilities, which may become the barrier in implementing inclusive education.

2. Lack of good transportation facility

Inclusive education is such a platform where the learning environment is physically accessible and friendly towards diverse group. The provision of transportation facilities for the special child is an important factor for successful implementation of inclusive education. But lack of such facilities hampers their access to education with dignity and equality. Thus it is one the challenges of inclusive education.

3. Poor collaboration of the local community

Inclusive education is a matter of strong collaboration between the state and government, NGO and local communities. But in general local government is very poor, they are lacking spare time and resources for practising inclusive values in real. This is one of the challenges of inclusive education.

4. Negative attitude of teacher

Teachers play a key role in inclusive education. Negative attitude of teachers towards disability and marginalised children and inclusion of such children in education is a challenge and gives birth to major barriers of inclusive education.

5. Inadequate teachers training

Many teachers are never taught how to teach children with disabilities or generally how to teach in a child friendly, active way. Teacher has a crucial role for successful implementation of inclusive education. The lack of proper training, proper knowledge and educational qualifications which are very required to attain predetermined purpose of teaching.

6. Inadequate supports

It is another issue in implementing inclusive education. The supports include funding support to facilitate inclusive education. It is not possible to run inclusive education programme without financial resources support. UNESCO (2009) also stated that funding is major constraint to the practice of inclusion. Inadequate funding can hinder ongoing professional development that helps keep specialists and classroom teachers update on the least practices.

7. Large class sizes

It is very difficult for a teacher to give individual attention in a large size of class. The normal size of class include 50 to 60 students in addition to this a teacher finds more difficult with children with disabilities or special child.

8.School barriers

The school factor is another barrier of implementing of inclusive education. Insufficient school budgets resulting in a lack of appropriate facility. Like inaccessible school building, high pupil teacher ration, limited support for children with disabilities effect the successful implementation. Moreover, limited awareness of disability among teachers and school staff is the biggest drawback of implementing inclusion.

9. Social barrier

Negative attitude of the community member towards disability may be arising from the religious and cultural beliefs e.g. disability may be seen as punishment.

According to UNESCO “The greatest barriers to inclusion are caused by society not by medical impairments.”

10. lack of understanding of the concept of Inclusive education

It is one of the significant challenge or problems in implementation of inclusive education. As many time people misunderstand and misinterpreted the concept of inclusive education. So lack of understanding of social construction of disabilities is the biggest obstacle in the path of inclusion.

Thus from the above discussion it can be said that the challenges towards inclusive education could originate from different directions such as attitudinal factors, resistance to change, rigid school system and learning environment etc. Challenges or difficulties in inclusive education can be sum up with some of the additional issues.

Barriers of inclusive education
  1. Inflexible school curriculum
  2. ‘Inappropriate communication
  3. Lack of inclusive learning environment
  4. Irresponsible attitude of government
  5. Social and cultural stereotyping
  6. Lack of knowledge of local services
  7. misinterpreted the concept inclusive education
  8. lack of trained teacher
  9. Non involvement of parents
  10. Lack of recognition of people experiencing disability
How to overcome the barriers of inclusive education

To overcome these issues of implementation of inclusive education there should be a good collaboration among government, NGO communities and the concerned bodies in order to comprehend the journey towards inclusive education. Inclusive education which welcomes all the children without discriminations into regular or general schools. The following are the suggestive measures or solutions to challenges of inclusive education.

1. Engagement with disability studies

To develop an inclusive culture, it is necessary to remove the misconception about inclusive education. And to remove this barrier of lack of understanding about inclusion efforts should be made to engage people with disabilities studies and importance of such study at all levels of the education system.

2. Model of full inclusion

As mentioned above negative attitude of teachers and parents towards the special children stand as a stumbling block in the path of implementing of the inclusion. Inclusion in the form of full inclusion model should be accepted as a broad based policy for the education of all children without any kind of discrimination.

3. Teacher Educations

To overcome the barriers of inclusive education. Priority should be given for the pre-service as well as in service teachers education for the teachers, subject teachers and other school personnel associated with the students for equipping them the necessary knowledge skills and attitudes for working in an inclusive set up.

4. Creating culture of inclusion

To remove the barriers or challenges of inclusive education it is very much necessary to change the attitude of the people surrounded around the children with diverse need. To change this it is essential to create a culture of inclusion.

There are many suggestive measures or solutions to challenges of inclusive education. Which can help to overcome  the barriers of inclusion, creating good collaboration, inclusive policy, improving transportation system, flexible curriculum, improvised plan for inclusion etc. helps to solve the problems in implementation of inclusive education.

  • References:
  • Panda K.C. (2016): Education of Exceptional Child
  • Dr. R N Mahanta (2019): Inclusion In Education
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