The National Commission of Special Needs in Education and Training (NCSNET) Document (1997) which portrays the new Education Policy in South Africa. clearly states that one of the crucial outcomes is that all possible barriers to learning must be eliminated so that all learners are able to actualise their full potential. Inclusive education, as embedded within the Education Policy, is regarded as an approach which will allow learners to actualise their full potential. This study is a critical reflection on whether inclusive education is practised in primary schools in the Thohoyandou area. The research findings indicated that inclusive education is not practised in the Thohoyandou area. A major factor or barrier in this regard is that teachers and principals are not empowered in terms ofknowledge to practise inclusive education. Other factors acting as barriers to the implementation of inclusive education are that the school buildings do not cater for physically and visually impaired learners as well as the attitudes of teachers, parents and peers are inclined to be negative towards learners experiencing barriers to learning. The community should also be educated and empowered to assist and understand these learners, who will become the future members of the community, more effectively, As inclusive education is one of the means whereby all learners are given the opportunity to actualise their full potential, these barriers must be addressed so that inclusive education can be practised in all primary schools in the Thohoyandou area. A few strategies to implement inclusive education in the Thohoyandou area are suggested by the researcher. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Special Needs Education)

Summaries in Afrikaans and English / Die wereldwye neiging in die onderwys wat bekend staan as lnsluiting is teweeggebring deur die reg van elke individu op onderrig, soos vasgele in die Universele Verklaring van Menseregte van 1948, tesame met die hernieude onderneming van die wereldgemeenskap' op die Wereldkonferensie oor Opvoeding vir Almal van 1990 om daardie reg, ten spyte van individuele • verskille, te verskans. Aile aanduidings is dat Suid-Afrika ook die beleid van lnsluiting sal aanvaar in die regering se pogings om die onderwys te hervorm. Hierdie beleid van lnsluiting hou groot implikasies in vir die onderwyser in, die gewone skole, aangesien hulle beida die voorwerp en die . agent is van sodanige hervorming. Daar word aanvaar dat die onderwyser se houding teenoor leerders in die algemeen 'n belangrike rol speel met betrekking tot die sukses van die onderrig- en leergebeure in die klaskamer. Hierdie houding word dikwels bepaal deur die · onderwyser se kennis van leerders in die klaskamer en sy vaardighede met betrekking tot hul onderrig. In die lig van die literatuurstudie, wat daarop dui dat onderwysers nie voldoende opleiding ontvang om aan die behoeftes van leerders met spesiale onderwysbehoeftes te voldoen nie, word in hierdie navorsing die houding van die onderwyser in die gewone skool teenoor die leerders met spesiale onderwysbehoeftes soos dit in die praktyk openbaar word bepaal. / The right of every individual to education, as enshrined in the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the renewing of the pledge made by the world community at the 1990 World Conference on Education for All to ensure that right, regardless of individual differences, gave rise to the worldwide trend in education known as Inclusion. All indications are that South Africa will also adopt the policy of Inclusion as part of the government's efforts to reform education. The policy of Inclusion has major implications for the teachers in the ordinary school, as they are both the subjects and the agents of reform. It is generally believed that teachers' attitudes towards learners plays a major role ·in the success of the teaching-learning events in the classroom. These attitudes are often influenced by .. the teachers' knowledge of the learners in their classrooms and their skill in teaching them. In view of literature that suggests that teachers are not adequately trained to meet the needs of learners, with special Educational needs, this study undertakes to investigate the attitude of teachers in the ordinary school towards learners with special educational needs, as it manifests in practice. / Educational Studies / M.Ed. (Ortopedagogiek)

The main assertion in this dissertation is that there is a lack of adequate and appropriate parental involvement in the education of learners with mild intellectual impairment in mainstream schools in Sisonke District. Empirical research was conducted to understand the perceptions of parents and teachers of the involvement of parents in the education of learners with mild intellectual impairment in mainstream schools. The focus was on parents and teachers in an extreme poverty context in Sisonke District of KwaZulu-Natal. A qualitative investigation of parental involvement in five mainstream schools was conducted by collecting data through interview, observation and documents analysis with ten parents and five teachers. The literature that was reviewed focused on the factors that increase and hinder parental involvement, prevalence of intellectual impairment, theories related to family, school and community partnership and inclusive education. The research has revealed that the lack of adequate and appropriate parental involvement at mainstream schools admitting learners with mild intellectual impairment is influenced by factors such as poor socio-economic background, high illiteracy, cultural beliefs, and parents’ denial of intellectual impairment, diversity, lack of teacher training in parental involvement, lack of healthy inclusive climate characteristics, parents’ attitudes and perceptions. The investigation further found that there is an urgent need for teachers to acquire knowledge, skills and strategies for active involvement of parents in inclusive mainstream schools. Each School Management Team (SMT) should strive to create a climate of inclusion that displays healthy school characteristics in order to improve parental involvement in mainstream schools. / Inclusive Education / M. Ed. (Inclusive Education)

The implementation of inclusive education is a challenge to most educators. The real challenge lies in the management of inclusive education. The researcher, therefore, adopted a qualitative approach to understand the participants ’understanding of inclusive education and to answer the research questions that sought to explore the phenomenon of inclusive education as presented in chapters one and five. Chapters two and three presented the latest developments, policies and practices related to inclusive education, as well as management of inclusive education. A sample of five primary school principals and fifteen educators was chosen. Data was collected through in-depth individual semi-structured interviews and focus group interviews. It emerged from the literature study that inclusive education has become a reality in Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa and abroad. Most schools in these countries have been changed into full service schools. For example, in South Africa Tshiluvhi primary School became Tshiluvhi Full Service primary School. This shows that the government of South Africa accepts that learners with disabilities are part of the community and, therefore, have a right to receive equal and quality education.Although inclusive education is a reality in the above-mentioned countries, there are many obstacles that are still to be overcome. For instance, the issue of fiscal constraints, negative attitudes to disability, lack of support services, rigid teaching methods, teacher expertise, teacher training, time management and large class sizes are major impediments to the realisation of effective inclusive education. The same constraints were also raised during the interviews by most of the participants. Most educators and principals complained that management of inclusive education is compromised by lack of resources. Recommendations based on the findings of this study revolve mainly around the introduction of internal workshops, provision of resources and building enough classrooms to reduce the learner-teacher ratio. It was revealed during the interviews that members of the institutional level support teams and the principals of the selected primary schools were aware of their roles in managing inclusive education. For example, they manage finances to ensure the successful implementation of inclusive education and support and monitor teachers in the implementation of inclusive education.The study hopes to contribute to the existing body of knowledge and to be useful to teachers and various stakeholders by enabling them to find more constructive ways of building a successful inclusive education system. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Education management)

Full-service/inclusive schools are new institutions in South Africa which have been established in terms of the Education White Paper 6 (Department of Education, 2001:22-23) as pilot schools for the rolling out of the Inclusion policy in South Africa. The purpose of this study was to explore the teachers‟ challenges in identifying learners who experience barriers to learning in a rural Full-Service School in KwaZulu-Natal. Teachers in such schools are expected to have skills and knowledge to identify learners and provide support. Most teachers in Full-Service Schools possess qualifications to teach in mainstream schools and depend on the Departmental workshops for the skills needed to identify learners and provide support. The identification of such learners was selected because it is the first step in the process of providing support to learners. Teachers should therefore have skills and knowledge of identifying learners in order to minimise bias, non-identification, over-identification as well as mis-identification. This qualitative study employed a case study design to examine teachers‟ challenges in identifying learners. Six teachers were selected for interviews and the SIAS documents were studied to confirm the findings from interviews. Inductive methods were used to analyse the data. Recommendations for future research studies were made. / Inclusive Education / M. Ed. (Inclusive Education)

Thesis (MEdPsych)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / Bibliography / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In White Paper 6 (Special Needs Education: Building an Inclusive Education and Training System), a framework was provided to establish an inclusive education and training system in South Africa. This development followed trends similar to those in other countries. The inclusive approach emerged as a key international policy at the World Conference on Special Needs Education in Salamanca, in 1994 in Spain. One of the implications of an inclusive education (IE) policy is the provision of appropriate educational opportunities for all learners, including those with disabilities, in the general education class. Therefore school policies that support this educational environment, and that provide administrative assistance, appropriate materials and resources, as well as qualified teachers, are needed. Literature states that teachers all over the world experience difficulties on different levels of IE. High school teachers, for instance, experience unique challenges and difficulties with the implementation of inclusive principles. Asperger's syndrome (AS), the focus of this study, is one of the disorders directly affected by an inclusive policy. The number of learners diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), as well as the number attending mainstream education, has grown worldwide. The characteristics of AS lead to challenges with learning behaviour and socialisation, and cause significant difficulties for classroom teachers, who need to maintain a learning environment that is conducive to learning by all learners. Although there is an increasing flow of information available relating to support, accommodations, methods and information, this does not ensure that educators will be aware of and effectively use these sources. Since teachers are the main team players in the successful implementation of IE, this study aimed to investigate exactly how ready they are to implement IE practices, especially with regard to supporting children diagnosed with AS. The theoretical framework on which this study was based was Bronfenbrenner's bioecological model. This study's research methodology can be described as basic qualitative research embedded within an interpretive paradigm. Purposive sampling was used to select participants from three different schools in the Western Cape Province in South Africa. Three methods of data collection were employed, namely reflective questions, as well as semi-structured individual and focus group interviews. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. With Bronfenbrenner's bioecological model as the backdrop, the research findings indicate that the readiness of the participating teachers for IE, and therefore by implication their readiness to include learners with AS in the mainstream classes, is compromised. The findings indicate that this lack of readiness comprises factors on macro-, meso-, exo- and micro-system levels. These systems do not appear to be ready for IE, and therefore, although there is willingness to learn among the teachers in this study, it seems as though they are not ready for the inclusion of learners diagnosed with AS in their classes. Support needs to be aimed at increasing teachers' understanding of the philosophical principles of IE in general, but also increasing their knowledge of AS and providing them with practical suggestions regarding best practises relating to the inclusion of learners with AS in their mainstream classes. Since teachers seem not to be specialists in the support of learners with barriers to learning, professionals who will be able to support them in this regard need to be employed in the schools. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In Witskrif 6 (Spesiale Onderwysbehoeftes: Die Vestiging van 'n Inklusiewe Onderwys- en Opleidingstelsel) is 'n raamwerk verskaf vir die vestiging van 'n inklusiewe onderwys- en opleidingstelsel in Suid-Afrika. Hierdie ontwikkeling het gevolg op soortgelyke tendense in ander lande. Die inklusiewe benadering het na vore getree as 'n sleutel internasionale beleid by die Wêreldkongres oor Spesiale Onderwysbehoeftes wat in 1994 in Salamanca, Spanje gehou is. Een van die aspekte wat fundamenteel is tot die beleid van inklusiewe onderwys (IO) is die verskaffing van gepaste opvoedkundige geleenthede aan alle leerders, insluitend dié met gestremdhede, in die algemene klaskamer. Skoolbeleide wat hierdie opvoedkundige omgewing ondersteun, en wat administratiewe bystand, gepaste materiale en hulpbronne, sowel as gekwalifiseerde onderwysers verskaf, word benodig. Volgens die literatuur ervaar onderwysers die wêreld oor probleme op verskillende vlakke van IO. Hoërskoolonderwysers, byvoorbeeld, ervaar unieke uitdagings en probleme met die implementering van inklusiewe beginsels. Asperger se sindroom (AS), die fokus van hierdie studie, is een van die stoornisse wat direk deur 'n inklusiewe beleid geraak word. Die aantal leerders wat met outismespektrumstoornisse (ASS) gediagnoseer word, sowel as die aantal wat hoofstroomonderrig ontvang, neem wêreldwyd toe. Die kenmerke van AS lei tot uitdagings in leergedrag en sosialisering, en veroorsaak aansienlike probleme vir klasonderwysers, wat 'n leeromgewing moet kan onderhou waarin alle leerders die vermoë het om te leer. Hoewel daar 'n toenemende vloei van inligting is wat verband hou met ondersteuning, tegemoetkomings, metodes en inligting, verseker dit egter nie dat opvoeders bewus sal wees van hierdie bronne nie en hulle doeltreffend sal gebruik nie. Aangesien onderwysers die vernaamste spanlede is in die suksesvolle implementering van IO, was die doelwit van hierdie studie om ondersoek in te stel na presies hoé gereed hulle is om IO-praktyke te implementeer, veral met betrekking tot ondersteuning aan kinders wat met AS gediagnoseer is. Die teoretiese raamwerk waarop hierdie studie geskoei is, is Bronfenbrenner se bio-ekologiese model. Die navorsingsmetodologie vir hierdie studie kan beskryf word as basiese kwalitatiewe navorsing ingebed in 'n interpretatiewe paradigma. Doelgerigte steekproefneming is gebruik om deelnemers in drie verskillende skole in die Wes-Kaap provinsie in Suid-Afrika te selekteer. Drie dataversamelingsmetodes is gebruik, naamlik reflektiewe vrae, asook halfgestruktureerde individuele en fokusgroeponderhoude. Tematiese analise is gebruik om die data te analiseer. Met Bronfenbrenner se bio-ekologiese model as agtergrond kon die navorsingsbevindings wys dat die gereedheid van die deelnemende onderwysers in hierdie studie vir IO, en by implikasie dus hulle gereedheid om leerders met AS in hoofstroomklasse in te sluit, onvoldoende is. Die bevindinge dui aan dat hierdie tekort aan gereedheid faktore op makro-, meso-, ekso- en mikro-sistemiese vlakke omvat. Hierdie stelsels blyk nie gereed vir IO te wees nie en hoewel daar 'n bereidheid is om te leer by die onderwysers in hierdie studie, is hulle nie gereed om leerders wat met AS gediagnoseer is, in hulle klasse in te sluit nie. Ondersteuning moet daarop gerig wees om die onderwysers se begrip van die filosofiese beginsels onderliggend aan IO in die algemeen te verhoog, sowel as hulle kennis van AS, en om hulle praktiese voorstelle te gee m.b.t. beste praktyk in verband met die insluiting van leerders met AS in hulle hoofstroomklasse. Aangesien dit voorkom asof onderwysers nie spesialiste is in die ondersteuning van leerders met struikelblokke tot leer nie, moet professionele persone wat hulle in hierdie opsig kan help, deur die skole aangestel word.

This thesis investigated the education support services provided by occupational therapists, physiotherapists and speech and language therapists in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. Changes in the education policy in South Africa to an inclusive education system have major implications for the way therapists provide support. Therapists have been challenged to move from a medical model of support with a focus on highly specialised treatment for a small number of individual learners with disabilities, to a system, including all learners, teachers and parents. The aim of this research was to develop an appropriate and integrated approach for therapists to support schools within an inclusive and health promoting schools framework in South Africa.

This thesis investigated the education support services provided by occupational therapists, physiotherapists and speech and language therapists in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. Changes in the education policy in South Africa to an inclusive education system have major implications for the way therapists provide support. Therapists have been challenged to move from a medical model of support with a focus on highly specialised treatment for a small number of individual learners with disabilities, to a system, including all learners, teachers and parents. The aim of this research was to develop an appropriate and integrated approach for therapists to support schools within an inclusive and health promoting schools framework in South Africa.

Teenage pregnancy is one of the major factors leading to girls dropping out of school especially in developing countries such as South Africa. To address the problem, the South African government has put forward policies which allow for the continued enrolment of learners who could fall pregnant while at school. However, there is evidence that pregnant learners drop out of school even though these policies are in place. Hence this study investigated the perceptions of the school stakeholders on the mainstreaming of pregnant learners and one of the stakeholders is the pregnant learners themselves. This study also aimed to investigate the way pregnant learners were perceived and treated in their schools and the views of the stakeholders on supporting the pregnant learners academically. It also aimed to explore leadership and management implications of the school stakeholders’ perceptions. This study revealed that some of the stakeholders were not aware of the existence of the policy that allows for the mainstreaming of pregnant learners in public schools. Those that indicated that they were aware of it reported to have a fuzzy idea of the policy. It seemed there was no shared understanding of the policy among the stakeholders; as a result the policy was not effectively implemented in the schools. This could also be the reason for the negative attitude shown by some of the school stakeholders to the policy. However, all stakeholders voiced out their opinions about this policy. With regards to the policy implementation they expressed fears that the educators may not be capacitated enough to deal with learner pregnancy and also that the pregnant learners may have a negative influence on other learners. Cultural beliefs and stereotypes seemed to play a role on how the stakeholders perceived the policy that legislated the mainstreaming of pregnant learners.

The study sought to investigate educators’ perceptions of the implementation of Inclusive Education in mainstream secondary schools around Polokwane, Limpopo Province of South Africa. The approach to the study was qualitative, guided by an interpretivist paradigm. A purposefully selected sample of 20 teachers from 10 purposively selected mainstream secondary schools in Polokwane participated in this study. Instruments for data collection comprised in-depth interviews, corroborated by non-participant field observations to verify the implementation of Inclusive Education in mainstream secondary schools. Content analysis was employed to analyse the data with the aim of coming up with themes and subthemes. The study revealed that the educators had the passion and willingness to implement Inclusive Education. The educators further perceived Inclusive Education as needful. The implementation of Inclusive Education was perceived as being effective to a lesser extent. The educators perceived the implementation of Inclusive Education as being negatively affected by their inadequate training, school environments which were unfit to accommodate learners with disabilities, the lack of facilities and equipment and higher learner enrolments in mainstream classrooms. Gender was seen to affect the educators’ confidence in handling learners with disabilities and their ability to identify such learners. The study recommends the continued professional development and training of educators in the area of Inclusive Education, regular support and monitoring of Inclusive Education activities in mainstream schools by the DBE, provision of relevant resources and facilities in mainstream schools for the implementation of Inclusive Education, and additional support to educators to enhance their confidence in handling learners with barriers to learning and development. Finally, a model for the improvement of the implementation of Inclusive Education in mainstream schools is proposed. / Inclusive Education / D. Ed. (Inclusive Education)