How do we articulate the possibilities, limitations and challenges of inclusive schooling and education in African contexts? This book insists that inclusive education cannot be taken for granted. Inclusion is neither a natural nor a given educational practice. It must be struggled for. Bringing a critical perspective to inclusive schooling and education is imperative. This book adds to current educational debates with an African lens. It engages inclusive education from multiple lenses of curriculum content, classroom pedagogy and instruction, representation, culture, environment and the socio-organization life of schools, the pursuit of equity and social justice and the search for educational relevance. It is opined that Africa cannot be left behind in rethinking educational inclusion in ways that evoke critical questions of power, equity and social difference. The question of leaner’s identity in terms of class, gender, sexuality, (dis)ability, language, ethnicity and race are equally consequential for African schooling and education. When inclusion is understood as wholeness of education, then how schooling and education engage the complete learner – her/his body, mind, soul and spirit, as well as the use of local community and Indigenous knowledges in teaching and learning become relevant. Inclusion stands the risk of liberal educational agendas that simply tinker or toy with schooling and education and hardly embrace the challenge of educational change. What we need is a fundamental structural change that ensures schooling and education embraces difference while grappling with the teaching of Indigeneity, decolonization and resistance.

Connecting cultures to educational settings is an essential component of critical pedagogy. This book addresses many of the key issues and challenges in decolonizing the African school curriculum. It highlights important philosophical arguments on the challenges and possibilities of achieving these goals in a meaningful manner. Topics covered in the book include: operationalizing the key terms of “inclusion” and “curriculum” strategies for Africanizing the school curriculum, and the implications of local knowledge for schooling reform This book also raises a variety of key questions: how do we frame an inclusive anti-colonial African future and what is the nature of the work required to collectively arrive at that future? what education are learners of today going to receive and how will they apply it to their schooling and work lives? how do we re-fashion our work as African educators and learners to create more relevant understandings of what it means to be human? how do we challenge colonizing and imperializing relations of the academy? What are the possibilities and limits of counter-visions of education? how do we make school curricula inclusive through teaching, research and graduate training in questions of Indigeneity and multi-centric ways of knowing? The book identifies specific areas of an “inclusive/decolonized curriculum agenda” through educational programming and reform. It is essential reading to any student or teacher concerned about understanding the many facets of an African school curriculum. Perfect for courses such as: Principles of Anti-Racism Education | Anti-Colonial Thought: Pedagogical Implications | Indigenous Knowledge and Decolonization: Pedagogical Implications | Modernization, Development and Education in African Contexts | African Systems of Thought | Introduction to African Studies

This book provides the first evidence-based reference about inclusive education in Kazakhstan, one of the post-Soviet Union countries. This nation, as well as many other central Asian countries, is undergoing a radical transformation and change in education which encompasses the implementation of inclusive and special education. This book is composed of chapters synthesized from various studies and captures different aspects of the implementation of inclusive education in Kazakhstan. The implementations of inclusive education in any educational system require a multi-dimensional, multi-level and an integrated approach. It requires collaborative efforts on part of all stakeholders including governance, pedagogical, auxiliary and support structures. This book is a collection of evidence-based studies in a Kazakhstani educational context that demonstrates the multifaceted nature of the process to realize an educational system that is inclusive. The book highlights some of the fundamental requirements and challenges for this process to succeed. Among the main issues addressed in this book are the understanding of inclusive education, the transition towards inclusive education given the soviet legacy, the role of school leadership, teachers, parents and other stakeholders in the process. The findings in each chapter demonstrate some of the milestones and challenges of inclusivity. This work will be of interest to academics, scholars, students and teachers in this field.

Despite global efforts to promote inclusive education, many African countries need help implementing inclusive practices in their educational systems. The lack of guidelines and preparedness among school practitioners often hinders the effective inclusion of students with disabilities in mainstream education. This results in a significant number of students with disabilities being marginalized and deprived of their right to quality education. Discussions of Inclusive Education Within African Contexts addresses this pressing issue to equip school practitioners with the knowledge and strategies to implement inclusive practices effectively. The book draws on global best practices and frameworks, such as the Salamanca statement, to provide practical guidance tailored to the unique challenges faced by African educational systems.

This book provides a clearly written, wide-ranging overview of current key issues and challenges arising from the implementation of more inclusive policies and provision in education in this country and internationally. The author sets policies for inclusive schools in the broader contexts of current policies which aim to reduce poverty and social exclusion, and the wider global background of the United Nations drive to promote 'Education for All'. The book draws a distinction between integration and inclusion and provides a critical analysis of the government's Program of Action and the revised National Curriculum and their implications for schools, pupils and families.

Exploring issues of disability culture, activism, and policy across the African continent, this volume argues for the recognition of African disability studies as an important and emerging interdisciplinary field.

It covers a wider spectrum of barriers to learning than EngelbrechtAs Inclusive Education in SA. The title covers the content of the Education White Paper 6.

Students with disabilities who are not able to perform to the best of their abilities often find themselves learning in inaccessible environments and subjected to increased stress levels due to the haphazard provisioning of education characterized by physical, communicative, and unsuitable teaching and learning approaches. Very often this is a result of various shortcomings including unfair assessment practices. Misconceptions and a lack of knowledge with regard to the implementation of inclusive education detract from the successful admission of students with disabilities and their retention and active participation. The Handbook of Research on Creating Spaces for African Epistemologies in the Inclusive Education Discourse explores the concept of inclusive education in an African context. It advocates for the monitoring and evaluation of inclusive education and proposes interventions where reasonable accommodation or lack of accessibility is a reason for students with disabilities to not benefit from this system. Covering topics such as barriers to learning, rural schools, and student support, this major reference work is an essential resource for administrators, advocates for students with disabilities, policymakers, researchers, pre-service teachers, educators, academicians, and students.

This edited book considers the main issues and controversies within the current educational context of inclusive education, from an international perspective. Authorities in the field such as Norwich, Kauffman, and Boyle, amongst many other international scholars, provide an enticing insight into many of the issues and controversies around inclusive education, and whether it is achievable or not. We have reached a point in time where inclusive education has been the prevailing doctrine for universal education policies. However, there are still many challenges facing those working within the inclusive education space, with some countries actually becoming less inclusive. International and national legislation has continued to move towards inclusive education, yet there seems to be many gaps between the philosophy and the principles of inclusive education and systemic practice. The book aims to address the current debates surrounding the implementation of inclusive education, and also offers insights into the inconsistencies between policies and practices in inclusive environments. Moreover, it analyzes contemporary research evidence on the effectiveness of inclusion and identify directions for future research. Contributors are: Kelly-Ann Allen, Dimitris Anastasiou, Joanna Anderson, Adrian Ashman, Jeanmarie Badar, Christopher Boyle, Jonathan M. Campbell, Heather Craig, Leire Darretxe, Julian Elliott, Zuriñe Gaintza, Betty A. Hallenbeck, Divya Jindal-Snape, Marguerite Jones, James M. Kauffman, George Koutsouris, Fraser Lauchlan, Gerry Mac Ruairc, Sofia Mavropoulou, Daniel Mays, Brahm Norwich, Angela Page, Kirsten S. Railey, and Federico R. Waitoller.