Inclusive education post-June 1976: ‘A struggle worth fighting for’

"As we reflect on the struggle of the class of 1976, their bravery should be uppermost in our minds. It should serve as a reminder that listening to young people today and taking heed of their needs and wants is absolutely crucial. They are the knowledge producers; they know what's lacking in the current school system and what's needed to enhance their learning journeys. Their voices should matter and we should respect that and learn from it," said Dr Rose-Anne Reynolds.

Dr Reynolds is a senior lecturer in childhood studies at the University of Cape Town's (UCT) School of Education. On the back of the 50th anniversary of the Soweto Uprising - a turning point in South Africa's struggle for liberation took a moment to highlight its importance in a democratic dispensation. The approach seeks to remove barriers and ensure that all learners, regardless of their socio-economic backgrounds, feel valued and supported in class. Inclusive education also advocates for all learners to have access to the same kind of learning spaces and materials.

"Inclusive education is an opportunity to think about how we make the school system accessible to all learners from different walks of life, and what accommodations and modifications are required to help children learn," said Reynolds, a champion for inclusive education and who's dedicated years of research to the topic.

But there's one important question teachers, academics and activists working in the field of education must ask first: What excludes children from learning?

"We don't ask this question enough and we need to hone in on it. What really excludes children from learning? It could be many things. It could be systemic or structural barriers to learning. It could be the curriculum or a lack of access to resources," Reynolds said.

Reimagine the child

Expanding on the model, Reynolds described inclusion in schools as a philosophy, which seeks to reimagine the child, the teacher, knowledge and the school system.

Using an example highlighted in a UCT open access textbook - the first of its kind to foreground disability inclusion and inclusive education at UCT - Reynolds said inclusive education should accommodate all learners in a single school system. It also challenges schools and teachers to think carefully and creatively about how to accommodate learners with disabilities and different abilities. It's a paradigm shift to learning and requires that teachers rethink how they conduct lessons and other activities to ensure that children with disabilities and other special needs are not seen as a hinderance.

"Looking at a school set-up, there should be no limitations."

"Looking at a school set-up, there should be no limitations. There shouldn't be schools that only accommodate learners with disabilities. So, we need to start rethinking the systems we have in place. They must be geared for learners with disabilities, and we need to start thinking about how we make this possible," she said.

"Ablesim causes us to act as if everyone in a school system needs to have two legs and two eyes; everyone should be able to hear perfectly and should have no problems with regulating their emotions. They should also not have any difficulties with anxiety. That's not the real world."

The role of teachers

Reynolds is clear about the critical role teachers play in the process: they must ensure that learners receive inclusive education. As a start, she said, teachers must recognise their biases and stereotypes towards their learners; they should treat all learners with respect and consider each learner's unique needs - especially when designing learning programmes and lessons. Reynolds said teachers must make every effort to consider different approaches, methodologies and strategies when teaching and create equal opportunities so that all learners are able to participate fully in activities. These strategies, she explained, help make the classroom, curriculum and school environment enjoyable for learners with different needs.

"I've always said that good teachers are inclusive because they are working to make their classrooms accessible and available to all learners and not just a select few," she explained.

"And as we recommend in the open textbook, which is important to remember, the child does not need to change. Instead, the way the child accesses learning needs to be adapted to accommodate their specific needs."

Teaching in an unequal society

But attaining inclusive education is not always high on the priority list, especially when you are required to teach in one of the most unequal societies in the world. Reynolds said for many, the social model of inclusion is unfamiliar, and inadequate training also makes implementation difficult.

Sadly, that's not the only drawback. Reynolds said teachers also face a myriad of other in-classroom challenges, including a lack of physical resources and overcrowded classrooms. Many also have the difficult task of teaching learners who are hungry and who are victims of abuse and neglect.

"The inclusive education model does not just refer to the curriculum and how teachers need to teach learners. It refers to learners' holistic school experience."

"This refers to issues of inclusion too; very important issues of inclusion. Let me be clear: the inclusive education model does not just refer to the curriculum and how teachers need to teach learners. It refers to learners' holistic school experience," she said. "Sadly, for thousands of children in South Africa that experience is far from ideal. Far too many of our children attend schools that don't have electricity or running water, and thousands of children are still using pit latrines. That is exclusion in its highest form and a human rights violation," she said.

Aluta continua

Fifty years since the Class of 1976 took to the streets to protest the use of Afrikaans as a medium of instruction in black schools, the fight for inclusive education continues.

"The class of 1976 understood injustice, and they stood up for what they believed in. But they weren't taken seriously. Sadly, many paid the ultimate price," she said. "Today, as adults, we still don't take the needs of children seriously, and that is a form of exclusion that is justified in schools and in our communities."

Reflecting on the Soweto Uprising, five decades later, Reynolds said one question remains: Why does inequality persist in the South African school system?

"Why do we still have inequality in our schools? And not just there, but also in our communities and in our country more broadly? Inclusion is for everyone, not just for some. And to include everyone means that some may have to give up what they have to help others thrive," she said. "South Africa is not there yet. Apartheid and the lasting legacies of coloniality have made sure of that. But this struggle is worth fighting for."