Assignment one

Inclusive Education Essay

“Fairness is not giving everyone the same thing. Fairness is giving each person
what they need to succeed”. – Unknown

As the quote suggests, every child is born with unique qualities that make

them who they are. Their social, cultural background and environmental may

have an impact on their skills and preference styles of learning. We as teachers

have the responsibility to ensure that we recognised their uniqueness learning

abilities and work closely with the students to ensure that they receive what

they need to succeed in educational setting. Inclusive education has a broad

meaning and often it is misinterpret and imply in ways that seek to include all

students but resulting in exclusion of some. Poed and Elkins (2012) states that

in an inclusive education, students with special needs and typical students are

all accepted in regular classroom where educator may made appropriate

changes to ensure that students with disabilities are fully involved in all class

activities. It is also a place where differences is acknowledged and respected by

all other students and educators and their special needs are catered with

differentiated pedagogy, school activities and curriculum (Loreman, Deppeler &

Harvey, 2011). This paper discusses the change of views and legislation in

understanding inclusion of students with special needs. Further, it discusses the

training and development of personal and professional skills, as an educator to

prepare for the classroom full of children with diverse learning needs. It also

examines the need for cooperation and collaboration between teachers, school,

stakeholders and wider community to assess and improve in inclusion of

students with disabilities, including students with Autism PSectrum Disorder

(ASD).

To ensure all students receive equal opportunity for quality education,

the teachers, school leaders, government and policy makers to work closely with

one another in developing legislations that are aligned with international laws

and policies. Which allows the rights to not be discriminated but to be treated as

an equal regardless of their age, sexual preferences, learning abilities and

religious background. The Racial Discrimination Act 1975 was created in

response to United Nations International Convention on the elimination of all

forms of racial discriminations which grant everyone to be treated equally

indifference to their cultural or ethical backgrounds (Poed & Elkins, 2012).

Further, Commonwealth Disability discrimination Act 1992 was also created in

response to international policy statement produced by UN that all students

with disabilities have the same educational opportunities as all other students

(Poed & Elkins, 2012). These legislations were created so that the education

policy makers will take account on the rights of students with disabilities to be

considered when developing policies for education.

The national government along with state and territory government

formed Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) to

assess, record and report the learning outcomes of students but what is doesn’t

reflect is the cause of low achievements (Conway, 2011). The Australian

government and policy makers and schools are working hand in hand to

accommodate legislation that ensures that students with disabilities are catered
for their needs so be educated successfully. Likewise, the wider community also

need to embrace the philosophy so inclusion of student with disabilities in

regular classroom. The Disability Standards for Education 2005 was created to

ensure that students with disabilities are able to enroll to regular classrooms,

they are provided with student support services and curriculum development

catered their needs successful education (Poed & Elkins, 2012; Conway, 2011).

The curriculum development and constitution structures are moving towards

presenting students with special needs with the curriculum that empowers

them to achieve their best rather than the regular curriculum that expect less

from them. In Northern territory, the curriculum framework allows the student

with the opportunity to complete year 12 through multiple pathways by

blending academic and vocational skills (Conway, 2011). In NSW, student with

disabilities can undertake life skills curriculum, which provide them with

smooth transition from high school to adult life (Conway, 2011). This is a good

example of allowing students to demonstrate learning outcomes in their

preferred pace and styles.

Furthermore, we should not overlook the importance of collaboration

between the schools and local, national and international community to improve

the ways we can include students with special needs. Family is one of the most

important yet often overlooked support group that can assist the teachers in

developing strategies that suit the specific needs of their child. As suggested by

Salend (2011) that collaboration between comprehensive planning team such

as the teacher and family is essential because of the way in which it allows them

to discuss strengths and challenges of students to provide a better service.

Collaboration between teachers and parents is a crucial in creating a safe and

supportive environment where students are happy to learn and thrive

(Loreman, Deppeler & Harvey, 2011). Inclusive education cannot exist in an

environment where students are educated differently and separately to their

peers. Thus, as caretaker and decision makers of the children, parents are agents

to provide the teacher with information and insights on how the children learn

best (Loreman, 2007). Therefore, they can work together to develop personalize

learning that catered for the specific needs of the students (Agzarian, 2012). To

be involved inclusive education meant that students participates in all aspects

of learning in classroom and the school has to adapt and make changes to meet

these special needs to show that they value all students and celebrate

differences (Loreman, 2007). Salend (2011) suggested that effective

collaboration between school and wider community means that everyone come

together to discuss and develop student-centered learning curriculum. Salend

refer to this process as “wraparound process” (Salend, 2011), where a meeting

between family members, general educators, school administrators, special

educator, school psychologists, paraeductors, social worker, school counselor

and bilingual educator for English language learner where they share their

expertise, strengths and challenges of the students and work together to achieve

appropriate strategies, adjustment in curriculum and appropriate services. The

teacher should seek and ask for help from the people such as the family and

special educator so that they can come up with strategies and adjustments that

better suited to the needs of the individual. This collaboration would work best

if the parents have trust that teacher is working for the benefit of the student

with special needs. One of the ways in which the teacher can demonstrate is by
advocating for the students by inviting the family and community to partner

with the school in reaching out to them as well as inviting them into the

classroom (Loreman, 2007). Also working closely with disability advocacy

groups’ show that teachers are being held accountable and they have been

encouraged to re-evaluate and reconsider their views, opinions and values.

Collaboration between school and wider community will ensure that the specific

needs of students with disabilities in learning environment not overlooked

rather carefully thought and planned to give the best possible opportunity for

them to succeed.

Moreover, a teacher should be competent in personal in professional

skills to successfully implement inclusive education practices in the classroom.

Therefore, framework such as Australian Professional Standards for Teachers is

developed to ensure that they are competent in their professional skills. These

are reinforced since early stages of training. As stated in Australian Professional

Standards for Teachers (2011), a teacher to demonstrate teaching strategies

that are responsive to learning strengths from diverse cultural and religious

background. A teacher would benefit from adapting inclusive pedagogy where it

allows the teacher to attend to the individual needs whilst avoiding

marginalisation of monitories such as the students from culturally diverse,

lower socio-economic and non-English speaking background (Pantic and

Florian, 2015). In trying to achieve inclusive education for students with

disabilities, we often could overlook in marginalizing the students without

disabilities but with circumstances that hinder them for learning. Hence,

inclusive pedagogy works in a way that it allows that teacher to focus on

achieving social justice for all students including students with special needs

(Pantic and Florian, 2015). A teacher who is committed to inclusive education

and social justice should build a stronger relationship with the student by

getting to know who they are, their cultures, beliefs and values thus they can be

competent and adequately respond to the diverse needs of the students (Pantic

and Florian, 2015). These are identified and expected of all teachers to show

competency in their skills, knowledge and understanding as well as in their

personal and moral sensibilities and practicing inclusion out of humility rather

than obligation.

Therefore, a teacher positive attitudes towards inclusion of students with

disabilities is crucial in success of implementation of inclusive education in

classroom. The inclusive pedagogy, policies and services and programs could all

in place but if the school leaders and teachers are not committed to inclusive

education, it cannot succeed (Loreman, Deppeler, Harvey, 2011 & Loreman,

2007). The positive attitude towards inclusion of students with disabilities

should be fostered since early stage of training so that teacher are well prepared

and equipped for a classroom with diverse learning needs (Loreman, 2007). A

teacher should seek to build a positive relationship with students through

mutual respect and support, which is a proven success of inclusive education. A

teacher who is motivated to see all students participating and contributing in

class would work to ensure that all students are presented with the same and

equal opportunity. They would put strategies and curriculum adjustments to

ensure that students with diverse learning needs are met.

As part of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers, a teacher

is to maintain a safe and supportive environment where the students can

participate and engage in classroom activities (2011). As teachers and as an

agent of social justice, we have the responsibility to ensure that students are

provided with the help and assistance they need to do well in class. In cases such

as catering for the needs of students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD),

adjustments to curriculum and course deliverance, classroom arrangement and

institutional structures can all contribute to building a safe and supportive

environment where the students with ASD may feel welcomed and valued

(Amanda Boutot, 2007). A safe and supportive environment is established when

the student with disabilities and a general student can acknowledge differences

and develop and grow in their friendship. There are a few things that a teacher

can do to help. Firstly, the teacher should address to the general students

regarding the student with disabilities that will be joining them in class. Thus,

the general students will be well aware of the situation and will be informed and

be encouraged to speak to and play with their peer.

Amanda Boutot (2007) suggested that pairing the student with ASD with

a general student preferably from the same classes so that they can attend

classes together. It is a much easier transition for student with ASD if they

already have a friend in each class. Secondly, the teacher could have a special

education teacher to help plan lessons, partner in classroom, assess and reflect

on the lesson (Amanda Boutot 2007; Agzarian, 2012). This could benefit in re-

evaluating and developing teaching strategies that best suited to student with

special needs as well as general students. Lastly, arranging the physical

classroom to meet the needs of all students. The physical classroom should

accommodate to the learning such as providing adequate space to move around

in learning activities, adequate lighting and air flow as well as learning aids such
as textbooks and resources to help them learn. These are all factors that

contribute to building a safe and supportive environment where the students

are provided with opportunity to form friendships, a support teacher and

physical environment that enable them to learn.

Henceforward, Australian Professional Standards for teacher emphasis

on the competency of the teacher to assess student learning through formal and

informal diagnostic, formative and summative approaches (2011). Summative

assessment can be used to collect data and use that as evidence of learning by

students to set learning goals (Deppeler, 2007). Therefore, tests such as NAPLAN

tests are in placed to assess and analyse to further develop curriculum and

strategies to improve learning quality. Formative assessment is used to monitor

the progress of learning and make changes to the curriculum and provide

feedback for improvement in the future (Deppeler, 2007). Both are important as

it helps the teacher to identify the areas that they need to focus most to enhance

learning experiences. Deepeler (2007) suggested that continuous assessment is

also effective as it allows the students to continuously develop their ability to

self-assess regarding their performances through feedback. This is effective

because it gives students a chance to take initiative and ownership in their own

learning as well as make them feel responsible.

In addition, inclusive education aims at providing fair and equal

opportunity to all students with diverse learning needs. As teachers, we are

responsible to comply ourselves with skills, knowledge and understanding that

allows us to be the better educators.

References
Amanda Boutot, E. (2007). Fitting in: Tips for promoting acceptance and friendships for
students with Autism Spectrum Disorders in inclusive classroom. Intervention in
school and clinics, 42(156). DOI: 10.1177/10534512070420030401

Agzarian, J. (2012). A Resource for Teacher and School Learning Support Officers.
Retrieved from https://vuws.westernsydney.edu.au/bbcswebdav/pid-
2910790-dt-content-rid
23677542_1/courses/102084_2017_2h/SLSO_Roles_and_Responsibilities%20
%202012.pdf

Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (2011, February). Australian Institute

for Teaching and School leadership. Retrieved from
https://www.aitsl.edu.au/docs/default-source/apst-
resources/australian_professional_standard_for_teachers_final.pdf

Conway, R. (2011). Adapting Curriculum, Teaching and Learning Strategies (p. 114-
178).

Developing teachers as agents for inclusive and social justice (2015, September).
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Carrington (Eds.), Schools and diversity (2nd ed., pp. 164-187).

Loreman, T., Deppeler, J., & Harvey, D. (2011). Inclusive education: Supporting
diversity in the classroom (2nd ed.). Crows Nest, Australia: Allen & Unwin.

Loreman, T. (2007). Seven pillars of support for inclusive education. International Journal
of Whole Schooling, 3(2), 22-38.

Poed, S., & Elkins, J. (2012). Legislation, policies, and principles. In A. Ashman & J.
Elkins (Eds.), Education for inclusion and diversity (4th ed., pp. 39-60).

Salend, S. J. (2011). Creating collaborative relationships and fostering communication.

In Creating inclusive classrooms: Effective and reflective practices (7th ed., pp.
136-173).