South Africa is a democratic country with equal human rights. South Africa’s previous president, Thabo Mbeki, signed Article 24 in October 2006 and committed South African education to acknowledge all learners without discrimination and to create equal opportunities for all learners.
A close look was taken at support in inclusive education within the South African context. It touched on models contributing to the development of a learner, followed by a retrospection of the history that gave way to inclusive education in South Africa. International trends were also considered. The question investigated was:
Are the necessary support systems in place in Gauteng’s government primary schools, to provide the necessary support to learners who experience barriers to learning within the inclusive education system, and do they function optimally?
In order to answer this question data was collected by means of a self-administered questionnaire completed by principals of Gauteng government’s primary schools.
Some of the following aspects were the focus of the questionnaire in this study: barriers to learning that prevail the most are the type of specialist help available to the schools; the role of special schools as specialist reference; the attitudes of parents, teachers, specialists, therapists and teacher aids as well as the accessibility of specialised assistance to government schools. Questions also focussed on training, as well as support provided by institutional and district support teams.The most significant findings of the study include the the fact that classrooms are overcrowded. The most common barriers to learning are Attention Deficit (Hyperactivity) Disorder and emotional disability instability linked to family problems. A cause for concern is the fact that 82% of the respondents are teaching between 20 and 60 learners experiencing barriers to learning. The institutional level support teams were functioning effectively, but the district support teams did not function adequately. Special schools as resource centers are not used and utilized sufficiently by Gauteng’s government primary schools. The findings show that policies within schools need to be revised to accommodate the learner who experiences barriers to learning.
Observation proved that most of Gauteng government primary schools are gradually on the road to implementing inclusive education supported by support systems successfully.
Suid Afrika is ‘n demokratiese land met gelyke menseregte. Thabo Mbeki, Suid Afrika se vorige staatspresident, het Artikel 24 op 24 Oktober 2006 geteken en
het Suid Afrikaanse onderwys daartoe verbind om gelyke geleenthede vir alle
leerders daar te stel.
Ondersoek is ingestel na ondersteuning in inklusiewe onderwys binne die Suid Afrikaanse konteks. Dit het aan modelle geraak wat deel vorm van
kinderontwikkeling, opgevolg deur ‘n blik oor die geskiedenis wat aanleiding tot
inklusiewe onderwys in Suid Afrika gegee het. Internasionale modelle het ook
aandag geniet.
Die navorsingsvraag wat ondersoek is, lui soos volg:
Is die nodige ondersteuningstelsels in plek in Gautengse publieke laerskole om
die nodige ondersteuning te bied aan leerders wat hindernisse tot leer ervaar
binne ‘n inklusiewe onderwyssisteem, en funksioneer hulle optimaal?
Om hierdie vraag te beantwoord, is data deur middel van ‘n selfgeadministreerde
vraelys ingesamel. Hierdie vraelyste is deur hoofde van Gautengse publieke
laerskole voltooi.
Aspekte wat deel uitgemaak het van die fokus van die vraelys, was hindernisse
tot leer wat die meeste voorkom; tipe spesialishulp beskikbaar vir skole; die rol
wat hulpbronsentrums as spesialis verwysing speel; houdings van ouers,
onderwysers, spesialiste en klashulpe, asook die toeganklikheid van spesialishulp aan publieke skole. Daar is verder op opleiding gefokus, asook op die
ondersteuning wat deur institusionele en distriksondersteuningspanne verleen word. Die mees opvallende bevindings in die studie sluit oorvol klaskamers in. Die
mees algemene hindernis tot leer is aandagtekort-hiperaktiwiteitsindroom, ‘n
emosionele hindernis wat direk met familieprobleme verbind kan word.
Kommerwekkend is die feit dat 82% van die respondente tussen 20 en 60
leerders onderrig wat hindernisse tot leer ervaar. Terwyl institusionele
ondersteuningspanne effektief funksioneer, is dit nie die geval by die
distriksondersteuningspanne nie. Spesiale skole en hulpbronsentrums word nie
ten volle deur Gautengse publieke laerskole ontgin nie. Die bevindinge in hierdie
studie toon dat beleide in skole hersien behoort te word om beter ondersteuning
aan leerders te bied wat hindernisse tot leer ervaar.
Waarnemings het getoon dat die meeste Gautengse publieke laerskole geleidelik
op pad is na die suksesvolle implementering van inklusiewe onderwys wat deur
ondersteuningstelsels ondersteun word.
