The significance of training school principals and educators in managing inclusive education

Abstract

South African government has made significant strides in developing inclusive education policies as compared to other African countries, but it has not done enough to ensure that skills of principals and of educators who will be involved in inclusive education are properly developed. Furthermore limited preparations have been done to ascertain that the necessary skills for adapting the curricula are in place. Principals still battle with the problem of adapting the curricula to meet a range of learning needs that are diverse. They often find themselves in a difficult position, as they are also expected to provide support and guidance to educators who are also not skilled in as far as inclusive education is concerned. The skills problem amongst the educators is further compounded by the department of education’s slow policy of empowering female educators and principals. More often than not, emphasis is placed on training Grade 12 educators as opposed to the Foundation Phase educators, of whom the majority are females. Therefore, this study has identified knowledge gaps in the training of female principals and educators in the primary schools, pertaining to the management of inclusive education. This study is ongoing and the researcher envisage to influence policy and to develop recommendations in the training of inclusive education.

Keywords; Inclusive Education, Training, Learning Barriers and Empowerment Strategies