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Most research says inclusive education is better, but what does inclusion really mean? from www.shutterstock.com

Inclusive education, where children with special needs are educated in mainstream schools and classes, is generally seen as the best method for educating all students.

The accepted international view for many years has been to move away from segregating children with special needs in special schools. However, special education seems to be experiencing somewhat of a renaissance in Australia and a recent piece in The Conversation argued that this might be positive.

What is inclusion?

Providing a clear definition of inclusive education is no mean feat. The definition and explanation from UNICEF is lengthy and convoluted. However, in basic terms it is about ensuring that all children are educated in a mainstream environment that meets their individual needs.

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics ( ABS), the number of schools in Australia increased by 3% from 1999 to 2013. During the same period there has been a 17% increase in special schools across the country. This goes against international practice where there is a move away from special education provision in favour of mainstream schooling.

These figures seem to indicate that we in Australia are becoming less inclusive with regards to education. Given the international community sees inclusive education as a human rights issue, we have to ask why Australia is moving backwards in this area.

The idea of segregating people based on religion, race or gender would be regarded as fairly inappropriate in modern Australian society. Yet education seems to escape that scrutiny.

Consideration of the social ramifications for the young person of being segregated are usually secondary to the needs of the local mainstream school.

www.shutterstock.com

Tracking results from inclusion and special education is difficult

With the increasing number of special school settings across Australia, and more students being placed in these segregated settings, it's important to look at how special schools compare with inclusive settings for the education of students with disabilities.

However, this is actually very difficult to do. Since the adoption of the inclusion philosophy for students with disabilities, there has been much debate about how it might be measured.

Firstly, there is no single nationally accepted definition of inclusive education or set of standards that have been established to describe what inclusive education is. Consequently, it means different things across different systems, and between different schools.

Second, the tracking of academic progress of students with disabilities, especially those with intellectual or communication disabilities, is done poorly in Australia.

Many of these students are on individual plans, which look different between systems, sectors and even schools. This inconsistency makes the results of students with disabilities almost impossible to measure and compare across Australian schools.

To compound this issue, students with many forms of disability are not able to sit the NAPLAN tests. Therefore their data is not collected or counted at the national level.

Finally, the intended outcomes of inclusive education are beyond just academic, and these are difficult to measure.

Post-school social outcomes for students in terms of employment, independence, connectedness to community, productivity and health outcomes (just to name a few) are considered by all to be important, but often not considered when looking at the inclusive versus special education debate.

www.shutterstock.com

Costs and benefits in favour of inclusion

While much of the research supports inclusive education for everyone, the issues with measuring inclusion mean the positive outcomes are not being fully recognised or reported.

One concern that is often raised is the cost of supporting all students within their local schools. A number of international studies, both in Western and developing nations, have found the immediate cost of inclusive education is comparable to that of operating special schools.

However, the benefits for society once students, both those with and without disabilities, leave school and transition into adult life are much greater for everyone if they are part of an inclusive schooling environment. After all, if we want an inclusive society, then we need inclusive schools.

To include or not to include?

Two matters in this debate warrant further consideration.

Who determines what inclusion means for a particular student? Attempts to define inclusive education often result in complicated explanations about what it does and does not look like, rather than offering a fixed concept.

And is it possible for something described as " special" to be inclusive? Degrees of inclusion are possible, such as partial inclusion, where a student spends part of the school day or week with their regular peers in the classroom and the remainder of their learning time in a separate location (a different classroom or another school) receiving special education instruction. But is it appropriate to accept this as "inclusive education"?

In some countries, such as Italy, special schools do not exist. At the moment the progressive view is that students should be educated in their local mainstream school wherever practically possible. Segregation of students should not be the "new inclusion".

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Australia lags behind the evidence on special schools

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The accepted international view for many years has been to move away from segregating children with special needs in special schools. However, special education seems to be experiencing somewhat of a renaissance in Australia and a recent piece in The Conversation argued that this might be positive.

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5 Benefits of Inclusion in Classrooms

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When kids are found eligible for special education services, it's common for their families to worry that they'll be placed in a different classroom than other kids their age. But most kids who are eligible for special education spend the majority of their time in general education classrooms. Many of those classrooms are what's known as inclusion (or inclusive) classrooms.

In an inclusion classroom, general education teachers and special education teachers work together to meet the needs of all students.

This is key. As Carl A. Cohn, EdD, executive director of the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence, points out, "It's important...to realize that special education students are first and foremost general education students."

Many schools have inclusive classrooms. In part, that's because of the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act (IDEA). This law says that students who get special education services should learn in the " least restrictive environment " (LRE). That means they should spend as much time as possible with students who don't get special education services.

Inclusive classes are set up in a number of ways. Some use a collaborative team teaching (or co-teaching) model. With co-teaching, there's a special education teacher in the room all day.

Other inclusive classes have special education teachers " push in " at specific times during the day to teach (instead of pulling kids out of class to a separate room). In either case, both teachers are available to help all students.

Studies show that inclusion is beneficial for all students-not just for those who get special education services. In fact, research shows that inclusive education has positive short-term and long-term effects for all students.

Kids with special education needs who are in inclusive classes are absent less often. They develop stronger skills in reading and math. They're also more likely to have jobs and pursue education after high school.

The same research shows that their peers benefit, too. They're more comfortable with and more tolerant of differences. They also have increased positive self-esteem and diverse, caring friendships.

Read on to learn more benefits of inclusive classrooms.

1. Tailors Teaching for All Learners

All students learn differently. This is a principle of inclusive education. In an inclusive classroom, teachers weave in specially designed instruction and support that can help students make progress. These strategies are helpful for all students. Kids may be given opportunities to move around or use fidgets. And teachers often put positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS) in place.

Another key teaching strategy is to break students into small groups. When teachers use small groups, they can tailor their teaching to the way each student learns best. This is known as differentiated instruction.

Teachers meet the needs of all students by presenting lessons in different ways and using the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework. For example, they may use multisensory instruction. In math, that may mean using visual aids and manipulatives like cubes or colored chips to help kids learn new concepts. (See more examples of multisensory math techniques.)

Some classrooms may have an interactive whiteboard. On it, kids can use their fingers to write, erase, and move images around on the large screen. This teaching tool can also be used to turn students' work into a video, which can be exciting for kids and help keep them engaged.

2. Makes Differences Less "Different"

Inclusive classrooms are filled with diverse learners, each of whom has strengths and challenges. Inclusion gives kids a way to talk about how everyone learns in their own way. They may find that they have more in common with other kids than they thought. This can go a long way in helping kids know that difference is just a normal part of life. It can also help kids build and maintain friendships.

3. Provides Support to All Students

In more traditional special education settings, many kids are "pulled out" for related services like speech therapy or for other specialized instruction. An inclusion class often brings speech therapists, reading specialists, and other service providers into the classroom.

These professionals can provide information and suggestions to help all students. If kids aren't eligible for special education but still need some extra support, they can get it informally.

4. Creates High Expectations for All

In an Individualized Education Program (IEP), a student's goals should be based on the academic standards for their state. Those standards lay out what all students are expected to learn in math, reading, science, and other subjects by the end of the school year.

Differentiated instruction and co-teaching in a general education classroom make it easier for students with standards-based IEPs to be taught the same material as their classmates.

In some schools, only certain classrooms are designated as inclusive. In that case, schools may assign general education students randomly to inclusive or noninclusive classes. Other schools may choose students who benefit from the emphasis on meeting the needs of all learners at all ability levels.

Investigate the supports and services that might be available in an inclusion classroom. Explore the various models of collaborative team teaching. And read an interview with an inclusion specialist about what inclusion looks like in action.

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When kids are found eligible for special education services, it's common for their families to worry that they'll be placed in a different classroom than other kids their age.

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Appendix A

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Appendix B

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Table Template

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Rowans Transformative Analysis

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Ivanhoe Girls' Grammar has reached a confidential settlement with a 10-year-old autistic girl after allegedly refusing to enrol her because she didn't "suit" the school.

The girl's mother took legal action in the Federal Court, accusing the independent school of discriminating against her daughter because of her disability.

A spokeswoman for Ivanhoe Girls Grammar denied the claim and said the school was "committed to providing an inclusive and supportive educational environment".

She said the matter was resolved on a confidential basis to the satisfaction of all parties.

The matter didn't go trial - which meant that the school never filed a defence responding to the claims. It was settled at mediation in August.

Federal Court judge Debra Mortimer was not asked to determine whether the allegations were true, but approved the settlement, saying it was in the child's best interests.

Justice Mortimer said the undisclosed sum of money would be kept in a trust and go towards the child's ongoing needs.

Court documents reveal that in 2007 or 2008 the girl's parents paid an enrolment fee in the hope it would secure them a place at the sought-after school when their daughter started Year 5 in 2019.

Last year, they decided that they wanted their daughter to start earlier.

They claim that the Melbourne school twice told them that there was a vacancy for their child in term three of grade 2.

They also alleged that at an interview last June, principal Dr Heather Schnagl claimed that the school would not "suit" the girl and she would not "fit in".

It was allegedly suggested that the Andale​ School in Kew, which caters for children with language and learning disorders, would be more appropriate for the student.

The parents said they were prepared to pay extra for a full-time aide for their daughter, who has a number of disabilities including autism.

After the meeting Dr Schnagl wrote to the parents and said the school was unable to meet the child's "learning needs" and would be unlikely to do so until she "benefits significantly" from a proposed intensive intervention strategy.

She strongly encouraged the mother to consider enrolling her daughter at the Andale school and told them "there were no vacancies in Year 3 in 2017".

The parents complained to the Australian Human Rights Commission before filing proceedings in the Federal Court.

The Age has chosen not to name the girl because her parents fear it would harm her chances of being accepted into another school.

They originally wanted an order so that their daughter could attend the school, but have since lost faith in the school and no longer want her to study there.

The girl's father said that the system was "fundamentally broken".

"The kids who suffer the most in this country are children with a disability," he said.

"It does not need to be this way."

It comes as new research shows that almost one in three students with a disability have been refused enrolment or discouraged from enrolling at a mainstream school.

The paper, by University of Melbourne, Macquarie University and Curtin University academics, revealed that 70 per cent of Australian students with a disability have experienced gatekeeping or restrictive practices at schools including being refused enrolment, excluded from activities and only being enrolled part-time.

There was no significant difference between state, independent and Catholic sectors, according to the survey of 745 families, students and advocates.

Co-author Robert Jackson, an adjunct associate professor at Curtin University, said schools needed a major shake-up.

"It needs to change from a situation where teachers think 'how is this child going to fit in my classroom?' to 'how do I organise my environment so all children belong and are challenged by the curriculum?' "

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Private school settles with 10-year-old autistic girl over discrimination claims

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Ivanhoe Girls' Grammar has reached a confidential settlement with a 10-year-old autistic girl after allegedly refusing to enrol her because she didn't "suit" the school. The girl's mother took legal action in the Federal Court, accusing the independent school of discriminating against her daughter because of her disability.

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Most research says inclusive education is better, but what does inclusion really mean? from www.shutterstock.com

Inclusive education, where children with special needs are educated in mainstream schools and classes, is generally seen as the best method for educating all students.

The accepted international view for many years has been to move away from segregating children with special needs in special schools. However, special education seems to be experiencing somewhat of a renaissance in Australia and a recent piece in The Conversation argued that this might be positive.

What is inclusion?

Providing a clear definition of inclusive education is no mean feat. The definition and explanation from UNICEF is lengthy and convoluted. However, in basic terms it is about ensuring that all children are educated in a mainstream environment that meets their individual needs.

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics ( ABS), the number of schools in Australia increased by 3% from 1999 to 2013. During the same period there has been a 17% increase in special schools across the country. This goes against international practice where there is a move away from special education provision in favour of mainstream schooling.

These figures seem to indicate that we in Australia are becoming less inclusive with regards to education. Given the international community sees inclusive education as a human rights issue, we have to ask why Australia is moving backwards in this area.

The idea of segregating people based on religion, race or gender would be regarded as fairly inappropriate in modern Australian society. Yet education seems to escape that scrutiny.

Consideration of the social ramifications for the young person of being segregated are usually secondary to the needs of the local mainstream school.

www.shutterstock.com

Tracking results from inclusion and special education is difficult

With the increasing number of special school settings across Australia, and more students being placed in these segregated settings, it's important to look at how special schools compare with inclusive settings for the education of students with disabilities.

However, this is actually very difficult to do. Since the adoption of the inclusion philosophy for students with disabilities, there has been much debate about how it might be measured.

Firstly, there is no single nationally accepted definition of inclusive education or set of standards that have been established to describe what inclusive education is. Consequently, it means different things across different systems, and between different schools.

Second, the tracking of academic progress of students with disabilities, especially those with intellectual or communication disabilities, is done poorly in Australia.

Many of these students are on individual plans, which look different between systems, sectors and even schools. This inconsistency makes the results of students with disabilities almost impossible to measure and compare across Australian schools.

To compound this issue, students with many forms of disability are not able to sit the NAPLAN tests. Therefore their data is not collected or counted at the national level.

Finally, the intended outcomes of inclusive education are beyond just academic, and these are difficult to measure.

Post-school social outcomes for students in terms of employment, independence, connectedness to community, productivity and health outcomes (just to name a few) are considered by all to be important, but often not considered when looking at the inclusive versus special education debate.

www.shutterstock.com

Costs and benefits in favour of inclusion

While much of the research supports inclusive education for everyone, the issues with measuring inclusion mean the positive outcomes are not being fully recognised or reported.

One concern that is often raised is the cost of supporting all students within their local schools. A number of international studies, both in Western and developing nations, have found the immediate cost of inclusive education is comparable to that of operating special schools.

However, the benefits for society once students, both those with and without disabilities, leave school and transition into adult life are much greater for everyone if they are part of an inclusive schooling environment. After all, if we want an inclusive society, then we need inclusive schools.

To include or not to include?

Two matters in this debate warrant further consideration.

Who determines what inclusion means for a particular student? Attempts to define inclusive education often result in complicated explanations about what it does and does not look like, rather than offering a fixed concept.

And is it possible for something described as " special" to be inclusive? Degrees of inclusion are possible, such as partial inclusion, where a student spends part of the school day or week with their regular peers in the classroom and the remainder of their learning time in a separate location (a different classroom or another school) receiving special education instruction. But is it appropriate to accept this as "inclusive education"?

In some countries, such as Italy, special schools do not exist. At the moment the progressive view is that students should be educated in their local mainstream school wherever practically possible. Segregation of students should not be the "new inclusion".

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Australia lags behind the evidence on special schools

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The accepted international view for many years has been to move away from segregating children with special needs in special schools. However, special education seems to be experiencing somewhat of a renaissance in Australia and a recent piece in The Conversation argued that this might be positive.

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Student Diversity and the Australian Curriculum (ACARA, 2013

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Student Diversity and the Australian Curriculum (ACARA, 2013