Inclusive Education for All #4
9 February 2022
by Chris Barnes, Inclusive Education Officer, Down Syndrome International
As parents, what do we wish for our children as they grow up and enter the world of adulthood?
I’ve asked this question to many parents, and people without children yet. Many hope their son or daughter will find love and have a family; many wish their child to be successful, or at least financially stable, with a job they enjoy; many have said words like, ‘accepted’, ‘fulfilled’, ‘included’, ‘content’ and ‘happy.’ Of course, the list goes on and I’m sure you have many more hopes and dreams for your children!
One little girl’s mum said: ‘She told me she’d like to work in a café, serving all the people their lunches and drinks.’ Our societies seem very well suited for dreams like this to be a reality for a great deal of young people and adults, should they wish to pursue it. However, for many – even in the 21st century – there are still barriers: misconceptions, prejudices, inequalities, and social stigmas still push against the realisation of a more inclusive society.
What part does education have to play in helping to remove these barriers?
Imagine a ‘typical’ (if there is such a thing) cohort of 30 children, moving through their primary education, before splitting up and moving on to secondary school and beyond…
Put simply, these children will learn academic lessons and skills from their teachers, activities, coursework and study; and social, emotional life-lessons and skills from their peers/friends/enemies.
Upon reaching adulthood (and alongside their upbringing) they are hopefully almost ready to stumble into the world, as the next generation of employers/employees, professionals, decision-makers, lawmakers (or breakers), new-thinkers, and general public.
How can they be most ready to include, accept and involve people with disabilities?
Education, or ‘inclusive education’, is the perfect first steppingstone in teaching children skills more important than ‘how to use relative clauses’ in grammar, or ‘how to apply Pythagoras’ theorem’ in mathematics.
Inclusive education can teach all children humility, humanity and open-mindedness in working, learning, communicating, and playing with kids with disabilities. From a young age, it can remove the mysticism and fear associated with talking to, befriending, and employing people with disabilities. Segregated or separated classes and education systems can naturally hinder this process.
Inclusive education is not an ‘answer’, it is a transformative process, undertaken over time.
An inclusive society is the goal; inclusive education is one practice by which it can be achieved, alongside inclusive employment and inclusive participation, among others.
By encouraging policymakers, school leaders, head teachers, and parents to embrace this practice, we can work towards a more inclusive, and equitable, society.
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