Most recently, the Australian government reviewed the Education Standards (2005) which sit alongside the federal Disability Discrimination Act (1992).
Far from being simply a reflection of ‘out of touch inclusion policies’ as suggested recently by one education group, inclusion remains a vital and effective component of the education landscape in our schools.
The Education Standards were developed originally to provide more specific guidance for schools about their requirements for supporting and teaching children with disability. The standards are reviewed every five years, with the most recent being in 2020.
The actions which will flow from the latest review will see schools being required to publish information on their websites about how they support and provide services to students with disability.
There will also be enhanced information and guidance for children with disability, their families and educators around rights and advocacy, and greater capacity building to make sure educators understand their role and have the skills they need for effective inclusion.
Australia has a long standing commitment to inclusion, and this commitment is enshrined in our legislation as well as in the policies, practices and day to day activities of schools, school leaders and individual teachers.
There is an extensive body of research which guides the practice of teachers working with students with disability.
This research shows that teachers who receive training in how to teach all children effectively, and who learn to use scaffolding, modifications and adaptations to support children with disability when it is needed, have far more positive attitudes to inclusion.
This positive attitude then flows into better practice and greater skills in working inclusively, leading to improved confidence.
If we upskill teachers at the preservice level in how to use inclusive practices, then everyone benefits. Beginning teachers come into schools ready to build their skills in working inclusively, and more experienced teachers can share their knowledge and role model and mentor beginning teachers as they refine their skills.
So what happens when we educate children in inclusive settings? Research shows that children with disability who are educated in inclusive settings experience greater success academically than do children with disability in specialist, segregated settings.
They achieve more in maths, do better in their reading and have higher rates of attendance. In the longer-term, children with disability educated in inclusive settings are more likely to go on to find competitive employment and are more likely to live independently as adults.
What about children without disability – do they learn less because there are children with disability in their class?
Sometimes teachers might worry that inclusive practices might negatively affect their class as a whole. In fact the reverse is true.
Research shows that children who learn in inclusive settings have greater social cognition, are less fearful and concerned about interacting with a diverse range of people and have greater self-esteem and self-concept.
Academically, the effect of having a child with disability in a class is either neutral or positive. The world of workplaces and the wider community which exists beyond the school gates is a diverse one.
So can teachers really work in inclusive ways to teach all children? Teachers are sometimes concerned about their own capacity to provide diverse, appropriate learning experiences for all children, or whether they will have enough time and resourcing to meet everyone’s needs.
These are real and valid concerns, and it is useful to again look to the research to see what schools and systems can do to address them.
What the research says is that the attitudes and skills of teachers matter, and those who hold positive attitudes towards inclusion are more likely to adapt the way they work to better support all students.
They are also more likely to influence other educators and show them the benefits that come from inclusive practices.
Research also tells us that having time for collaboration is important. Teachers who learn to adjust the learning environment, use practical tools like visual schedules and understand how to modify tasks are better able teach all students effectively at their point of challenge.
One of the most useful things that schools can do to support inclusion is to provide time and opportunity for teachers to work together collaboratively. This team-based approach helps teachers feel supported and allows them to solve problems and find practical and pedagogical solutions that work for all students.
It is an unreasonable expectation for students to graduate from thirteen years of schooling holding the view that their right to education, access or participation exceeds that of another person.
Education is a collective, equally held right in Australia. Children who do not have disability are not more entitled to teaching and learning than children who do, just as children who are from wealthier backgrounds do not hold a greater fundamental right to education than children from families with lower income.
Although there have been calls recently from a small breakaway education group to move decision making powers to schools and away from a centralised education department, it is in fact the broader system which provides support to all teachers to help them work inclusively, for the success of all children.
Passing decision making responsibility on to school leaders for everything from policy direction to practical implementation does little to improve the effectiveness of the system as a whole.
School leaders need broader direction and guidance that allow students and families to feel confident in the system wide commitment to inclusion which is mandated in legislation across the country.
Our schools should reflect the views, values and aspirations of all members of our society, not just those of one group of people.
Our society is a diverse, vibrant and exciting one in Australia. If we want our young people to succeed, we need to teach all of them to work in ways which value and celebrate diversity rather than only focusing on individual success.
Anne Vize is the author of ‘The A to Z of Specialist and Inclusive Education’ and ‘Including all children – strategies that work’, published by Essential Resources.
