I agree with your conclusion that it is only right for people with special needs to be treated with equity, and that people should be better trained and educated on how to interact with special needs people. According to Hunter-Johnson et al. (2014), educational equity require that all individuals have opportunities for the attainment of their potential, especially since education is widely considered as a critical factor in improving quality of life and as a prerequisite for participation in social and economic activities. Therefore, I would also point out that education is particularly important for disabled persons because they do not have opportunities to enhance their economic level, be educated, or enhance quality of life for various reasons. Additionally, Singh et al. (2015) argue that implementation of inclusive special education requires a paradigm shift towards pupil-oriented education rather than curriculum-oriented education, as well as towards a more resource and support-oriented education in special education.
Nevertheless, the paper analysis does raise a number of pertinent questions about the reason why people with special needs are left out of the picture and behind other children. Moore and Slee (2012) note that while most school commit to implementing inclusive classrooms to cater for disabled children, social interaction remains fairly infrequent. Therefore, a question arises as to whether providing peer support in the school setting increases social interactions in the classroom for disabled students. Further, another question that arises from the critical reflection is whether there is a significant difference in academic achievement for disabled children in inclusive classrooms and disabled children in special education classes. According to Savolainen et al. (2012), there is inconclusive evidence and a dearth of research into whether disabled children are more likely to succeed academically in the general education setting or in the special education setting. Finally, a question also arises from your reflection as to whether inclusion can change the attitudes of teachers and other students to disabled students. Hornby (2017), in this case, proposes that students should develop a better understanding of what disabled children can achieve.
- Hunter-Johnson, Y., Newton, N. G., & Cambridge-Johnson, J. (2014). What Does Teachers’ Perception Have to Do with Inclusive Education: A Bahamian Context. International journal of special education, 29(1), 143-157
- Hornby, G. (2017). Inclusive education for children with special education needs: A critique of policy and practice. Journal of International and Comparative Education, 1(1) 52-60
- Moore, M., & Slee, R. (2012). Disability Studies, Inclusive Education, and Exclusion. Development in Practice, 4(1), 23-34
- Savolainen, H., Engelbrecht, P., Nel, M., & Malinen, O. P. (2012). Understanding teachers’ attitudes and self-efficacy in inclusive education: implications for pre-service and in-service teacher education. European Journal of Special Needs Education, 27(1), 51-68
- Singh, A., Yeh, C., Singh, Y., Agarwal, A., & Tiwari, A. (2015). Best Practices for Designing Practicum in Special Education Programs. European Academic Research, 3(4), 4148-4179