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The Community Within the Classroom:
A Global Perspective of Inclusive Education
by Meghan Earley
The international and North American Educational literature
has focussed on the school reform movement referred to as full inclusion.
Recently, generalizations of the movement's focus have been extended to
include all individuals with disabilities including those persons with
behavioural and emotional challenges. Advocates continue their insistence
that it is the right of every young person, regardless of the level of
disability to be included in the general classroom. Inclusion is seen
as a matter of social justice and equality both overseas and within Canada
and the United States. In an increasingly globalized society, the importance
of community cannot be underestimated in supporting inclusion and its
principles, be that the pedagogy of the home or the learning centre nearby.
The purpose of this paper is to shed light on the senstive issue of inclusion
and how various cultures view those persons with disabilities within their
own educational systems. Research around the world is reviewed to illuminate
the various methods of approaching education for individuals with disabilities.
There are lessons to be learned from the experiences of other people in
terms of best practices. These lessons showed that the selection of and
contribution by fully qualified instructional members is an important
and integral component in the delivery of a successful inclusive educational
program for individuals with disabilities. In relation to pedagogies for
inclusion, the creation of inclusive practice within our school systems
is reflective of the evolvement of an inclusive philosophy and culture.
E-Mail: celticwv@hotmail.com
Abbotsford, British Columbia
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