User:Solar782/sandbox

Reasoning for choosing the topic "special/inclusive/disability education in South Africa"
I am really keen to complete my article on special/inclusive/disability education as this is another under-represented topic on Wikipedia. For example, only China, USA and the UK have Wikipedia pages outlining special education in their countries. I think it's important that greater awareness is raised for disability issues. Despite 15% of the worlds population having disabilities, their voices are often not heard. Throughout my degree I hope to understand Development challenges from a disability perspective and this article will help me do this. I'm also curious to see how my own experience of education, as a disabled individual in the UK, compares to the provision and experiences of those in South Africa.

Key issues that I want to cover:
I am keen to explore how education provision changes for people with Disabilities whether they attend mainstream or special schools. It will also be important to understand how access and attainment differs in Primary, Secondary and Tertiary education. I want to understand some of the barriers that Disabled people in South Africa face in accessing education and how government, NGO and educational institutions policies and programmes attempt to remove these. There are a huge range of disabilities therefore it will be interesting to understand how the type of impairment affects academic success. I aim to focus on physical, learning and sensory disabilities. Finally, it will be interesting to see if the Apartheid has left any long lasting legacies that particularly affect disability education.

Overall I will break my article down into: primary, secondary, higher education, history and policy/programmes that have tried to boost education attainment. In each section I will examine the different approaches for those with different disabilities and the type of school they attended.

Annotated Bibliography:
'''Khumalo, S. & Hodgson, T. F. (2015) The Right to Education for Children with Disabilities in South Africa: SECTION27’s action from national research and litigation strategies to international advocacy. Available at: https://www.right-to-education.org/es/node/412 (Accessed: 2 November 2021)'''

The website argues that although the South African government has committed constitutionally to inclusive education, the implementation is more challenging as demonstrated by the evidence below.

This website outlines that 489,036 disabled children are not attending school in South Africa. 67% of these have severe disabilities and would require a special school.

The website also outlines the Education White Paper 6 which provides education for disabled kids in different types of schools.

Section 27 aims to defend and enhance human rights in South Africa - they argue that children with physical, intellectual and visual impairments aren’t getting basic right to education.

South African govt has signed CRPD, talks about basic education for everyone in its constitution, enacted the schools act and drafted the Education White Paper so it constitutionally supports inclusive education.

Outlines case study of Sisizakele Special school whereby children were placed on a waiting list to get access. Has a waiting list of hundreds of learners. Only had 8 / 17 teachers showing poor provision.

2013 - 2,495 partially sighted and 1,307 blind children receiving education in South Africa special schools - Limited access to braille and large print, teachers not braille specialists, staff shortages, no mobility training, take tests in poor circumstances

Lack of staff and expertise to support disabled learners

'''McKenzie, J. (2021) ‘Intellectual Disability in Inclusive Education in South Africa: Curriculum Challenges’, Journal of Policy and Practice in Intellectual Disabilities, 18(1), pp. 53–57. doi: 10.1111/jppi.12337'''

The article outlines the barriers to education for individuals with ID, and the government's policies to increase their educational attainment. McKenzie goes on to criticise the notion of 3 curriculums for 3 different ID severities as not inclusive and not allowing for mobility between the different curriculums.

Evidence;

The journal introduces the notion that there many barriers to education such as; economic, social, linguistic, + psychosocial effect of HIV/AIDS (p53)

National policy aimed to remove environmental and social barriers - favouring the social rather than medical model of disability. (p53)

Outlines Apartheid context of racism link to perceived intellectual inferiority - link to importance of education for people with Intellectual Disabilities (p54)

Education White Paper 6 - ID inclusion won’t take a lot of resources, supports minimal spending But- need to change curriculum to support them (p54)

Guidelines for responding to learner diversity - importance of differentiating curriculum, and adapting assessment so it’s appropriate for the learners level (p54)

Policy on SIAS - identifies 3 levels of ID. mild, severe, profound. 1) Provide specialist staff and services. 2) Curriculum and assessment adjustment 3) Provision of specialised material + assistive tech 4) Teacher training. Diagnosed by a specialist not an IQ test (p55)

2014 - 444 special schools for 111,477 learners. 50% in special schools (p55)

Children with mild ID get vocational training, severe would be in special schools, profound no access to education until court case (p55)

State spend $60 for mainstream education, $260 for special (p55)

Western Cape Forum for ID - case against South Africa government as profound ID kids not allowed into mainstream schools and not accepted into specials due to high support needs (p56) High court said government not providing basic right to education leading too curriculum changes.

Three different curricula, for three levels of ID - raising questions about inclusivity and segregation of kids too special schools (p56)

'''Human Rights Watch (2019) South Africa: Children with Disabilities Shortchanged. Available at: https://www.hrw.org/news/2019/05/24/south-africa-children-disabilities-shortchanged (Accessed: 2 November 2021)'''

The website argues that the government isn’t translating inclusive education plans into results.

Evidence:

Parents concerned by lack of equal treatment and adequate skills learnt by their disabled kids in Orange Farm, Johannesburg

ANC recognising radical improvements needed for people with disabilities

Shipped into special schools rather than getting inclusive, mainstream education

Data- 2015- 121,500 disabled learners in mainstream schools, 119,500 in special schools and 11,500 on special schools waiting lists

Children with disabilities are often charged extra for their education

Special schools should qualify as “no fee” schools

Duzenendlela primary farm school - dropping out at 18 still illiterate

Disabled kids often miss first year of primary basic education as have to wait as too eagerly referred to special schools

Government rolling out school grants for kids with intellectual disabilities and providing more materials in braille after Section 27 law suite.

Also provides more anecdotal evidence from parents on equipment and experiences in Special schools.

'''Ntombela, S. (2013) ‘Inclusive education and training in South African higher education: Mapping the experiences of a student with physical disability at university’, Africa Education Review, 10(3), pp. 483-501. doi: 10.1080/18146627.2013.853541'''

A very anecdotal account of Themba’s lived experiences at University. For me it shows the hard hitting personal impacts of exclusion. Themba’s self worth and self esteem seems to be negatively affected by his university experience. We are told to change our attitudes as well as reduce the physical barriers for disabled people.

Evidence:

Disability more of a Human rights issue than medical one (p483)

Access barriers in lecture theatres - sitting at back so unable to integrate with peers (p485)

Questions meaning of Inclusive education - Human rights focus or a celebration of learner diversity? (p486)

Philosophy of Inclusion to understand experience of uni life, transformation used to investigate how uni has changed to access learning (p487)

Exclusion based on peoples perception of his physical condition and position (p490)

Access issues ignored as disability viewed as a personal, medical problem (p490)

Disability becomes an identity, othered & pity (p491)

On the margins as unable to access or choose where to go (p493)

Inaccessible disability office and a ramp leading to stairs (p493)

Themba was told access would be improved but two years later the same problems remained (p495)

Don’t require a cosmetic change of quotas but a challenge of the deep rooted prejudices (p496)

Token gestures are mistaken for inclusion for it doesn’t instigate change in collective attitude (p497)

'''Pather, S. (2011) ‘Evidence on inclusion and support for learners with disabilities in mainstream schools in South Africa: off the policy radar?’, International Journal of Inclusive Education, 15(10), pp. 1103-1117. doi: 10.1080/13603116.2011.555075'''

The article investigates good practice in a predominantly rural black school. Pather argues that with adequate teacher and peer support based on community values inclusion can be successfully achieved in mainstream schools. Interestingly, Pather acknowledges that the support of a local special school has improved provision in the mainstream setting. Pather shows how providing kids with an opportunity to be independent and collaboration with local groups can increase inclusion. Case studies of blind kids becoming teachers and lawyers help Pather demonstrate what is possible for disabled kids in good quality mainstream schools.

Barriers to Inclusive Education in South Africa
All disabled children in South Africa have the right to an education in their Constitution. However not all students with disabilities get an adequate education with approximately 600,000 not attending school. The history of special education in South Africa has been influenced by race which has contributed to a situation where disability and racism have combined to marginalise individuals from accessing an education. Other barriers to a quality education include cost, lack of physical access, teaching, equipment and attitudes. These obstacles in the education system mix to ensure a good quality education is not yet received by all. Attempts to reduce the barriers to a quality education for disabled students have included government policy like the Education White Paper 6 and local programmes like Teacher Empowerment for Disability Inclusion courses.

History of Inclusive Education in South Africa
Inclusive education was non-existent in South Africa in the 17th and 18th centuries as people with disabilities were often imprisoned or killed. Globally, it was common practice for disabled babies to be murdered or abandoned as they were regarded as a bad omen. In the 19th Century churches were key to creating inclusive education. One of the first examples of South African special education was the establishment of Dominican Grimley School for the Deaf in 1863. Churches provided special education for both white and non-white children. Dutch colonisers created some separate schools for white disabled children neglecting non-white South Africans with disabilities in the process.

The Department of Education first took responsibility for Disability Education under the 1928 Special Education Act which created special schools for white children. These schools provided for deaf, blind, epileptic, and physically disabled kids. They grew quickly and began to provide for those with autism and psychological disabilities. Again only churches provided special education for non-whites for example they created schools for blind and epileptic coloured children.

Under the Apartheid system of separate development the Coloured Persons, Bantu Education, and Indian Education Acts in the early 1960s saw special education for non-whites being controlled by the various different racially defined government departments. There were vast inequalities in special education. White schools got the majority of the funding and support for disabled learners who attended black schools was rare. There is limited evidence of the development of special education in the Bantustans but access to inclusive education for black South Africans was far less than whites. For example the number of pupils in special schools as a ratio of total students for the various races was 1:62 for whites but 1:830 for Africans. More black South Africans were disabled than white South Africans, due to poverty and lack of access to medical services, which makes the education funding and figures even more unjust. Many disabled black South Africans weren't getting an education at all.

After the abolition of Apartheid the new Democratic government created the National Commission on Special Needs in Education and Training (NCSNET) which emphasised that Inclusive Education was a human right for all. The 2001 Education White Paper outlined the policies required to create a new single education system for able bodied and disabled learners.

Barriers to Accessing a Quality Education
There are approximately 600,000 disabled children in South Africa not attending school. Despite South African laws and their constitution protecting their full access to an education there are a number of significant barriers to their participation.

Cost:
The South African government grant families with a severely disabled child US$120 per month but this does not cover all the costs. Families with disabled children are often charged more than abled bodied kids for their education, especially if they attend special schools. There has also been incidences were disabled pupils have had to pay for their own support assistant if they want to participate in a main stream school. This cost is often too great for families with disabled kids who are more likely to be disadvantaged by poverty and a lack of economic opportunities. It costs the government $200 more per disabled student to send them to a special school than a mainstream school. This cost for the state has led to an incentive to keep children in mainstream education even if this is not meeting all their needs.

Lack of Physical Access:
Often the education environment is inaccessible for people with disabilities, this is particularly problematic for people with physical disabilities. For example, in 2012 98% of schools in South Africa did not have access to ramps and 97% had inappropriate toilets for disabled learners. The classrooms themselves can often be challenging for wheelchair users to navigate, making it harder for them to socialise with their peers and gain a meaningful education. Universities are also often inaccessible for physically disabled students. For example, there are access barriers in lecture theatres and inaccessible student support units. In the 2001 National Plan for Higher Education Universities were not obliged to increase accessibility for disabled students but were urged to have the basic infrastructure for disabled parents and members of the community

Lack of Equipment:
Blind and partially sighted students find it difficult accessing braille and resources with larger font. Physically disabled students may need accessible seating, table-top desks, note takers, scribes but don't receive these due to the significant cost involved. Without this equipment it is not possible for disabled students to participate in the classroom. In higher education extensive lobbying is ongoing so students can get more support than just that offered by Assistive Technology.

Lack of Quality Teaching:
There is a lack of training for teachers on different methods of inclusive education for different types of disabilities. This leads to teachers feeling unprepared and reluctant to teach disabled learners. There is a need for a general qualification for teaching children with disabilities as well as opportunities to develop braille and sign language specialists. To better support students with intellectual disabilities teachers need to be taught how to adjust the curriculum to differentiate for the varying abilities of students.

Attitudes:
Attitudes have prevented disabled children accessing good quality education. For example, in 2010, the South African government stated that children with profound intellectual disabilities were ineducable and hence receive limited resources. Some teachers have negative attitudes towards teaching disabled children in mainstream classes due to lack of training and awareness and consequently limit their learning opportunities In terms of universities, Ntombela described how exclusion was based on peoples perception of the physical condition of a disabled student called Themba whilst Matshedisho explained how some lectures refused to support disabled learners leaving all the work to the disability support unit.

Policy and Programmes to Increase Disabled Students Engagement in South Africa's Education System
There are ongoing government and local efforts to increase disabled students participation in education.

Education White Paper 6: Special Needs Education
The 2001 report created by the department of education aimed to improve provision of inclusive education in the context of inequalities caused by Apartheid. Education support services would be spread more evenly and disabled students would attend an ordinary, full-service or special school based on the level of support they required. Yet, by 2013 the Department of Basic Education admitted that 489 036 children with disabilities are not attending any school. The lack of financial resources, planning and monitoring has led to it's uneven implementation. The Western Cape (where Europeans first settled in South Africa) has a fifth of South Africa's special schools but just 5% of the entire disabled population.

Teacher Empowerment for Disability Inclusion (TEDI)
This project aimed to support teachers by creating in person courses and supplementing Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) resources for them. Participants had greater understanding of disability and the human rights approach towards it. Teachers reported feeling more confident in educating disabled students and had a desire to advocate for disability rights outside the classroom. Research suggest that this positive attitude will lead to more inclusive practices in the education system.

Peer review:

Firstly, this is a very good article with references throughout showing validity. It is set out very clearly and gives a detailed view into special education in South Africa. The headings and sub headings are very well set out making it clear what the next section will be about and therefore making it easier to understand. You could develop the last section on the policies and programmes in place to increase engagement of disabled students into South African schools and also add more detail into the lack of equipment sub-section. Overall, this is a very strong article.

Peer review by Jem

1. rather than their constitution maybe just say the name of the constitution.

2. great lead = you summarise and direct your article succinctly

3. your history section has wonderful short sentences and its good that you cover the impact of race. Proof read para 3 there is an extra is. Nice stats!

I know words like therefore are great but be careful when using them in a wiki format as they're kind of essay-ish

cost = *where. The last sentence is a bit too long so you loose some clarity. Maybe have a reread of this section so you could make it more impactful. With the cost you could also use the phrase hidden costs and maybe link to the violation of human rights.

Lack of physical access  = your tone and sentence structure is great but reread and rewrite that last sentence as its a bit dijonted - like i get the gist but meaning is not crystal clear.

Add some connecting words for better flow between sentences. On the subheadings remember you are introducing a new topic so try to make the sentences sound a bit more introductory.

Your information is absolutely amazing, just make sure you're linking back to why information is significant. Like i know it is, Nimi will know it is but make sure your reader does to.

For the policy section on improvements that are being made maybe substantiate your intro sentence a little more, like a mini summary. OMG YESS POV!!! I like that you are critising the attempts at improvement - you're doing it really well.

Switch out the word massive

Your article is literally so good! You look like you have a lot of amazing references. I don't if it would be worth bringing up, really breifly, South Africa's money issues just as an attempt to explain why but fair enough if you decide not to.

The rubric:

Introduction is good, maybe combine first two sentences so that you have a proper lead. Try buffing it out a bit with a quick summary of what your other sections say rather than just introducing them.

POV = you did great on this, I don't think you need to improve on this but you could potentially criticise them more if you wanted to.

Organisation = this is great = clear sections = well done!

writing = just proof read it and the couple mistakes that were made will be quickly dealt with.

Theoretical understanding = it is very clear you know what you're talking about.

If i had to guess i would say you're in the top two boxes on the rubric.

Links to my peer review of other students work -
User talk:Wikibright14

User talk:GHS1226/sandbox

Plan to Improve My Work in Light of the Peer Assessment -
It was a relief that my sub-headings made my work easier to understand so I will continue including these in my final draft. I agree that there is scope to add further details in the final section. I think I should add another government led and local led programme to this section to ensure I am getting balance between the two. I do need to remind myself of the word count to ensure my article remains clear and concise.

After reading my peers articles I feel like I have the greatest room for improvement in my Lead Section. Currently it is more like an essay introduction rather than a Wikipedia page. My opening sentence can be improved and I need to summarise each section in greater depth here.

The point of view of my article could also be slightly more neutral in places. I need to remember that this is not an essay. I can also add a picture to my page - there is a great image in Ntombela's article that I will use as it shows the impact of access barriers very well.

The quantity and diversity of my references seems good, I just need to go through them and check that I've got all the necessary information and it's consistent.

Response to Jen's Peer Review:

I agree with renaming the constitution the South African constitution if it doesn't sound odd writing South Africa multiple times in the same sentence.

I disagree that my lead is great - I think I can improve this with better summaries and lead sentences.

Totally agree that my use of therefore could be reduced so my structure and language is more like a Wiki article.

In terms of my writing I need to clear up some grammar and spelling. I think I can manipulate my sentence structure and length so its more like a wiki article.

I don't really understand linking back to the significance of the info - I think all the examples I've given fit into my wider wiki topic.

I am not sure about my neutrality and point of view - I think I could add more information to show the agency of disabled people. I think I'm a little negative at points. I'm trying in my last section to show that barriers can and have been overcome.

I feel as though I've covered the financial context in my funding section.

Barriers to Inclusive Education in South Africa
Historical and present day barriers within South African society have left approximately 600,000 disabled students not attending school despite all children having the right to an education in South Africa’s Constitution. The history of special education in South Africa has been influenced by Apartheid and has contributed to a situation where disability and race have combined to marginalise individuals preventing them from accessing an education. Other barriers to a quality education include cost, lack of physical access, teaching, equipment and attitudes. Attempts to reduce the barriers to a quality education for disabled students have included government policy like the Education White Paper 6 and local programmes like Teacher Empowerment for Disability Inclusion courses.

History of Inclusive Education in South Africa
Inclusive education was non-existent in South Africa in the 17th and 18th centuries as people with disabilities were often imprisoned or killed. Globally, it was common practice for disabled babies to be murdered or abandoned as they were regarded as a bad omen. In the 19th Century churches were key to creating inclusive education. One of the first examples of South African special education was the establishment of Dominican Grimley School for the Deaf in 1863. Churches provided special education for both white and non-white children. Dutch colonisers created some separate schools for white disabled children neglecting non-white South Africans with disabilities in the process.

The Department of Education first took responsibility for Disability Education under the 1928 Special Education Act which created special schools for white children. These schools provided for deaf, blind, epileptic, and physically disabled kids. They grew quickly and began to provide for those with autism and psychological disabilities. Again only churches provided special education for non-whites for example they created schools for blind and epileptic coloured children.

Under the Apartheid system of separate development the Coloured Persons, Bantu Education, and Indian Education Acts in the early 1960s saw special education for non-whites being controlled by the various different racially defined government departments. There were vast inequalities in special education. White schools got the majority of the funding and support for disabled learners who attended black schools was rare. There is limited evidence of the development of special education in the Bantustans but access to inclusive education for black South Africans was far less than whites. For example the number of pupils in special schools as a ratio of total students for the various races was 1:62 for whites but 1:830 for Africans. More black South Africans were disabled than white South Africans, due to poverty and lack of access to medical services, which makes the education funding and figures even more unjust. Many disabled black South Africans weren't getting an education at all.

After the abolition of Apartheid the new Democratic government created the National Commission on Special Needs in Education and Training (NCSNET) which emphasised that Inclusive Education was a human right for all. The 2001 Education White Paper outlined the policies required to create a new single education system for able bodied and disabled learners.

Cost:
The South African government grant families with a severely disabled child US$120 per month but this does not cover all the costs. Families with disabled children are often charged more than abled bodied kids for their education, especially if they attend special schools. There has also been incidences were disabled pupils have had to pay for their own support assistant if they want to participate in a main stream school. This cost is often too great for families with disabled kids who are more likely to be disadvantaged by poverty and a lack of economic opportunities. It costs the government $200 more per disabled student to send them to a special school than a mainstream school. This cost for the state has led to an incentive to keep children in mainstream education even if this is not meeting all their needs.

Lack of Physical Access:
Often the education environment is inaccessible for people with disabilities, this is particularly problematic for people with physical disabilities. For example, in 2012 98% of schools in South Africa did not have access to ramps and 97% had inappropriate toilets for disabled learners. The classrooms themselves can often be challenging for wheelchair users to navigate, making it harder for them to socialise with their peers and gain a meaningful education. Universities are also often inaccessible for physically disabled students. For example, there are access barriers in lecture theatres and inaccessible student support units. In the 2001 National Plan for Higher Education Universities were not obliged to increase accessibility for disabled students but were urged to have the basic infrastructure for disabled parents and members of the community

Lack of Equipment:
Blind and partially sighted students find it difficult accessing braille and resources with larger font. Physically disabled students may need accessible seating, table-top desks, note takers, scribes but don't receive these due to the significant cost involved. Without this equipment it is not possible for disabled students to participate in the classroom. In higher education extensive lobbying is ongoing so students can get more support than just that offered by Assistive Technology.

Lack of Quality Teaching:
There is a lack of training for teachers on different methods of inclusive education for different types of disabilities. This leads to teachers feeling unprepared and reluctant to teach disabled learners. There is a need for a general qualification for teaching children with disabilities as well as opportunities to develop braille and sign language specialists. To better support students with intellectual disabilities teachers need to be taught how to adjust the curriculum to differentiate for the varying abilities of students.

Attitudes:
Attitudes have prevented disabled children accessing good quality education. For example, in 2010, the South African government stated that children with profound intellectual disabilities were ineducable and hence receive limited resources. Some teachers have negative attitudes towards teaching disabled children in mainstream classes due to lack of training and awareness and consequently limit their learning opportunities In terms of universities, Ntombela described how exclusion was based on peoples perception of the physical condition of a disabled student called Themba whilst Matshedisho explained how some lectures refused to support disabled learners leaving all the work to the disability support unit.

Education White Paper 6: Special Needs Education
The 2001 report created by the department of education aimed to improve provision of inclusive education in the context of inequalities caused by Apartheid. Education support services would be spread more evenly and disabled students would attend an ordinary, full-service or special school based on the level of support they required. Yet, by 2013 the Department of Basic Education admitted that 489 036 children with disabilities are not attending any school. The lack of financial resources, planning and monitoring has led to it's uneven implementation. The Western Cape (where Europeans first settled in South Africa) has a fifth of South Africa's special schools but just 5% of the entire disabled population.

National Strategy on Screening, Identification, Assessment and Support (SAIS)
The strategy outlines a distinction between mild, moderate and profound intellectual disabilities. These disabilities should be supported at different levels in both ordinary and special schools. Specialised services delivered by specially trained staff are key to the strategy. Curriculum differentiation including the adaptation of assessments also aims to improve provision for learners with intellectual disabilities. There are concerns that substantial individualisation of the curriculum will lead to isolation of disabled learners from their peers. The lack of a ban on IQ testing is also problematic for McKenzie due to their historical use in fuelling scientific racism arguments that Black South Africans were intellectually inferior.

Teacher Empowerment for Disability Inclusion (TEDI)
This project aimed to support teachers by creating in person courses and supplementing Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) resources for them. Participants had greater understanding of disability and the human rights approach towards it. Teachers reported feeling more confident in educating disabled students and had a desire to advocate for disability rights outside the classroom. Research suggests that this will lead to more inclusive practices in the education system.

Caregivers Strategies in Orange Farm
Caregivers of children with disabilities are fighting for their right to an education. Collective agency of caregivers has increased with the creation of discussion and self help groups. This has helped caregivers educate each other on disability rights and the education system. The group has staged protests and written to local schools to reduce the barriers that children with disabilities face. Caregivers have also created day care centres for disabled kids where they can access a basic education whilst waiting to be admitted into a school.