Assessment of support strategies in inclusive education in the Foundation Phase in the Umlazi District
It has been 16 years since the release of Education White Paper 6 however, South Africa continues to experience challenges in implementing Inclusive Education (IE) by providing support effective for learners who experience barriers to learning. Education in society is a fundamental part of our lives and IE provides the platform to achieve a unified society. The study focused on the Foundation Phase where barriers could be identified and early intervention could be provided. The aim of this study was to ascertain the nature of the support strategies employed by Foundation Phase teachers in two schools in the Umlazi District. It also aimed to establish if learners who experience barriers to learning as well as if the teachers and the school were adequately supported. It was apparent that although the department of education addressed some of the challenges by providing a policy and guidelines on the implementation of inclusive education (National Strategy on Screening, Identification, Assessment and Support (SIAS) and Guidelines for responding to learner diversity in the classroom) there was little evidence of stakeholders having knowledge of the documents or applying the recommended strategies. A mixed method design was used for this case study. The quantitative method comprised of a questionnaire constituted the initial phase of the data collection. It was then followed by the qualitative method which involved a focus group interview with selected participants. The questionnaire was completed by 21 teachers from the two schools and 5 teachers participated in the focus group interview from the first school and 8 from the second. This study established that although teachers attempted to provide support to learners that experience barriers to learning, they found these strategies to be ineffective. The pre-service in-service training that they received to address barriers to learning was ineffective and inadequate. Support networks at the schools were dysfunctional and there was confusion about the roles and responsibilities of the various support structures. Stakeholders and external support structures were ineffective and inaccessible. The lack of communication and collaboration amongst stakeholders was evident. These findings are These findings are common and consistent with discoveries from previous research. Contributions of the study are important for further research and implementation of the recommendations would assist in ensuring that learners receive quality education that can help them to be productive members of society.
Education White Paper --foundation phase --support strategies --South Africa
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