INC4801 Assignment 2 (QUALITY ANSWERS) 2024

This document contains workings, explanations and solutions to the INC4801 Assignment 2 (QUALITY ANSWERS) 2024. For assistance call or us on 0.6.8..8.1.2..0.9.3.4........ Question 1 Read the extract below and answer questions that follow. Education MEC addresses Unisa Autism Seminar, advocating for Inclusive Education By Iednewsdesk On Apr 29, 2024 Presented by Unisa’s Department of Inclusive Education and Centre for Excellence on Disabilities, a seminar held on 23 April promoted autism awareness and acceptance. The seminar covered a range of topics, presented by government officials, higher education staff, parents of learners with autism and self-advocates on the autism spectrum. With course modules such as Inclusion Strategies for Autism Spectrum Disorder and Understanding Autism Spectrum Disorder, Unisa takes very seriously its role in researching and formulating approaches to and philosophies of educating autistic learners. It moreover has a proud history of providing outstanding support to learners living with disabilities through its Advocacy and Resource Centre for Students with Disabilities (ARCSWiD), which creates an enabling teaching and learning environment that ensures full participation and equalisation of opportunities for Unisa students with disabilities. Setting the tone in her welcome address, Prof Mpine Makoe, Executive Dean of Unisa’s College of Education (CEDU), thanked the organisers for bringing together experts and interested parties to engage on the very important topic of awareness and acceptance of autism. She welcomed the wide array of attendees, including INC4801 ASSIGNMENT 02 - 2024 academics, government representatives, NGOs and students. She said that the conference was being beamed across the world, making it possible for the global community to engage and participate. In pursuit of acceptance The Honourable Matome Chiloane, Gauteng MEC for Education, officially opened the seminar on behalf of The Honourable Panyaza Lesufi, Gauteng Premier, who was unable to attend due to urgent provincial government business. The MEC said that the Gauteng Provincial Government wants society to celebrate people on the autism spectrum and recognise their unique challenges. “To this end,” he continued, “we have celebrated World Autism Awareness Day over the past two years. Chiloane proceeded to outline the extensive measures and programmes that the province has in place to support learners on the autism spectrum and also their parents and teachers. “In this regard,” he continued, “we will continue building capacity, including for all staff at the relevant schools. Our goal is to foster an inclusive learning environment and inculcate a culture of understanding and acceptance. Moreover, we recognise the importance of providing vocational training and employment opportunities.” The MEC said that through partnerships with businesses and organisations, the Gauteng Provincial Government seeks to build workplace diversity and create pathways to meaningful employment. “By working together to overcome barriers,” he said in conclusion, “we can create a more inclusive and supportive society. Let us join hands to create a future of diversity and celebrate the breaking of barriers.” The main section of the symposium was devoted to two keynote addresses. Prof Maximus Sefotho, of the Department of Educational Psychology at the University of Johannesburg, spoke on the topic of “Autism awareness and support in higher education” and Unisa’s Prof Mary Clasquin-Johnson discussed “Research on autism”. The second part of the symposium focused especially on the crucial role of parents and social society in supporting autism awareness and acceptance, with addresses INC4801 ASSIGNMENT 02 - 2024 by experts, stakeholders and autism self-advocates. The day ended with a lively question-and-answer session and vigorous discussion by attendees. Source: 1.1 Formulate your own definition of “Inclusive Education,” based on your readings, reflections, and personal experiences. (10) 1.2 1.2.1 Use the critical theory lens to evaluate the implementation of Inclusive Education for learners on the autism spectrum in Gauteng, South Africa. You may provide examples from the extract and other current examples to substantiate your answer. (10) 1.2.2 Discuss how you would implement the key principles of critical theory in your inclusive classroom to support learners on the autism spectrum. Provide clear, practical examples in your answer. (15) Question 2 Read the extract below and answer the questions that follow. Education in Zimbabwe should strive for inclusion – how the philosophy of ubuntu can help? The notion of Inclusive Education began to emerge during the 1950s and 1960s. At first it focused on integrating students with disabilities into mainstream classrooms, but it evolved over time. Now it’s about including students with diverse backgrounds and abilities, such as those with emotional or cognitive challenges whose disabilities are often “invisible”. Global initiatives emphasise that integration is key to creating educational opportunities for all pupils and to combating stigma and discriminatory attitudes. The problem is that the concept of Inclusive Education – and ideas about what it takes to make schools inclusive – was developed in the global north. It doesn’t consider the fact that schools in countries with lower incomes and fewer resources can’t always afford the physical infrastructure to drive inclusion. INC4801 ASSIGNMENT 02 - 2024 And teachers may not think of Inclusive Education as a priority when they’re contending with low salaries and waning motivation, teaching materials are lacking, physical structures are deteriorating, classrooms are overcrowded and students are finding it difficult to pay school fees. In fact, they may not think about Inclusive Education at all. The role of ubuntu The unhu/ubuntu philosophy has already been applied elsewhere to encourage Inclusive Education. Obuntu balumu is a peer-to-peer support initiative in Uganda. It has been studied and found to materially improve the participation and inclusion of children with disabilities, including less visible ones. As the Obuntu bulamu project shows, underpinning learning with an ubuntu/unhu philosophy promotes positive cultural practices for inclusivity. At the same time it requires state actors to make decisions based on respect and solidarity. It also encourages innovative, contextual solutions for resource constraints and accessibility issues, such as parent training or home visits for students with disabilities. All of these drive Inclusive Education. The teachers I interviewed recognised this and offered some ideas about how ubuntu could help them to promote Inclusive Education. A primary school teacher said: Ubuntu is about fostering community support, an element that aligns perfectly with our context. For instance, we could use our current understanding of Inclusive Education to create a concise, locally relevant handbook on the subject, and distribute it to students to share with their parents and guardians. This handbook would provide insights into disability and its implications. This teacher also suggested at-home tutoring and training other students to support those with disabilities as ways to embed ubuntu in their practice: Alternatively, we could make regular trips to nearby villages, providing a few hours of instruction to those unable to attend school during the week. By doing so, wouldn’t we be practising ubuntu? Adopting the unhu/ubuntu philosophy can help create a more inclusive and supportive educational environment for all students, going beyond western ideas and reflecting a more locally relevant understanding of Inclusive Education. Source: 2.1 In your own words, explain why the author of the extract proposes ubuntu as a possible solution to help implement Inclusive Education in Zimbabwe. (10) 2.2 Critically evaluate the implementation of African philosophies in Inclusive INC4801 ASSIGNMENT 02 - 2024 Education in your community. Include real and current examples to substantiate your answer. (20) Question 3 Read the extract below and answer the questions that follow. Swiss teacher union warns Inclusive Education reaching limits. Although Inclusive Education presents challenges, the Swiss teachers union is still in favour of students being taught in mainstream classes. The president of the Swiss teachers’ association (LCH) has warned that inclusive schooling is reaching a breaking point. More resources are needed to enable students with special needs to succeed in mainstream classes. “We are feeling the limit that we have always warned about,” said Dagmar Rösler, central president of the German-speaking teachers’ union (LCH). “It can’t go on like this.” The necessary resources are lacking. “With the wide variety of needs and demands that can be found in a class today, there should actually be two specialists in a classroom. Permanently,” said Rösler in an interview with SonntagsBlick. In her view, the current situation stems from the shortcomings of the past. “For example, we have had too few special needs teachers for 20 years and not even half of those working in special needs education have the appropriate training,” she said. “We missed the opportunity to make it easier for interested people to take further training at an early stage. This is now taking its toll.” In some schools, out of necessity, unqualified school assistants are also responsible for looking after children with behavioural problems. “But as long as school is taking place, people always say it’s fine. That doesn’t leave the school unscathed,” said the LCH central president. “I am certain that sooner or later the negative effects of the emergency solutions will become apparent, in special education, in the classroom and in pupils’ learning success.” Rösler continues to support inclusive schooling as a concept, which has been in place for 20 years, although it presents many challenges. “We are still in favour of as many pupils as possible being taught in mainstream classes, because it has been proven that they can benefit greatly from interacting with others,” she said. Source: 3.1 Identify the challenges that are raised by the president of the Swiss teachers’ INC4801 ASSIGNMENT 02 - 2024 Association (LCH) in the implementation of Inclusive Education in Swiss schools. Provide as much detail as possible with examples to substantiate your answer. (5) 3.2 Discuss how you would implement the key principles of rights-based epistemology to address the challenges you identified in 3.1. Provide clear, practical examples to substantiate your answer. (15) 3.3 Critique and contrast the three (3) different epistemological assumptions in inclusive education that were discussed in this module.