UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA
College of Education
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INC3701: Inclusive Education
Assignment 4, Second Semester 2026
⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄⋄
INC3701
Module Code:
Inclusive Education
Module Name:
Assignment 4
Assignment Title:
4
Assignment Number:
17 July 2026
Due Date:
75
Total Marks:
Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for INC3701, UNISA 2026
, UNISA | INC3701 – Inclusive Education Assignment 4, 2026
Question 1: Inclusive Education at Themba Lethu Primary School
The case of Themba Lethu Primary School captures tensions that many South African schools
navigate daily: insufficient resources, exclusionary attitudes, and fractured relationships be-
tween school, family, and community. Addressing these tensions is not peripheral to the task
of inclusive education; it is the task (Motitswe, 2025; DBE, 2014).
1.1 Barriers to Learning and Participation
Q: Identify four key barriers to learning and participation evident in the case study.
The SIAS policy (DBE, 2014:7) defines barriers to learning as difficulties arising within the
education system, the learning site, or the learner, which prevent access to learning and devel-
opment. Four such barriers are visible at Themba Lethu.
(a) Socioeconomic barriers. Unemployment and food insecurity mean many learners arrive
hungry. Hunger directly compromises concentration, working memory, and cognitive stamina.
Chirowamhangu et al. (2024) identify poverty-related factors as among the most persistent
obstacles to educational participation in South Africa, noting that up to 70% of children with
disabilities are out of school, partly because poverty compounds every other vulnerability a
learner carries.
(b) Attitudinal barriers. Several teachers believe learners who “struggle” should be taught
separately. This is not a minor difference of opinion; it is a structural barrier. When educators
who control classroom entry hold exclusionary views, learners are removed before the school
even tests whether the right support would have made participation possible (Motitswe, 2025).
The belief that struggle requires removal, rather than adaptation, is precisely the mindset that
inclusive education asks schools to dismantle.
(c) Institutional and resource barriers. Large class sizes and limited materials make it
genuinely hard for teachers to differentiate instruction or respond to diverse learning profiles.
This systemic constraint is well-documented in the South African literature (Chirowamhangu
et al., 2024). It is not simply a staffing or budget problem; it shapes what teachers believe is
possible, which in turn shapes what they attempt.
(d) Family and community participation barriers. Caregivers rarely attend school meet-
ings because of long working hours and a sense of intimidation in the school environment.
When families are effectively shut out, learners lose a critical layer of home support, and teach-
Page 2 of 13
College of Education
⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄⋄
INC3701: Inclusive Education
Assignment 4, Second Semester 2026
⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄ ⋄⋄
INC3701
Module Code:
Inclusive Education
Module Name:
Assignment 4
Assignment Title:
4
Assignment Number:
17 July 2026
Due Date:
75
Total Marks:
Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for INC3701, UNISA 2026
, UNISA | INC3701 – Inclusive Education Assignment 4, 2026
Question 1: Inclusive Education at Themba Lethu Primary School
The case of Themba Lethu Primary School captures tensions that many South African schools
navigate daily: insufficient resources, exclusionary attitudes, and fractured relationships be-
tween school, family, and community. Addressing these tensions is not peripheral to the task
of inclusive education; it is the task (Motitswe, 2025; DBE, 2014).
1.1 Barriers to Learning and Participation
Q: Identify four key barriers to learning and participation evident in the case study.
The SIAS policy (DBE, 2014:7) defines barriers to learning as difficulties arising within the
education system, the learning site, or the learner, which prevent access to learning and devel-
opment. Four such barriers are visible at Themba Lethu.
(a) Socioeconomic barriers. Unemployment and food insecurity mean many learners arrive
hungry. Hunger directly compromises concentration, working memory, and cognitive stamina.
Chirowamhangu et al. (2024) identify poverty-related factors as among the most persistent
obstacles to educational participation in South Africa, noting that up to 70% of children with
disabilities are out of school, partly because poverty compounds every other vulnerability a
learner carries.
(b) Attitudinal barriers. Several teachers believe learners who “struggle” should be taught
separately. This is not a minor difference of opinion; it is a structural barrier. When educators
who control classroom entry hold exclusionary views, learners are removed before the school
even tests whether the right support would have made participation possible (Motitswe, 2025).
The belief that struggle requires removal, rather than adaptation, is precisely the mindset that
inclusive education asks schools to dismantle.
(c) Institutional and resource barriers. Large class sizes and limited materials make it
genuinely hard for teachers to differentiate instruction or respond to diverse learning profiles.
This systemic constraint is well-documented in the South African literature (Chirowamhangu
et al., 2024). It is not simply a staffing or budget problem; it shapes what teachers believe is
possible, which in turn shapes what they attempt.
(d) Family and community participation barriers. Caregivers rarely attend school meet-
ings because of long working hours and a sense of intimidation in the school environment.
When families are effectively shut out, learners lose a critical layer of home support, and teach-
Page 2 of 13
