Special and Inclusive Education: Perspectives, Challenges and Prospects

Abstract

Although an inclusive vision is advocated for in Article 24 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, it is not fully implemented in education systems worldwide. First, there is a lack of evidence showing that inclusive education is better than traditional special education services; second, prominent senior academics in the field of special education have come under fire for advocating complete inclusion rather than inclusive education. While those in favor of inclusion have pointed to special education's 20th-century shortcomings as evidence that it failed to adequately serve kids with disabilities, the history behind these shortcomings is complex and lengthy. Their main complaint is that pupils have to be named and grouped into specific categories in order for special education to work. At long last, there has been a call for teachers to think about a limitless education system that includes all children, including those with special needs, in mainstream classes. The rationale behind this is the hope that mainstream classes may one day be able to fit students with disabilities of varying degrees and types. The fourth issue is that, due to the human tendency for error, the process of assigning students to different classrooms is fundamentally subjective. The fifth point is that educators who are truly dedicated to inclusion must think about the practical implications of their principles, yet many people who have pushed for full inclusion have ignored these concerns. Lastly, it is more valuable for students to be truly included when they are actively engaged in a challenging and relevant curriculum than when they are merely present in regular classrooms. That is why we think special education should not be eliminated but rather improved, expanded, and enforced in schools. To effectively educate all kids with special educational needs and disabilities, it is vital to blend key ideas and practices from both special education and inclusive education.