All officials and educators clearly need to understand that Inclusion is centrally a curriculum issue since curricula create the most significant barrier to learning and exclusion for many learners, whether they are in ‘special’ schools and settings or in ‘ordinary’ schools and settings. These barriers to learning arise from various interlocking parts of the curriculum such as the content of learning programmes; the language and medium of teaching and learning; the management and organization of classrooms; learning style and pace; time frames for completion of curricula; materials and equipment which have to be available and assessment methods and techniques.
The Guidelines for District-based Support Teams (DBST) clearly outline that all four main legs of district services should work together to monitor and support the implementation of inclusive education:
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Classroom support - Lead unit: Curriculum Advisory services working with Inclusive Education to mentor teachers on curriculum differentiation and support Institution-level Support Teams (ILSTs)
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Institutional Support - Lead unit: School Management and Governance supporting whole school change to become inclusive schools, monitoring admissions and supporting implementation of SIAS
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Systems support - A range of units such as Financial and Personnel Management, Teacher Development, Supply Chain Management, Infrastructure, etc.
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Psycho-social support - Lead unit: Inclusive Education
Through various training initiatives of the DoE, this approach has been promoted. In the first 30 districts targeted, district staff should be working in this transversal way. With the expanded roll-out to the remaining districts in the country, it is hoped that the collaboration will be strengthened. The DBST should also include representation from ABET, ECD, Whole School Evaluation, Exams and Special Schools.