Abstract
Over the past few years international interest in inclusive education of pupils with special educational needs (SEN) has grown enormously. Increasingly pupils with SEN have been offered placement in mainstream schools with varying degrees of support. South Africa is in the throes of massive transformation, political, social and economic. The pressure of forces in the environment is threatening academic disciplines and education institutions, not only in South Africa but world wide, as the push to reform and be accountable in a complex world becomes more urgent. The consequence of the complexity of adapting to the changes that reform demands is that individuals and groups are required to transform their approach to problems and adopt new ways Of solving them. As a result of the inclusion policy the teacher in the classroom needs further skill to cope with the diversity in the learner population. The paper begins with explication of terms. The history and reasons for the development of new ways of education support services delivery in the community context are then explored. The present status and future development are then discussed, followed by an example of a programme which will empower the teacher to assist learners with special educational need, with specific reference to learning disabilities.
INTRODUCTION
Over the past few years, international interest in inclusive education of pupils with special educational needs (SEN) has grown enormously. Increasingly pupils with SEN have been offered placement in mainstream schools with varying degrees of support.
South Africa is in the throes of massive transformation - political, social and economic. The pressure of forces in the environment is threatening academic disciplines and educational institutions, not only in South Africa, but world wide, as the push to reform and be accountable in a complex world becomes more urgent.
The consequence of complexity of adapting to changes that reform demands, is that individuals and groups, in this case Educational Psychologists and Educational Support Services, are required to transform their approach to problems and adopt new ways of solving them.
As a result of the inclusion policy, the teacher in the classroom needs further skills to cope with the diversity in the learner population.
The paper commences with an explanation of terms. The history and reasons for the development of new ways of Educational Support Services in the community context are then explored.
The present status and future development of Educational Support Services are then discussed, followed by an example of a program which will empower the teacher to assist learners with special educational needs, with specific reference to learning disabilities.
RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
The objectives of this research are :
GLOSSARY OF TERMS
Educational Support Services
"Educational Support Services (ESS) include all human and other resources that help to develop and support the education system so that it is responsive to the different needs of all learners and the system." (National Commission on Special Needs in Education)
The focus of ESS should be on the prevention of learning problems. There should be a focus on the development of supportive learning environments for all learners.
According to the Department of Education, 1997, support required by learners includes all different needs, of which teacher training and support is included.
Community Psychology
Newbrough (1992:12) has defined community as "a localized expression of the Relationship of the individual and the collectivity." To be human means to exist consciously and to care in a human social world of other caring persons called a community.
What then constitutes the subject of Community Psychology? Newbrough (1992:11) approached this with a question from Docecki (1992) : "How can we know what we should do?" Newbrough (1992:11) answers as follows: "What to do is a different question from where we are. It requires attention to what we want, as a matter of intention to guide our efforts. Theoretically, the field has been faced with two incommensurable concepts: community and psychology." (Heller, 1989, Newbrough, 1974).
It is important to take note of what Orford (1995:5) has written : "Furthermore, the principles of community psychology once they are translated into practice result in ways of applying psychology which no longer fit neatly into the present, compartmentalized and fragmental approach to applying psychology."
We need to understand that community psychology is, in part, an attempt to find other alternatives for dealing with deviance from societal based norms. Community psychology should support every person's right to be helped in every different system in society.
Educational Psychology
Barlow (1985:6) is of the opinion that "…Educational Psychology is a body of knowledge grounded in psychological research, which provides a repertoire of resources to aid in functioning more effectively in the teaching-learning process."
The field of Educational Psychology includes the education and development of the learning disabled pupil. Educational Psychology needs to review its mission in the era of a new democratic and integrated society.
According to Sibaya (1998:7), the immediate responsibility for Educational Psychology will be to furnish principles and methods for teaching in multi-cultural classrooms with multi-educational needs in the new South Africa.
Furthermore, Educational Psychology needs to go beyond traditional boundaries and reach out to schools and teachers in all communities.
Learning Disabilities
During 1981, the American National Joint Committee for Learning Disabilities (NJCLD) proposed the following definition : "Learning disabilities is a generic term that refers to a heterogeneous group of disorders manifested by significant difficulties in the acquisition and use of listening, speaking, reading, writing, reasoning or mathematical abilities. These disorders are intrinsic to the individual and presumed to be due to central nervous system dysfunction." (Hamill, Leigh & Larson, 1981:339-340).
According to the Department of Education, 1997, some learners with disabilities may require specialized teaching or equipment in order to access the curriculum and participate effectively in the learning process. Where such support is not provided, learning breakdown often takes place.
Mainstreaming
"Mainstreaming refers to the inclusion of a child with special needs, wherever possible and practicable, in the normal, mainstream school, classroom and curriculum. It assumes that the resources exist to meet the child's special needs in that context" (Donald, Lazarus & Lolwana, 1997).
Clark, Dyson, Millward & Skidmore, 1997, stated that mainstreaming is related to the concept integration, which both reinterpreted and extended the issues raised by special needs approaches in mainstream classes.
According to Engelbrecht, Green, Naicker & Engelbrecht, 1999, "the integration did not necessarily challenge or alter in any way the organization and provision of the curriculum for all learners, but focused on an individual or small group of learners for whom the curriculum was adapted, different activities devised or support assistants provided."
Inclusive Education
The term refers to an educational policy. The emphasis falls on the system meeting the needs of the child as "normally" and inclusively as possible, rather than the child having to be separated or excluded to suit the needs of the system (Donald et al., 1997).
The NCSNET (NCESS report DNE, 1997:55) provides the following description in this regard :
The separate systems of education which presently exist ("special" and "ordinary") need to be integrated to provide one system which is able to recognize and respond to the diverse needs of the learner population. Learners should have the ability to move from one learning context to another. The system of education should be structured with regard to the learning context. Opportunities for facilitating integration and inclusion of the learner in all aspects of life should be provided.
HISTORY AND REASONS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF NEW WAYS OF EDUCATION SUPPORT SERVICES DELIVERY IN THE COMMUNITY CONTEXT.
South African society faces many challenges of development. Reconstructing education from what it has been to a system that brings equity to the education of all children is one of the most urgent of those challenges. We need to address the needs of learners in a new education policy. We have to see and deal with social issues and special needs in education as part of a broader net of developmental challenges, challenges which relate to our society as a whole, as well as education itself (Donald et al., 1997).
The historical and existing division between ESS and Special Needs Education has resulted in the promotion of ESS as services which are provided outside ordinary education provision, used only when needed. This has isolated learners with special educational needs. The nature of the services have tended to reflect highly specialized interventions directed at a limited number of individuals in predominantly urban areas, and problems in the education system itself have seldom been addressed by these services (National Committee for Education Support Services (NCESS) 1998).
The NCESS, 1998, is in favor of ESS to accept the challenge of an integrated system. Services of the ESS should form an integral part of the education system as a whole and meet the needs of all learners. Other aspects of the system should also be developed.
The NCSNET and NCESS, 1998, states the following :"If we accept that 'special needs' includes both learner and system needs, the role of educational support services is to address these needs." ESS can play a fundamental role in ensuring that all learners have equal access to the education system and are able to participate optimally in the learning process.
It is thus clear that the Educational Psychologist has an important role to play in Educational Support Services in the new education system where inclusion is the policy.
Inclusive education is the ultimate acceptance of diversity. The teacher in the classroom is the key to the success of inclusion. Inclusive education places the major responsibility for meeting special educational needs on mainstream teachers rather than special education teachers. In the past, teachers in historically advantaged schools have been able to rely on special schools and classes for learners with learning difficulties of various kinds. On the other hand, it is a disappointment for teachers in the historically disadvantaged schools who expected to have the same system for special education in the new education system.
The aim of this study is to focus on learning disabilities. Knowing the history of education in South Africa and the training of teachers, one realizes the urgent need to empower teachers to cope with the diversity of special educational needs of learners.
A questionnaire has been compiled with the following aims :
The actual results of the questionnaire are not yet available, but informal discussions at various schools with different teachers indicate that the mainstream teacher finds it difficult to cope with the diversity of special educational needs. Knowledge of learning disabilities is lacking. Teachers are eager to know more to enable them to provide efficient learning in the inclusive classroom.
Thousand & Villa, 1990, agree that support for teachers in their increasingly demanding roles within a whole-school approach is vital. Donald et al., 1991, supports the fact that the development of effective Education Support Services in South Africa is a critical structural change that is needed. The teachers need to become the key agents of the process change in the classroom, school and community.
It is clear that Educational Support Services need to empower and assist the teacher to be able to become the key agent of the process of change.
PRESENT STATUS AND FUTURE DEVELOPMENT OF THE EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT SERVICES IN THE CONTEXT OF SOUTH AFRICAN CURRENT SOCIAL AND EDUCATIONAL CONDITIONS.
The current social and education conditions in South Africa bear challenges for this century. According to Sibaya (1998) the training programmes for teachers and psychologists must address conditions which are peculiar to South Africa. Furthermore, teachers and Educational Psychologists perform first world roles in a third-world environment. At present there are conditions in the community and educational setting, which defy our conceptualization of Education Support Services delivery. The present ratio between the school going population and available professionals is alarming in Educational Psychology and Educational Support Services.
The following table indicates the ratio of Educational Psychologists to school going population.
| Educational Psychologist | Pupils | |
| Blacks | 1 | 30000 |
| Indians | 1 | 8800 |
| Coloureds | 1 | 9000 |
| Whites | 1 | 2750 |
(Donald, 1991:38 S.A. Journal of Psychology)
When looking at these figures, one realizes that the demand for Educational Psychologists is extensive. For the first time there is Government legislation in the field of Education Support Services and Special Needs Education. It is thus clear that the Educational Psychologist in Educational Support Services is not in a favorable position to assist each and every school in South Africa. Educational Psychologists today are expected to possess expertise in collaborative problemsolving alliances, consultation and school organization development. The aim of intervention is in the final analysis, consumer empowerment and in this case, teacher empowerment (Donald, Lazarus & Lolwana, 1997; Donald, 1991; Sibaya, 1996; Stobie, 1996).
The incidence and prevalence of disabilities among school-going population children are compelling, which is made worse by a shortage and lack of expertise among teachers. The facilities for children with special educational needs are lacking, limited or non-existent in schools and particularly rural areas. In rural areas transport is not available to take children to places where there are services (Sibaya,1998:5). The inappropriate and inadequate provision of Educational Support Services and the immobility of learners in rural areas urge training / empowerment of mainstream teachers to cope within inclusive education.
Schools are faced with diverse learning and development needs in one way or another, and need to find concrete ways to address these needs, even in the most difficult circumstances, whether it may be poor parent involvement, inadequate transport, inadequate funds or socio-economic factors (Engelbrecht et al., 1999).
Specific learning difficulties require special learning programmes which need to be addressed in a concrete way. Therefore a basic programme for teachers in inclusive education, dealing with learners with specific learning difficulties is very much needed by teachers. Furthermore, a programme to empower teachers is appropriate in the South African context where parent involvement is poor, non-existing in some areas and referral of children with specific learning disabilities is problematic in that special facilities are simply non-existent.
The vision of the NCESS, 1997, is that in the year 2010, all learners will have access to education. The role of the Educational Psychologist in Educational Support Services within the community is vital in reaching the goals of NCESS, 1997.
GUIDELINES OF A PROGRAMME TO EMPOWER TEACHERS TO ASSIST LEARNERS WITH SPECIFIC LEARNING DISABILITIES
For the purpose of this paper, only the guidelines of a programme will be discussed briefly and a few examples will be given. It is also not possible to cover all the areas of specific learning difficulties in a programme of this nature, but it is an attempt to empower the teacher to be able to cope in the South African community context as already discussed.
Teachers in mainstream has many challenges and only a few of them are listed below :
It has become clear that the knowledge base of teachers in mainstream is under utilized. These teachers are in need of in-service training for first level assistance and therefore a programme on specific learning disabilities is suggested.
A programme for teachers should cover the following aspects :
Each topic of the programme will have a theoretical base in order for the teacher to gain knowledge on each specific area. The second part will be practical to enable the teacher to apply it in the classroom in any school in the South African context.
For the purpose of this presentation of the paper and due to the limited time available we will only address one topic in more detail.
VISUAL PERCEPTION
Visual discrimination is one example for the purpose of this paper.
Definition :
Visual discrimination is the ability to discriminate between objects and to perceive similarities and difference.
Visual discrimination can effect -
Maths as follows :
Aids in the classroom
Reading
Aids in the classroom
Cultural Subjects
CONCLUSION
Information obtained from the literature, discussions with teachers, principals and education support services staff indicates that a lack of knowledge, resources and support exists for the teacher to cope with the diversity of special educational needs in the inclusion model.
Furthermore, it is clear that the Educational Psychologist has an important role to play in the community and school. The Educational Psychologist needs to make a paradigm shift from working on a one-to-one basis, waiting for the client, to a model where the Educational Psychologist reaches out to schools in the community empowering teachers, parents and develop human resources.
At this point in time, a practical programme for teachers is a necessity in education.
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