ACCESS OF CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES TO SCHOOLS

1. ACCESS OF CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES TO SCHOOLS Portfolio Committee Meeting 19 February 2014

2. PRESENTATION OUTLINE • Inclusive Education re-conceptualised • Policy directives from Education White Paper 6 • Access to education for children with disabilities • Mitigating developments • Challenges and Remedial Measures • Concluding remarks

3. INCLUSIVE EDUCATION RE-CONCEPTUALISATION

4. INCLUSION RECONCEPTUALISED • Humphrey (2008) acknowledges absence of universally agreed upon definition and isolates the following constructs: • Presence: promotion of visibility of persons (recognition) who are normally excluded from activities of peers in a normal learning context without withdrawal to “special classes or integrated segregation” • Acceptance: degree to which communities and societies acknowledge the diversity and rights of those who are different from them to operate in similar educational and social settings • Participation: involvement of persons with differentiated needs in the quality of their learning experiences • Achievement: promotion of higher academic progress with better socio-emotional interactions in inclusive settings

5. INCLUSION RECONCEPTUALISED… Inclusion is a process of addressing and responding tostudents’ diversity by increasing their participation in learning, cultures and communities, and reducing exclusion within and from education(UNESCO, November 2008)

6. NECESSITATED PARADIGM SHIFT ‘special needs’ (within child deficit; medical deficit model) ‘barriers to learning and development’ (systems change – social rights model)

7. POLICY DIRECTIVES FROM EDUCATION WHITE PAPER 6

8. WP6 POLICY DIRECTIVES • Education White Paper 6 makes the following provisions for the implementation of Inclusive Education: • Building capacity in all education departments; • Establishing district-based support teams (DBSTs); • Establishing school-based support teams (SBSTs); • Identifying, designating and establishing full service schools (FSSs); • Establishing mechanisms for the early identification of learning difficulties using SIAS( Screening, Identification, Assessment & Support); • Developing professional capacity of all educators in curriculum development and assessment e.g. Curriculum Differentiation • Mobilising public support; and • Developing an appropriate funding strategy

9. ACCESS TO EDUCATION FOR CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES

10. ACCESS FOR CHILDREN AGED 0-4 YEARS

11. ACCESS FOR CHILDREN AGED 0-4 YEARS… • In 2012, approximately 37% of 0-4 year olds children with disabilities were attending an educational institution • Variations in the provision of access to education across to provinces are noticeable • Availability of facilities and resources could be responsible for the disparities across provinces • Much still needs to be done to conscientise communities about the importance of early access especially in respect of Deaf and Blind children

12. ACCESS TO EDUCATION FOR 5-YEAR OLDS

13. ACCESS TO EDUCATION FOR 5-YEAR OLDS… • A marked growth in the percentage of 5 year-olds attending an educational institution has been recorded between 2009 and 2012 • By 2012 attendance of this age group to educational institutions had reached 85% • The attendance was the highest in LP with 94% followed by EC with 92% • LP and EC being largely rural provinces could have recorded these percentages due to poverty and limited private education institutions whose data may be inaccessible

14. ATTENDANCE OF 7-15 YEAR-OLDS TO SCHOOL

15. ATTENDANCE OF 7-15 YEAR-OLDS TO SCHOOL • By 2010 the attendance to school for children of compulsory school-going age had exceeded 88% • In 2012 attendance to school for this age group increased to over 90% • The progressive conversion of public ordinary schools to full service/inclusive schools is likely to have contributed to this marked growth • By 2012 about 553 public ordinary schools had been converted to inclusive schools

16. ACCESS TO EDUCATION FOR 16-18 YEAR OLDS

17. 16-18 YEAR OLDS IN EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS • Notwithstanding the significant growth in participation of 16-18 year-olds with disabilities in education, the rate remains lower than that of children without disabilities • The increase in participation has grown by about 16% between 2002 (50.9%) and 2012 (66.7%) • The improvement in the participation could be attributed to the improved implementation of the IE policy • The implementation of IE has increasingly been coupled with mobilising stakeholders

18. CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES IN SCHOOL

19. CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES IN SCHOOL… • The gross enrolment rate (GER) of children with disabilities has been on an upward trend from 1.3% in 2002 to 4.3% in 2012 • As in previous slides, the growth in the GER has been more pronounced in the age-range of 7-15 years

20. MITIGATING DEVELOPMENTS

21. EARLY IDENTIFICATION AND INTERVENTION

22. ESTABLISHING MECHANISMS FOR EARLY IDENTIFICATION OF LEARNING DIFFICULTIES • DBE directed PEDs to prepare the system in 2013 for training and rolling out SIAS • Some PEDs continue with training on existing SIAS as in one of tables above • DBE has finalised the review of SIAS • Consultation on SIAS has taken place with DoH, DSD and within DBE including Senior Management • SMM of July 2013 approved the Revised SIAS for presentation to Minister: DBE • In February 2014 the SIAS served at HEDCOM and was approved for presentation at next CEM • Once approved by CEM, SIAS will be gazetted for public comments for finalisation and approval as policy

23. CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES

24. SOUTH AFRICAN SIGN LANGUAGE R-12 • Draft SASL curriculum grades R-12 was finalised in December 2012 and included Grade 9 Bridging Programme • In 2013 extensive consultation was carried out and the Grade 9 Bridging Programme was piloted in the WC • HEDCOM and CEM approved its gazetting for public comments in September 2013 • Incorporation of public comments are being finalised for finalisation of the SASL curriculum as policy • An audit of 39 Schools for the Deaf was conducted in August 2013 and findings informed the implementation plan • 2014 has been earmarked for the preparation of the system for a phased-in implementation from 2015 onwards

25. CURRICULUM FOR SCHOOLS OF SKILL • In October 2013 Minister approved the establishment of a Steering Committee for the development of: • A qualification pathway at NQF level 1 • A Learning Programme for profoundly intellectually disabled learners (PID) • A Learning Programme for learners with severe intellectual disability (SID) • A Learning Programme for moderately intellectually disabled learners (MID) • Two briefing sessions of the Steering Committee were held in October and November 2013 respectively • A framework for developing Learning Programmes for severely and profoundly disabled learners has been initiated

26. CURRICULUM DIFFERENTIATION • The following has been achieved by DBE on institutionalising Curriculum Differentiation: • Development of teacher training manual by May 2013 • Developing Facilitators Guide for training by July 2013 • Training of 43 National Training Team (NTT) members across disciplines on 24-26 July 2013 • PEDs are developing rollout plans during 2013

27. PROCURING ASSISTIVE DEVICES AND EQUIPMENT

28. Procuring Assistive Devices & Equipment

29. PROCURING ASSISTIVE DEVICES… • Assistive devices and technologies mitigate the impact of disabilities and enhance learner participation in learning • DBE monitors and provides support to PEDs in procuring assistive devices and technologies • 227 (51.4%) of 442 special schools are providing AAC devices, Braille typewriters, crutches, hearing devices and wheelchairs • Basic minimum packages of equipment for schools for the Deaf, teachers and learners have been assembled and costed per province in preparing for the SASL curriculum roll-out from 2015 • An audit of Braille production was in conducted in 22 schools for the Blind in October/November 2013

30. ADAPTATION OF WORKBOOKS

31. ADAPTATION OF WORKBOOKS • Grades R-9 mathematics and language workbooks were adapted for Braille and large print production • Adapted workbooks for visually impaired are being Brailled, printed and distributed • Teacher Guides have been developed on the utilisation of workbooks for AAC learners • Guidelines have been developed for teachers on the adaptation of LTSM and utilisation of assistive devices • A Teacher Guide on the utilisation of workbooks with Deaf learners is being finalised

32. MEDIATION OF FULL SERVICE SCHOOLS AND SPECIAL SCHOOLS GUIDELINES

33. FULL SERVICE AND SPECIAL SCHOOLS GUIDELINES • Guidelines developed for special schools and full service schools guide on quality of education and support in the respective schools • Training Manuals for the mediation of the two sets of guidelines were developed in 2013 • National training teams (NTTs) for each set of guidelines were orientated to the guidelines in July 2013 • PEDs had to submit roll-out plans in 2013 but deadline had to be extended to 31 January 2014 • PEDs costed plans will be collated and integrated by DBE for monitoring the roll-out of the sets of guidelines

34. CHALLENGES

35. CHALLENGES AND REMEDIATION

36. CONCLUDING REMARKS

37. CONCLUSION “… many of the world’s poorest countries are not on track to meet the 2015 targets. Failure to reach the marginalized has denied many people their right to education. … Education is at risk, and countries must develop more inclusive approaches, linked to wider strategies for protecting vulnerable populations and overcoming inequality.” (Education For All Global Monitoring Report 2010)

38. THANK YOU