Challenges of Inclusive Education

The impact of inclusive education on effective classroom management is demonstrated below:

The lack of empathy in traditional teachers

There was once a mathematically talented Secondary one student, diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), studying in a traditional school where the teachers were not knowledgeable about gifted education. As a gifted student, the student would easily become emotional when the challenges could not be solved. Lamentably, the care from the Discipline Master and the other teachers was too little to make the student feel loved and respected. Worst still, the student was being labelled as ‘problematic’ instead of talented.

Genuine acceptance of inclusive education from teachers

In addition to identifying students’ special needs, teachers play a significant role in knowing what resources the schools and parents need to equip with in order to help SEN students learn better in a mainstream curriculum. The most important thing that motivates SEN students to learn and behave well is the acceptance and understanding from teachers who can spot strengths and uniqueness in any students.

Inclusive education will inevitably cost teachers more time and energy to make sure students’ uniqueness are being valued and appreciated. However, if our patience can win the hearts of SEN students, why should we bother measuring the amount of love and time we have spent on students?  Teachers, let’s keep the faith and determination together!

The impact of inclusive education on different subjects

When it comes to catering for learners’ diversity, teachers are to use different teaching methodology to cater for the diverse needs of students. However, some subjects are easier to be implemented under the advocacy of inclusive education. For example, Chinese language is mainly about using Chinese or Cantonese to make meaningful communication, putting less focus on the skills for assessment. On the contrary, Mathematics requires students to apply logic and mathematical skills that they have learnt and accumulated over the years. In other words, some fundamental mathematical skills may influence students’ ability to solve problems.  

School leadership in inclusive education

School leadership is of paramount importance to the success of inclusive education. If the vision of inclusive education is not clearly defined by school leaders, the school might risk receiving complaints from parents for not achieving a lot in student development. Hence, school leaders ought to have a clear understanding of the characteristics of the teaching staff, students, and the school image that they would like to build. The ultimate goal of inclusive education is to ensure all students have an equal chance to unleash their potential in mainstream education.