Inclusion in General Education Classrooms

Inclusive education is one solution to addressing the problem of educating students with special needs. By integrating students with exceptionalities into general education classes all students benefit, and not just those with special needs. Inclusion allows all students to feel as welcomed contributors, and an integral part of the classroom community, and not as “guests” which may result from simply mainstreaming. Academic expectations are not to be altered or watered down in an inclusive classroom. I believe this is very important in regards to the serious economic hardships that have faced North America within the last five years, which are a testament to the fact that education is critical to securing financial security in a fiercely competitive job market.

The passing of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in 1975 in the United States; the adoption of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms guaranteeing rights for minorities and people with disabilities as well as other modifications that occur today provide evidence of the changes that are still necessary to provide an equitable education to all individuals who have disabilities. Statistical evidence shows that many adults living with disabilities experience a very poor quality of life following their secondary school studies, and many live in poverty. Clearly, these facts show that the special education programs of yesterday have failed a number of its students, and therefore many areas of improvement exist today in educating students with exceptionalities to allow them to have economic self-sufficiency while living independently as adults.

"In Canada, if we choose to teach, we are choosing to teach in an inclusive setting."

Nancy L. Hutchinson

On Inclusion and Other Kids

Today it is widely accepted that inclusion maximizes the potential of the vast majority of students, ensures their rights, and is the preferred educational approach for the 21st century.

Inclusion is receiving considerable attention, both in school districts across the country and in the popular media. Most of the attention is focused on how inclusion affects the students with special needs. But what about the students who don’t have special needs?

Do students without special needs suffer because of inclusion?

Studies have shown no slowdown in the learning of children without special needs in inclusive classrooms. And, surveys conducted with parents and teachers involved in inclusive settings show that they see no harm to the children without special needs and that they have positive opinions about inclusion. Studies also show that students without special needs can gain a number of important benefits from relationships with their classmates who have special needs. Some of the benefits include: friendships, social skills, personal principles, comfort level with people who have special needs, and caring classroom environments.