1. Presentation to Education Portfolio Committee, 29 May 2001 Education White Paper 6 on Special Needs Education. Building an Inclusive Education System

2. Why establish an inclusive education system?  Special education provided for a small percentage of learners with disabilities in special schools  Most learners with disability have fallen outside of the system, or been ‘mainstreamed’ by default  ‘Mainstream’ education is unable to provide adequate support, causing drop-out, push-out and failure  Further and higher education does not have an adequate response

3. Why establish an inclusive education system? A broad range of learning needs exists and must be addressed, including  Physical, mental, sensory, neurological and developmental impairments; psycho-social disturbances or differences in intellectual ability  Particular life experiences or socio-economic deprivation; negative attitudes to and stereotyping of difference  Inappropriate languages of learning and teaching  Inaccessible and unsafe built environments  Inadequately and inappropriately trained staff

4. What is an inclusive education system?  Is about acknowledging that all children and youth can learn, have different strengths, and need support to participate in learning ;  Is about enabling education structures, systems and learning methodologies to meet the needs of all learners, through uncovering barriers such as attitudes, behaviours, teaching methodologies, curricula and environments;  Acknowledges and respects differences in learners, whether due to age, gender, ethnicity, language, class, disability or HIV status

5. Sequence of policy development moments  Constitution, 1996  Education White Paper 1, 1995  Joint Report of the National Commission on Special Needs in Education and Training, and National Committee on Education Support Services, 1997, 1998  Consultative Paper No 1 on Special Education: Building an Inclusive Education and Training System, 1999  Ministers of Education, Social Development and in the Office of the President, 2000  Presentation to Cabinet Committee, May 2001

6. Essence of policy proposals in White Paper  Four national projects to model an inclusive education system: out-of-school disabled children and youth; special schools; new full-service schools; and, new district-based support services  Three special measures: mainstream education; HIV/AIDS; and, information and advocacy

7. NEXT STEP Submission to Cabinet for finalisation – May 2001