The march towards inclusive education in non‐Western countries: retracing the steps

Abstract

The Jomtien Conference in 1990 set the agenda for the international community and national governments to promote ‘Education for All’. This campaign was launched at a time when there was already a strong undercurrent for an unqualified support for educational integration for persons with disabilities (PWDs). The Salamanca Statement and Framework for Action on Special Needs Education goes beyond ‘integrated education’ by advocating ‘inclusive education’ as a means towards ‘Education for All’. This paper argues that the move towards inclusive education in relation to people with disabilities is a Western realization of the problems brought about by ‘bundling PWDs up’ in asylums and later in special schools, a system which was transported wholesale to countries of the South. It is now realized how important it is to educate children and adults in ordinary settings within the framework of the Normalization Principle. For non‐Western countries, inclusive education is an assertion of the principles embodied in indigenous customary education. Although it is impossible to return to or rely on customary education fully, the application of its principles will guarantee appropriate education to all people with special needs.

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Joseph Kisanji

Joseph Kisanji is currently a Lecturer in Special Education in the School of Education at the University of Manchester, UK, and formerly a Senior Lecturer at the University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. His main research interests include international special education, culture and disability, indigenous education, community based rehabilitation and the education of people with hearing, visual and intellectual impairments. Recent publications include ‘Interface between culture and disability in the Tanzanian context’ (Int. J. Disability, Development & Education, 42, 1995); ‘The relevance of the indigenous customary education principles in the formulation of special education policy’ (African J. Special Education, 1(2), 1997); and ‘Special education in Africa’ (in Mittler, P. J., Brouillette, R. and Harris, D. World Yearbook of Education 1993: Special Needs Education, London: Kogan Page, pp. 127–158, 1993).