ABSTRACT of Thesis by
Polidano Carmen Catherine

The National Minimum Curriculum calls on schools to set the groundwork so that in the forthcoming years they would be able to provide an inclusive education to all students.

This study investigates how one secondary school is striving to provide a more inclusive education and what the education providers at this school think about various ideal inclusive practices prescribed by literature on the subject. This research found that these school education providers disagreed with various prescribed practices and contended that:

• streaming, not mixed ability grouping, enhances inclusion;

• differentiated teaching is not feasible in practice;

• education provision responsibilities should be divided rather than shared amongst education providers;

• formative assessment methods are ideal, but difficult to implement.

Subsequent analysis demonstrates that the views of education providers emerge partly from a justifiable pragmatism, in the light of the constraints that exist within their school and the existing educational infrastructure. Education providers' views can also, however, be partially ascribed to their lack of exposure to inclusive education practices.

The study concludes by proposing specific measures that the education authorities need to take so as to overcome the above-mentioned constraints and pave the way to the successful implementation of inclusive practices within local secondary schools. Among other things, it is proposed that class sizes in secondary schools be reduced to fifteen; that in-class support such as team teaching be provided; that coordination mechanisms, should be introduced in each school, for instance through a once-a-week planning session after school hours; that content overload be removed from syllabi; and that special support be introduced for the provision of inclusive education, notably through the training of teachers and the appointment of inclusive education coordinators in schools.

PGCE
May 2002

Keywords:
Inclusive Education.

" A full version of the thesis may be viewed at the Education Division Resource Centre. Contact tel. No: 25982410 / 25982316"