Provinc District

ial Level
Level

National
Level Education School Level
Support
Structures and
it's relations at
various levels
 1

9.ALLOCATES PHYSICAL AND 1. PROMOTES AND

HUMAN RESOURCES E.G. PROVIDES EDUCATION
POST ESTABLISHMENT FOR
ALL 2. PROVIDES
INCLUSIVE
FRAMEWORK FOR
THE
COUNTRY

8. COLLABORATES WITH OTHER

DEPARTMENTS, E.G NGO'S 3. DEVELOPS POLICY
DPO'S,
ON INCLUSIVE
NATIONAL
ETC EDUCATION

LEVEL

7. GIVES SUPPORT AND

GUIDELINES TO
PROVINCE

6. PROMOTES AND INFORMATION OF

PROVIDES PROGRAMS WHICH
ADVOCACY SUPPORT
AND INCLUSION
 4. PROVIDES
EDUCATION LEGISLATIVE
FRAMEWORK
5. PROMOTES AND PROVIDES
SCHOOLS WITH NATIONAL
POLICIES AND
THAT GOVERNS THE
SCHOOLS
2
 ALLOCATES FUNDS FROM
NATIONAL FOR BUILDING
OF SCHOOLS

ENSURES THAT BUDGET/MONEY FACILITATES THE

RECEIVED FROM CENTRAL
EMPLOYEMENT OF EDUCATORS
GOVERNMENT/NATIONAL
DEPARTMENT FOR EDUCATION AS PER SCHOOL
IS PROPERLY SPENT ESTABLISHMENTS IN LINE WITH
THE NATIONAL REQUIREMENT

PROVINCIAL
LEVEL

CONTROLS AND
ENSURES THAT POLICIES MONITORS SCHOOL
ARE BUDGETS THROUGH
IMPLEMENTED AS EXPECTED DISTRICTS

PROVIDES EXPERTS WHO

ACTS AS CONSULTANTS
THROUGH THE
DISTRICTS
3
 1. CO- ORDINATING LEARNING
SUPORT 2. PROVIDE
9. IDENTIFIES ILLUSTRATIVE
AND LEARNING
COORDINATES PROGRAMMES,
LEARNING NEEDS LEARNING SUPPORT
MATERIAL
ASSESSMENT

8. EQUIP SCHOOLS
WITH SKILLS 3. EVALUATES
SCHOOLS AND
GIVE SUPPORT
7. FOCUS ON IN- ACCORDINGLY
SERVICE-TRAINING
DISTRICT
FOR TEACHERS WITH LEVEL
CHILDREN WHO
EXPERIENCE
BARRIERS TO
LEARNING
4. MOBILIZE
5. ASSIST
EDUCATIONAL CHILDREN WHO
6. PROVIDES CENTRE’S TO ARE UNABLE
GUIDELINES AND TO COME TO
RECOGNIZE AND
MANAGEMENT TO ADDRESS SEVERE SCHOOL
SCHOOL ON LEARNING
INCLUSION DIFFICULTIES AND
TO MAKE
ACCOMODATIONS
FOR A RANGE OF
LEARNING
4
SCHOOL LE
1. ENSURES PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT

2. DEVELOPS STRATEGIES TO ADDRESS THE NEEDS AND

BARRIERS OF LEARNING THROUGH THE SUPPORT FROM THE
DISTRICT

3. SUPPORTS TEACHERS AND LEARNERS THROUGH THE

INVOLVEMENT OF THE DISTRICT

4. IDENTIFIES AND ADDRESSES LEARNER AND INSTITUTIONAL

NEEDS AND BARRIERS THROUGH SCHOOL-BASED SUPPORT TEAM

5. ESTABLISH NETWORKS THAT PROMOTE EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

BETWEEN LEARNERS, TEACHERS AND PARENTS, AS WELL AS NGO’S;
AND THE WELFARE

6. MONITOR STANDARDS OF LEARNING AND TEACHING IN CLASSROOMS

5
 TERM
TERM INCLUSIVE:
MAINSTREAMING

INCLUSIVE
EDUCATION

TERM INCLUSIVE
TERM INTERGRATION
EDUCATION

6
• 2 BODIES ( NCSNET= NATIONAL COMMITTEE AND TRAINING AND NCESS=
NATIONAL COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION SUPPORT SERVICES ) POLICY
WAS GIVEN TO THE MINISTER ON OCTOBER 1996 AND PUBLISHED IN
1998
• THE INCLUSIVE EDUCATION APPROACH EMERGED AS A KEY
INTERNATIONAL POLICY AT THE WORLD CONFERENCE ON SPECIAL
NEEDS EDUCATION 1994 IN SALAMANCA, SPAIN.
• WHITE PAPER 6 WAS INTRODUCED DUE TO THE TWO BODIES JOINT
REPORT THAT RECOMMENDED THAT THE EDUCATION SYSTEM SHOULD
PROMOTE EDUCATION FOR ALL AND FOSTER THE DEVELOPMENT OF
INCLUSIVE AND SUPPORTIVE CENTRES OF LEARNING THAT WOULD ENABLE
LEARNERS TO PARTICIPATE ACTIVELY IN THE EDUCATION PROCESS SO
THAT THEY COULD DEVELOP AND EXTEND THEIR POTENTIAL AND
PARTICIPATE AS EQUAL MEMBERS OF SOCIETY.
Inclusive education involves the processes of increasing the participation
of all learners in, and reducing their exclusion from cultures, curricula
and communities. It involves the restructuring of policies and practice's
in schools so that they can respond to the diversity of learners in their
local community. That learners with barriers should not be vulnerable be
exclusion due to the serious behavioural issues, impairments of various
types, disabilities, and other learners from diverse. They should be
accepted into a school as any ordinary learner. Inclusion is also
concerned with improving schools for staff as well as for learners and
that all learners have access to participation in school activities and
cultures. All learners have a right to education in their local community
and diversity should not be viewed as a problem to be overcome, but
rather as a rich resource to support learning for all. It is concerned by
including sustaining relationships between the schools and communities.

8
Inclusive education must recognise and respond to the diverse needs
of their learners, by accommodating both different styles and rates of
learning and ensuring quality education to all through appropriate
curricula, organisational arrangements, teaching strategies, resource
use and partnerships with their communities.
1
0
 1. Acknowledges that
Is about empowering learners by all children and youth can
learn and that all children 2. Accepts and respects
developing their individual the fact that all learners
and youth
strengths and enabling them to are different in some way
need support
participate critically in the process and have different needs
of learning which are equally valued
and an ordinary part of
our human experience
Is about maximising the participation of all
learners in culture and the curricula of
educational institutions and uncovering and
minimising barriers to learning

3. Enables education
structures, systems and
learning methodologies to
meet the needs of all
Is about changing attitudes, behaviour, learners
teaching methodologies, curricula, and the
environment to meet the needs of all learners

4. Acknowledges and respects

Is broader than formal differences in learners, whether due
schooling and acknowledges to age, gender, ethnicity, language,
that learning also occurs in the class, disability, or HIV status.
home and community, and
within formal and informal
modes and structures.
11
 Under the apartheid education
system education for learners who
experienced learning difficulties
and learners with disabilities, was
marginalized under-resourced
and segregated. It was known as
special education. These learners
were known as learners with
While some attention had special education needs.
been given to special Special education and support
needs and support in services were provided on a
schools, other levels of racial basis with the best
education (for example, resources going to the white
ECD) had been seriously learners.
neglected
i al
e schoo
s ls or
w had
e never
r atten
e ded
e schoo
M i l. A
o t few
st h were
le e in
ar r ordin
n n ary
er o schoo
s t ls
w i unabl
it n e to
h s adequ
di p ately
s e meet
a c their
bi i needs
lit
. d p o r c
Mov ne u l s i
e ed s . e
r
a a
s h l
towa of e v s e
lea d i m d
rds rn c a u
o e l
inclu er
s. u
S
s l
c
a
p
sive Th
is
t
e
h n
ti
o
c
Educ ca o
f
i
a
d
u
m
n
us a n
ation ed
s l b
b
e
e
lar e
c e r
ge e d
h e
nu d s,
o n o
I mb u i
o f
er c n
l p
s a l s
, r
of t e p
o
lea i a e
o v
rn o r c
r i
er n n i
d
s f e a
e
to a a r l
d
dr i n s c
op l d m l
ou a w a
t a s i s
i
of t u t s
n
sc p h e
l
ho s p s
y
ol, c o s i
or h r f p n
be o t o e o
r .
d
i
n
a
r 1
y

s
c
h
o
o
l
s

o
r

i
n

s
p
e
c
i
a
l

s
c
h
o
o
l
s
• Curriculum adaptation is an ongoing dynamic process that modifies and
adapts the prescribed program of studies to meet the learning requirements
of a student with special needs.
• It enables the teaching team to welcome learners of all abilities and ensures
that every student is challenged to learn.
• Inclusion of a student with special needs is the collective responsibility of
the entire school community, not the sole duty of the classroom teacher or
education assistant.
• Curriculum adaptation is needed in every part in the student’s day.
Learning, socialization, independence and safety are assured for the student
when all school staff are aware of their teaching roles in the classroom as
well as in the halls, library, gym, playground and lunchroom.
• Educators are encouraged to be open about their feelings and concerns and to
welcome input from fellow staff members, parents and other professionals

13
 Curriculum adaptation adv’s
8. It allows for small
chunks of work 1.It is a learner centred approach
according to the
learners
needs

2.It works in accordance with the learne

7. It helps the teacher to
differentiate and
accommodate the ability
of the learner

3.It is based on
6. It accommodates diversity the learners pace
4.It allows for and style
flexibility or
adjustment to
suit the needs of
5.It is responsive to the learners
the learner
needs
14
 Who are they? This is a support service which compromise of staff from provincial, district, regional
and head offices and from special schools

1. To assist teachers in institutions in creating greater flexibility in their teaching methods and assessment of learning.
They will also provide illustrative learning programmes, learning support materials and assessment instruments.

2. To evaluate programmes, diagnose their effectiveness and suggest modifications

3. Through supporting teaching, learning and management, they will build the capacity of schools, early childhood
and adult basic education and training centres, colleges and higher institutions to recognise and address severe
learning
difficulties. And to accommodate a range of learning needs
4.To provide direct interventionist programmes to learners in a range of settings, and /serve as ‘consultive mentors’ to
school management teams, classroom teachers and governing bodies
5. To foster the development of effective teaching and learning, primarily through identifying and addressing barriers
to learning at all levels of the system.
6. To develop an ongoing support of local institutional-level support teams in schools, colleges, early childhood and
adult learning centres.
7. To support the capacity building of schools/ education institutions; identifying and prioritising learning needs and
barriers to learning in their local contexts

8. To identify the support needed to address these challenges, and pursuing these within a strategic planning
and management framework
9. To provide indirect support to learners through supporting teachers and school management with particular focus
on the curriculum and institutional development
10.To ensure that the teaching and learning framework and environment is responsive to the full range ofl earning needs
11.To provide direct learning support to learners where necessary and possible, where institutional level support
teams are unable to respond to particular learning needs
15
 School based
support team: special
schools as resource centres, a
full service school/ordinary
school

Responsible for the provision of learning

support together with teacher(s) Also known as institutional –
involved in a particular learner’s level support team ( ILST)
teaching and learning.

The ILST serves as a consultive forum for teachers at the school:

1. It provides mentoring functions
2. It is a link between the DBST and the school
3. It has the power to refer learners to the district for additional support
4. It has power to refer learners to the district for additional support
5. It Guides the school on inclusive education
6. It monitors the progress on learner development and teacher readiness
7. It Ensures parental involvement.
8. Develops strategies to address the needs and barriers of learning
9. Support teachers and learners
10. Identifies and addresses learner and institutional needs and barriers to learning
11. Establishes networks that promote effective communication between learners, teachers and
parents, as well as NGO’s and the Welfare
12. Monitor standards of learning hand teaching in classrooms
13. Identify the schools needs
16
 School level

District level

Classroom level
National level

District level
Provincial level reports back to P and N
17
 MODULE NO. 4

 1. Discuss how a parent can become a resource to a teacher?

15 PTS.


2. Discuss the similarities and differences
school and a full-service school. 10 PTS between a special

 3. Discuss the education support structure and it’s relationship at

various levels: National, District, school and classroom.
Give examples. 20 PTS.

 4. If you were a teacher with a learner with learning difficulty in

your class, how would you address the challenge of learning
barrier experienced by this learner? Give examples. 20 PTS.
18
5. The teacher is key in creating the inclusive environment in the class. Discuss this
statement giving examples ( 10 PTS.)

6. The principle is key to creating inclusive environment at the school.

Discuss this statement giving examples. ( 10 PTS)

7. Curriculum adaptation has many advantages in a classroom.

Discuss this concept and give examples. ( 10 PTS)

19
 A parent can become a great resource to a teacher because
they are with the learner all the time and understand the
learners strengths and weaknesses. They can lead the educator
to find the exact nature of the barrier that a learner
experiences. For example the situation the child lives in, such
as past events, the course of how their child developed, health,
home behaviour, emotional behaviour, personality, etc.
 They can contribute to this process through informal and formal
meetings with the teachers.
 They monitor the learners progress and report back to
the teacher.
 They can be involved in activities such as parent- teacher
associations, education committees, supervision of the library
or reading groups, or social events, fundraising and classroom
activities.
 They can help with transporting learners to activities such as
the Zoo, museum.

20
 It stated in the Education White paper 6 that support would be given according to the level of needs of a
learners who experience barriers to learning and not according to the impairment of those learners.
Learners would be rated on a special scale from 1 ( low-intensity support) and 5 (high intensity support)
by an assessment team.

Special schools as resource Full Service schools

centres
1. Learners in need of high intensity support 1. Learners in need of moderate levels of support
2. Their resources should be integrated into the district- 2. Full service schools are first and foremost
based support team so that they can provide specialised mainstream schools that provide quality education to
professional support in curriculum, assessment and all learners by supplying the full range of needs in an
instruction to full- service schools and ordinary schools in equal manner.
the district.
3. They should work together with the district-based 3. They provide access to learners who require
support team in a co-ordinated manner so that moderate levels of additional support, resources and
specialised professional support can be provided to programmes
full- service and ordinary schools
4. They should support schools in the implementation 4. They work in close collaboration with the district-based
of the strategy on screening, identification support team
Assessment and support
5. They provide specialised professional support in 5. To provide support in the school to learners and
curriculum, assessment and instruction to teachers by means of competent and experienced
neighbouring schools. This includes training of learning support educators whose tasks should
teachers regarding barriers to learning, management of include consulting and working with other teachers,
inclusive classrooms, development of learning support parents, and various outside agencies to ensure
material and assistive devices, guidance to parents, success. To support neighbouring schools with
early childhood intervention and therapeutic support knowledge, information and assistive devices
to learners with impairments in mainstream schools regarding barriers to learning.

6. They assist in the mobilisation of children and youth 6. They are prepared to explore and address challenges of
who are outside the school system and who have no everyday school life through capacity building among
access to schooling educators and on-going institutional development and
aiming at transforming the whole school

7. They should make their human and physical 7. It affords all learners in locality opportunities at school
resources available to the community to realise their full potential by ensuring accessibility

8. They work collaboratively and draw on the expertise 8.Aims at the inclusion in the way it is organised with
and resources of the community organisations and regards to structure (physical layout), school policies,
structures including disabled peoples organisations, school practices, the way of educating, and culture of
parent organisations, teacher unions, and non- diversity.
governmental organisations (NGO’s)

9. They should work with the community on advocacy 9. They should be aware that practices which exclude
and awareness raising to change the negative attitudes learners need to be addressed, removed or reduced so that
towards learners with impairments learning and development can happen. It is an environment
where educators are motivated and supported in their work,
where learners feel a sense of belonging and are able to
engage in the learning process.

22
10. They understand that barriers to learning are not 10. They understand that barriers to learning are not
only intrinsic to learners, but can also be extrinsic only intrinsic to learners, but can also be extrinsic
cultural and systematic cultural and systematic

23
 The educational support depends not only on the policy that a country adopts, but also on the way in
which learning support is organised. We shall be discussing the organisation and it’s relationship between
the various levels : The National level, District Level, school level and classroom level.
 The National level consists of the following people the Minister of Education who determines the policy
on inclusive education on transforming the whole education system and to put it into legislation. The
Minister of Education employs advisory bodies which must decide how the education should be
organised, how it should function and how there will be co-operation with other governmental
departments. They delegate responsibility and do job descriptions. They then give guidelines to the nine
provinces in this regard. They therefore focus on improving capacity of the education and training system
in order to include learners that are most vulnerable by being excluded from the education system, which
promotes and provides education for all learners. They must therefore empower mainstream-education
to detect and address the causes and effects of barriers to learning in ordinary classrooms. In order for the
Education system to work the minister appoints the NCSNET/NCESS to do research into the needs exising
in the country, and they would report back to the minister and in turn the minister will adopt a framework
for establishing such an education and training system and then develops an education legislative
framework. They then provide the schools with national policies and that governs the school. They
collaborate with other departments for example the Department of health for wheel chairs, the Ministry
of Welfare and population development with regard to learners awaiting trial or who have already been
placed within the judical system.
Provincial level: At this level there would be people employed who will be responsible for allocating
allocating funds from the National level for school buildings. They will have to make sure that the
central policy is actually implemented in the province, that all services in the provinces are properly
co-ordinated and that the money that is given to them is spent cautiously on the correct facilities and
that different projects that are deserving projects receive attention first. They monitor and control the
school budgets through the districts. That they also need to provide experts who acts as consultants
through the districts.
District level: There are nine provinces and each province has been divided into districts. The role of
The role of the support staff in a district office is to give professional support service on expertise to
all higher education and local communities, targeting special schools and other primary schools and
educational institutes. They also develop preventative and developmental programmes for learners.
They provide illustrative learning programmes, learning support material for assessments. They also
evaluate schools and give support where needed. They are also responsible to provide mobilization for
children who are unable to come to school. They help other educational centre’s to recognize and
address severe learning difficulties and to make accommodation's for a range of learning. For example
making the curriculum more flexible to accommodate the learners needs. They provide guidelines and
management to schools on inclusion. Providing support to learners where necessary and possible
where the institutional-level support team is unable to respond to particular learning needs.

24
School level: Whether it is a special school as a resource centre, an
ordinary school, or full-service school they need a support team
which is responsible for the provision of learning support together
with the teacher (s) involved in a particular learners teaching and
learning. The ultimate responsibility of an institutional –level support
team is to work with the district support team and other relevant
support providers to identify and meet the needs of their specific
school. It ensures the parental involvement. Develops strategies to
address the needs and barriers of learning through support from the
district. It supports teachers and learners through the involvement of
the district. They identify and address learner and institutional needs
and barriers through school-based support team. They establish
networks that promote effective communication between learners,
teachers and parents, as well as NGO’s and the welfare. They also
monitor standards of learning and teaching in classrooms.
Classroom level: the class teacher needs to be the centre of the
support team in the school. The learning support teacher should take
responsibility for the organisation of this team. Experts from the
community, special schools as resource centres, full-service schools
and medical services should be included into the support team when
necessary. The composition of the school support team is dependent
on the size and needs of the school and the number of teachers
available. It should consist of the learning support teacher who is
competent and innovative and possesses good collaborative skills. The
referring teacher, teachers who have expertise on the offer around the
needs and/or challenges of learners. The principle or a member of the
management team, any member of the district based support team,
depending on the need of the learner, for example a learner who needs
an occupational therapist. The parents of the learner. The learner
representatives at senior, further education and or higher education
levels. A specific member (s) of the district-based support team and of
the special school/resource centre. Therefore each member should
have a particular responsibility towards the team. For example, the
learning support teacher acts as co-ordinater and facilities the
meetings of the team.
Discussions should be kept clear and focussed. They should ensure that the
goals set by the team are reached and reported on within a specific time
frame. The referring teacher should first consult with the phase teachers
and then with the institutional-level support team for advice on how to
support the learner. Minutes are taken during the meetings and are kept in
a safe place for future reference and copies of assessments, reports, and
the teachers comments should be kept. The learners progress should be
monitored. The phase representative coordinates phase meetings to discuss
the learners barriers to learning, and coordinates support plans for the
phase. The teachers rely on the parents who can provide valuable
information about the learners development and wellbeing as well as
his/her preferences, needs and strengths. The parents then can support the
learner at home under the guidance of the institutional level support team,
then the parents report back to the teacher and then the referring teacher
reports back to the ILST. If the support is not sufficient or successful,
relevant members of the DBST and other teachers, also from special schools
as resource centres or the full-service school, can come and help support
the referring teacher. Therefore it is important to have support from all
levels as they are relying on each other and are there to help the learners
achieve success in their learning to become lifelong learners in our society.
2
7