No child left behind

Schooling strategies for inclusive education in the time of Covid-19

The focus on inclusion has been growing at a steady pace. Globally, organisations such as UNICEF have been safeguarding the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) since 1989, reminding governments to support learners who have been forgotten or left behind by economic and social progress. In South Africa, then Minister of Education Professor Kader Asmal called for the integration of special needs education in the education system nearly two decades ago, speaking of the ‘difference special schools can make when they provide a quality and relevant learning experience’.

The South African Ministry of Education has defined inclusive education as: • Acknowledging that all children and youth can learn and that all children and youth need support. • Enabling education structures, systems and learning methodologies to meet the needs of all learners. • Acknowledging and respecting differences in learners, whether due to age, gender, ethnicity, language, class, disability, HIV or other infectious diseases. • Broader than formal schooling and acknowledging that learning also occurs in the home and community, and within formal and informal settings and structures. • Changing attitudes, behaviour, teaching methods, curricula and environment to meet the needs of all learners. • Maximising the participation of all learners in the culture and the curriculum of educational institutions and uncovering and minimising barriers to learning.

Despite the challenges that inclusion proposals can pose, great strides have been made in recent years. Now, however, Covid-19 brings new challenges for teachers and learners to negotiate. While safety must, of course, be the top priority, the face of schooling in South Africa has morphed in the past few months, and this new way of learning can hinder some students from learning effectively.

As teachers, our mandate is to strive to ensure that all children receive the best education possible – and this means that we need to find ways to accommodate learners with different needs. Our goal, as schools, should be to make our schools and education accessible to learners with all kinds of abilities and backgrounds.

Simple strategies to ensure access for all

The current Covid-19 regulations have necessitated innovation on behalf of teachers. For many, teaching online was (and may even continue to be) a daunting task, but regardless, teachers are excelling at finding innovative ways to bring education into the homes of their learners.

Educators have quickly realised that many families do not have access to the internet, devices or printers to replicate work being done during a regular school day. Assignments, assessments and expectations have had to change to ensure that learners are able to complete these tasks using the resources they have. Just think about how you and your students have had to adapt in the past few months. Were there learners who have not been able to do or hand in assignments? What were the reasons for this and how could the school support them? Did you provide work online only or could you supply paper copies?

This kind of innovation – adapting our approach for learners from different socioeconomic backgrounds – is what we need to keep in mind when we work with differently abled learners too. Strategies for ensuring that all learners, regardless of background or ability, have access to education during this time include:

Phoning students to discuss the work telephonically, or even reading prescribed books over the phone, when families do not have computer or internet access. Lending out devices from the school, if possible. When possible, arranging small study groups on video conferencing calls. Making explanatory (“how to”) videos to send to families via email, WhatsApp, apps such as SeeSaw or other platforms that require very little data usage. For learners with hearing disabilities, exploring the options of closed captioning (CC) on virtual conferencing platforms such as Zoom or Google Meet. Providing learners with time slots to do their work at school – should there be additional classrooms or spaces to ensure that schools still follow the legal guidelines. Allowing learners who struggle with spelling and writing skills (learner’s that may have learning impairments such as Dyslexia or Dysgraphia) to access speech-to-texts apps or tools on Google Docs, for example. They would be able to speak and have the computer type out the information for them. Once done, they would be able to do some editing before sending the document to their teachers.

Supporting all types of students

Ultimately, every child’s experience and reaction to the current time is different, and will be largely influenced by a range of individual factors, from socioeconomic background, to family health, to the child’s unique temperament. For children with anxiety, disabilities or special needs, this time will be even more challenging.

Some children have been experiencing anxiety about returning to school and falling ill. The fear is valid and families will need

support and guidance during the days before learners return to school. Not having seen their friends for months and then emerging from their homes to see masked people everywhere could be confusing.

Compulsory mask-wearing is more really meaningful to children and will help to

concerning for some of our learners with differentiated instruction and share your

with different needs, such as Autism. Acknowledging the reality of every individual’s unique circumstances will help to plan for them and to keep them engaged in meaningful learning.

Online resources explaining why schools have been closed, why people wear masks, the importance of wearing a mask

appropriately can be helpful, as can reallife demonstrations by teachers. Having teachers mention strategies that they have used to feel calm, to reach out for help, or to feel comfortable wearing masks, could be foster connection during this difficult time.

Ultimately, having empathy for our students and working to support and include them, regardless of the unique challenges they face, will go a long way to helping them to learn and achieve their best. Get creative and how to wash your hands or mask

experiences with colleagues – this is a time to make a real difference in your learners’ lives and ensure that no one gets left behind.

Author: Juffer ("My Klaskamer") Juffer (“My Klaskamer”) is a remedial teacher. Her blog www.myklaskamer.com is the go-to portal for South African Foundation Phase teachers and parents.