Inclusive Education: Controversies, Successes, and Future Prospects

2. Literature Review

Inclusive education is one of the most important steps in fostering integration of special learners in the society; however, it is not much familiar or established everywhere. Collaboration with mainstream students is a big platform of special learners who are expected to lead productive, independent and dignified lives. Education World (2012) maintains that children of all abilities seek the same things: to learn, have friends, feel valued, and experience success. When the demands of a child’s environment are misaligned with his or her social and emotional skills, frustrating and disruptive behaviours occur. Willis (2018) admits that separating students with disabilities into special education classes make them miss the benefits of having long-term social relationships with classmates who do not have disabilities. Willis (2018) further argues that if students with disabilities leave the supervised classrooms, they are not ready to join the larger, heterogeneous communities in which they would live and work for the rest of their lives.

Without any shadow of a doubt, inclusive education endeavours to ensure special learners’ holistic development and enhances their individual identity. All children must be afforded equal right to fully participate and get ample opportunities to education (Elder, 2015). Segregated groups must be surrounded by people who will boost them higher (Bably, 2017). Singh and Agarwal (2015) make a plea that in the times of education for all, people must consider those who are somehow missing out. Among these, children with special needs occupy an important category. Providing an opportunity for children with special needs is necessary for every society/country as this leads to children’s development and growth. Further, this enable all children with special needs to reach their full potential and realize the objectives for “education for all”.