Stakeholders’ Perception and Experience of Inclusive Education: A Case of a Further Education and Training College in South Africa

Abstract

Inclusive education is a process of addressing and responding to the diversity of needs of learners through increasing participation by all categories of learners in the learning environment. A qualitative approach using a phenomenological case study was adopted for this study. The study explored and described the experiences of learners (including a learner with disabilities), staff, and the institutional management team with respect to inclusive practices in Sekhukhume Further Education and Training (FET) College in South Africa. The study found that the institution in question lacked the necessary resources and managerial capacity to implement fully inclusive educational programmes that will meet the special needs of all learners in the institution in question. The provision of resources, professional development of lecturers, capacitating the institutional management and putting monitoring and evaluation mechanisms in place can go a long wayin ensuring that inclusive needs of learners with disabilities are met.