According to the National Education's Ministry's regulation (Permendiknas) No 70/2009, inclusive education is an educational system that provides opportunities for special needs and talented students to pursue education at mainstream schools along with other neuro-typical or "normal" students.
Based on the regulation, inclusive education aims to give as many possible opportunities to students with physical, mental and social disabilities as well as talented students to receive quality education that is suitable to their needs. The regulation further states that such a system should appreciate diversity and the principle of non-discrimination.
The above definition on inclusive education is in line with the 2003 National Education System Law. Article 4 of the law stipulates that education programs must be held based on the principle of democracy, justice and non-discrimination while upholding human rights, religion, culture and pluralism. Article 12 states that all students deserve education that is suited to their talents, interests and abilities.
Then what does special need refer to?
"Special need" is a term that covers a wide array of definitions. Children with special needs may have mild learning disabilities or profound mental retardation, food allergies or terminal illness, developmental delays that catch up quickly or remain entrenched, occasional panic attacks or serious psychiatric problems (specialchildren.about.com).
Depending on the condition, some of these children are able to go to mainstream schools, while others are more suited to special schools or home schooling.
For those who are able to go to mainstream schools, certain arrangements are required to accommodate their needs. These include, but are not limited to adding special programs in the schools' activities, modifying the curriculum, providing shadow teachers, child psychologists and other supports, depending on the needs of the children.
Justice in the mainstream, would enable children with special needs to maximize their potential and learn subjects similar to their fellow neuro-typical children, while at the same time, having their special needs accommodated.
For instance, at inclusive schools, children with autism who have difficulties with social interaction are given a special program to help them develop their social skills. Slow-learners are accompanied by shadow teachers and given a modified curriculum that is suited to their capabilities.
From the perspective of character building, neuro-typical children also get the valuable lesson of empathy. They learn how to empathize, to care and to respect fellow human beings irrespective of their capabilities.
Teachers are the key actor to successfully implementing inclusive education. Proper knowledge and educational qualifications are required from them as well as a high commitment to student's individual needs.
Nonetheless it is not fair to put all the responsibility on teachers, as the success of inclusive education relies on various factors including the schools' policy and management. The latter is responsible for providing support systems so that teachers can concentrate on their main tasks in class.
For instance, how can we expect teachers to pay attention to student's individual needs if they themselves are overburdened with a high number of students in their classes without support such as the availability of assistants or shadow teachers.
Classes in Indonesian public schools may consist of more than 50 students with only one teacher in charge. Many schools also lack child psychologists or counselors to support students - with or without special needs - who may have problems with learning.
On the part of the schools' management, smaller classes with more teachers to accommodate student's individual needs, require more funds. With little support from the government, at the end this problem has to be borne by parents who have no other choice but to pay higher fees for their children with special needs.
All children deserve quality education. This also applies to children with special needs who in my opinion are not necessarily "disabled" as they teach us a lot of valuable lessons such as empathy, patience, care and respect.
In fact these children make us better people.
The writer is a lecturer at Parahyangan Catholic University's School of Social and Political Sciences in Bandung.
