Social Justice And Inclusion Within The Scottish Education System Essay

Our conceptualization of inclusive pedagogy focuses on how to extend what is ordinarily available in the community of the classroom as a way of reducing the need to mark some learners as different. This is underpinned by a shift in pedagogical thinking from an approach that works for most learners existing alongside something ‘additional’ or ‘different’ for those (some) who experience difficulties, towards one that involves providing rich learning opportunities that are sufficiently made available for everyone, so that all learners are able to participate in classroom life.

Gov.uk (2001) states inclusion is about recognising that every child, irrespective of their background or situation are individuals, and they have the right to access a curriculum that is planned to meet their different requirements. It can be their personal, social, emotional and academic development that may be affected if the work they are given is not differentiated for their individual needs. The Equality Act

As a teacher when delivering any lessons planned we have to make sure that each students individual needs are met, so they will feel included in the lesson. “Inclusion is about creating interesting, varied and inspiring learning opportunities for all learners, ensuring all learners contribute and are never disadvantaged by methods, language or resources” Wilson (2008).

In a contemporary Australian school setting, inclusion is the ongoing collaboration of all members of the school community to effectively meet the diverse needs of all students, including those with additional needs (Blackmore, 2009; Lyons, 2014). All students regardless of their cultural background or ability level should experience an enriching education where they feel included and supported. Creating inclusive cultures, producing inclusive policies and evolving inclusive practices are the best ways to promote learning and participation in schools for all students (Centre for Studies on Inclusive Education, 2012; Dempsey, 2014).

Rights & Responsibilities • Discrimination, Harassment and Bullying Respecting Diversity • Inclusive Curriculum Celebrating the • diversity of achievement • Beyond Euro- centrism Inclusive Learning Responding to Diversity Needs and interests of communities Being aware of diverse needs of different communities/groups

Within a school, equality, diversity and inclusion is very important. It is their duty to make sure all children have equal access to the curriculum. Whether they are a different race, culture, gender or have a special need or disability, it is important that they are supported and have a right to participate and be treated equal; this is known as inclusion. As part of this it is important that schools and other professionals support and promote cultural diversity in schools and the wider society, breaking down any discriminatory barriers to learning.

The focus of this assignment is the key factors that influence inclusive teaching and learning and how it is incorporated into my specialist subject area. It is likely that you will be teaching a diverse group of students – from various backgrounds, with differing levels of prior learning and expectations, as well as different learning needs. Taking an inclusive approach when teaching will help to ensure that your teaching meets everyone’s needs enabling students to learn effectively. As a result students will feel that they belong in the classroom and learning environment. Inclusive learning means treating all of your students fairly and equally.

Creating an inclusive learning environment is an extremely important aspect of modern education, which, according to Gravells (2008: p18), ensures that “[…] all learners are entitled to be treated with respect and dignity. Everyone is an individual, with different experiences, abilities and needs.” She also offers a brief explanation of inclusivity (2008: p18), which is “[…] involving all learners in relevant activities rather than excluding them for any reason directly or indirectly.” Inclusion has also been defined by John Tomlinson (1996: p26) as “the greatest degree of match or fit between individual learning requirements and provision”. In the other words, inclusive learning environment nurtures individual potential of all learners,

It is important here to clearly distinguish between the terms of integration and inclusion as they are often interchanged (Thompson, 2002). Ainscow (1995) suggests that integration is about making a limited number of additional arrangements for individual pupils with SEN in schools which themselves change little overall, reflecting Warnock’s report. On the other hand, inclusion implies the introduction of a set of changes through which schools restructure themselves so as to be able to embrace all children. Integration involves the school in a process of assimilation where the onus is on the assimilating individual (whether a pupil with SEN or a pupil with a different cultural and linguistic background) to make changes so that they can 'fit in'. By contrast inclusion involves the school in a process of accommodation where the onus is on the school to change, adapting curricula, methods, materials and procedures so that it becomes more responsive. The creation of an inclusive school system certainly appears to harbour numerous challenges including: changing of staff attitudes; restructuring of the physical

Social justice and inclusion have become important parts of the modern world, especially within the Scottish education system. They allow pupils to reach their full potential and to become fully integrated whilst at school, regardless of background or disability. However these terms are ever changing and require a lot of thought and determination to be fully fulfilled within schools. This paper will look at the importance of social justice and inclusion as well as considering different views on the topics. It will also focus on the teacher’s role in achieving an inclusive environment within school and the implications for learning.

This reflection is based on the question posed, “What does Social Justice mean to you and the teaching profession.” The concept of Social Justice can be described differently by any individual whom are asked, however to fully understand this concept an individual first needs to understand their own inner feeling and knowledge of this concept.

In this scholarly article, one teacher’s opinion on the use of inclusion is given. She talked about how inclusion isn’t always best for every student in all situations. She talked about many of her classroom experiences over the last 20 years and has seen many students fail and thrive in the inclusive environment. The author of this article talked about the benefits of inclusion and how it helps students socially and makes them feel included, but inclusion isn’t always best for student with more severe disabilities. She also pointed out that she taught inclusion at the highest levels was more difficult to do classes being broken down into subjects. The article made many good points about always doing what is best for all students and having

Service- learning provides the opportunities for pre-service teachers to gain skills and knowledge to collaborate with their colleagues in their future practice (Dillard 2016, p. 2). However, it also benefits the organisation, staff, families and community members. As stated by Haines et al (2015, p. 227), all are vital ‘for ensuring the success of students in inclusive schools’. Teacher play a critical role in inclusion in the classroom. However, as stated by Britt (2014, p. 51), graduates do not know how to communicate effectively. Thus, not being prepared to collaborate to achieve an inclusive school. Service-learning allows for teachers to develop their pedagogical

Teachers who believe in their ability to create meaningful learning experiences exert a powerful influence over the achievement of the students they interact with. Educators are currently interacting with increasing numbers of socially and culturally diverse students in their classrooms; to engage these students, issues of social justice need to be a central consideration when instructing. “Social Justice Education focuses attention on the ways in which social group differences of race and ethnicity, national origins, language, religion, gender, sexuality, class, disability, and age interact with systems of domination and subordination to privilege or disadvantage different social group members relative to each other” (Adams, Bell, Goodman,

Social justice in general is defined as justice in terms of the distribution of the wealth, opportunities, and privileges, with in a society and in our present context, we can define social justice as promoting equality and freedom for all students regardless of their diversity. Social justice is applicable to all classrooms and all staff members should embrace for it by following the best practices. Accepting the students as they are irrespective of their race, gender, ethnicity, and socio economic status is the first step towards achieving social justice. Emphasizing teachers on the need to link their teaching to the real world problems and multiple perspectives, removing barriers from realities will be my second step towards achieving social