Jana Vyrastekova is conducting a literature review on the effects of inclusive education: “The quality of inclusive education is high, and teachers rate their work environment very positively.” There are schools where diverse groups of students are fully integrated and schools where students interact with one another in thoughtful ways, Jana explains. “What’s consistent across the board is that all students are seen, valued, and supported. Education is focused on the joy of learning, tailored to the student, and not purely centered on a rigid curriculum model.”
Still, something bothers her. An article sharing the results of the literature review drew many negative reactions online. ‘See, I told you so,’ was the general sentiment, ‘inclusive education isn’t better.’ Jana: “Compared to mainstream education, the effects on academic and psychosocial outcomes are mostly neutral or slightly positive. But you can’t rely solely on the measured effects. Existing studies vary widely in their definitions of inclusive education. Researchers are usually unable to measure exactly how the inclusive learning environment is structured. Often, it involves placing students with additional support needs in mainstream education, without a school-wide organisation of inclusive education.” The neutral or slightly positive results are therefore actually encouraging, according to Jana. “Existing studies also show that the effects are positive in school systems where these school- and system-wide adjustments have likely been implemented.”
An Airplane as a Metaphor
Jana argues that the reason it provokes so much resistance in the field of education is that people aren’t seeing the whole picture. She uses an airplane as a metaphor. “If an airplane is on the ground and you put people in it, it’s not going to suddenly take off. People will then say, ‘See, flying is impossible.’ But if you’re at Schiphol Airport, you see countless planes taking off. There’s a lot of knowledge and organisation behind that. At Schiphol, they’re prepared and know what to do if something goes wrong.” Jana believes that the task of transitioning to inclusive education doesn’t rest solely with the teacher; the school and the school board must take the lead. “It’s not surprising that an individual teacher might feel overwhelmed. The school’s organisation, funding, and shared educational vision must provide support; otherwise, you’ll only create stress and burnout.” She tries to steer clear of the fears and emotions surrounding this topic. “If you think inclusive education isn’t feasible, then you’re underestimating what a school can achieve.”
Strong Leadership and Passionate Teachers
What Jana consistently observes at inclusive schools—despite differences in educational approaches—is strong leadership and a passionate team of teachers. “You need a creative principal who knows what she or he wants. And teachers collaborate more with one another, or they teach multiple classes, which makes them more flexible. This type of education presents many challenges, but teachers are never on their own.” She also notes that a good relationship between students and teachers plays an important role. “That alone prevents many behavioural problems.”
“If we create more social cohesion in society, there will be less fear and hatred. The best place to start is with children who meet each other at school.”
Friendships
Her previous research also shows that students at inclusive schools have more friends. Other studies indicate that this is true even for students who do not receive additional educational support. “Friendships aren’t just very important for your well-being, but also as a foundation for learning.” In addition, students at inclusive schools are less fearful of students who are ‘different’ and are less likely to discriminate. “If we create more social cohesion in society, there will be less fear and hatred. The best place to start is with children who meet each other at school.”
Meritocratic System
To make progress toward inclusive education, a number of issues will need to be addressed, Jana argues. Schools need principals who are ready for this, and teachers must be well supported. In addition, funding is essential. “Inclusive schools are still too dependent on one-off grants. It should be a structural approach.” Schools should also be given more leeway to experiment, so they feel less pressure about how they’ll be evaluated when working with students who need extra support. “We live in a meritocratic system where the emphasis is on grades and performance. We need to ask ourselves again: how can we shape the education system so that all children can develop and learn to their full potential, while keeping in mind that it takes time and that there is no single solution.”
A school is never finished
Jana wants to conduct more research to gain an even deeper understanding of the effects of inclusive education. “For example, we’ll look at what’s happening on the ground—at what teachers do every day in schools.” She doesn’t expect that by 2035 all schools will be ‘finished’ and that they’ll be able to say, ‘we’re now inclusive’. “That’s not the point, anyway. A school is never finished, because we don’t know what challenges the future will bring. The point is that we’re fundamentally working toward education as a place where every child, in their own neighbourhood, can learn together with others.”
Text: Willem Claassen