Implementation and Results of Inclusive Education in Canada

The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), article 24 prohibits discrimination against children with disabilities and mandates the right to inclusive education. This law removes the barrier for handicapped or disabled children to be treated differently in an educational setting and advocates for their rights to participate in typical classrooms. This promotes inclusive education in schools, institutions and also in society.

On Dec 13, 2006, the United Nations General Assembly formally adopted and advocated the rights of persons with disabilities (CRPD). The convention aimed to promote, defend and reinforce the human rights of disabled people. And, many countries were specifically charged with the obligation to abide by the law of inclusive general education with non-disabled peers, and Canada is one among them.

Over time, it is seen that CRPD is making a meaningful difference in the lives of people with disabilities and their families in Canada and around the world. Let’s understand in detail the implementation and results of inclusive education in Canada, but first, we will discuss the concept of inclusive education.

What is Inclusive Education?

In 2006, the United Nations made a formal initiative to include children with disabilities in quality learning. But what does it really mean in the practical world? This essentially means that the teaching environment, and the curriculum including school buildings, classrooms, play areas, transport and toilets are appropriate for all children at all levels.

According to inclusive education, all children, no matter what their disability is must learn together in the same schools. No one should be excluded. Every child has the right to inclusive education, including children with disabilities.

Inclusive learning promotes the following:

✅ Improves learning:

The UN CRPD follows an approach to holistic learning. It improves learning for all children – both with and without disabilities.

✅ Promotes Harmony and Reduces Prejudice:

This promotes greater understanding among children, reduces prejudices and strengthens social integration.

✅ Empowering Children with Disabilities:

It ensures that children with disabilities are also equipped to work and contribute economically and socially to the community.

How the Right to Inclusive Education is Connected to Other Children’s Rights?

It is necessary to understand that all human rights are interlinked; and so is the right to education. If the law of inclusive education is rightfully abided by, it also leads to the realisation of other rights.

The law of inclusive education also includes the following children’s rights under its wings.

✅ Non-discrimination against race, culture, sex, physical abilities,

✅ Best interests of the children

✅ Right of the children to be heard

✅ Protection from violence and abuse

✅ Support with mobility

✅ Habilitation and rehabilitation

Thus, when the law of inclusive education is successfully upheld, it fosters the promotion of the following additional rights.

✅ Participation in public life and opportunity for life within a community

✅ Exercise of legal capacity

✅ Work and employment rights

✅ Adequate standard of living

Now that we know how the right to inclusive education is connected to other fundamental rights, it’s time to draw the vision of what it requires to build an inclusive education system.

Such an education system would ensure equal access to quality education for all students, regardless of their abilities, and create an environment where diversity(ie., students from different cultural, economic and social backgrounds) is embraced and every student’s potential is nurtured.

What It Requires to Establish an Inclusive Education System?

An inclusive education system helps transform the whole education system in terms of legislation and policy, system of financing, delivery of education and infrastructure.

But, how the goal of inclusive education can be achieved? How can we include children with disabilities in quality learning? What needs to be done? Let’s discuss the requirements below.

✅ Investments from the education ministry –It takes commitment, action, time and money to attain the outcome successfully.

✅ Support for teachers and students –Teachers need training and guidance to nurture the learners and the students need better infrastructure and study facilities.

✅ Promotion of respect for diversity and inclusive learning – Initiatives should be taken to change the negative attitude and prejudice towards disabled candidates.

✅ Partnerships between parents, disabled students and school management–  Inclusive education will need parents, teachers and school management to forge better understanding and partnerships with disabled students.

✅ Safe and inclusive study environments– Disabled children cannot have a better learning experience if they are frightened or feel unsafe in their learning environment

✅ Communities or groups to monitor progress– There should be specific communities or groups assigned to monitor the implementation of the law and make timely amendments to ensure it functions effectively and sustainably.

9 Major Initiatives Taken to Implement Inclusive Education in Canada 

Canada ratified CRPD in 2010, which helped the communities and the government understand how and why the rights of people with disabilities are not being cared for. While CRPD does not establish any new rights for people with disabilities but it certainly introduced some fresh perspectives and new concepts that are necessary for the realisation of the right. The CRPD provided the right direction and an inspirational guide to build an inclusive and accessible Canada. It made it possible to access the 4A’s – availability, accessibility, acceptability and adaptability.

Let’s discuss the 10 major initiatives that were taken by the government and other public organisations in Canada to implement inclusive and sustainable education.

1. Learning curriculum designed to accommodate all kinds of students (immigrants, disabled students, non-native English speakers) in the same classroom

There has been a dynamic shift in the codes of learning systems of schools in Canada after the implementation of inclusive education. Previously there was an ESL (English as a Second Language) class where non-native English speaker students were separated outside the regular classroom.

However, with the inclusive education methodologies, ESL has now changed to EAL (English as an Additional Language), and those students whose mother tongue language is not English are now called ELL (English Language Learners). There is an interesting change here! You know what?

Now, the learning curriculum mandates that all kinds of students such as immigrants, disabled students, non-native English speakers as well as native English speakers will learn together in the same classrooms.

The so-called “reasonable accommodation” has proved to be beneficial for everyone.

2. Implementation of visual flowcharts rather than spoken instructions

Inclusive education techniques have made the learning process of diverse students much more befitting and easy to understand. This may include immigrants, students with disabilities, non-native English speakers, or those from different cultural backgrounds.

Instead of delivering education through verbal instructions, educators have chosen the learning pathway through visual flowcharts. A flow chart contains colourful pictures, describing words, and clear, step-by-step sequences to enhance understanding.

This is more effective, interactive, engaging and accessible for students with diverse learning needs. 

Visual flowcharts not only allow ELL students but also students with learning disabilities such as ADHD or autism or LD to understand the instruction better.

The teacher can write numbers accompanying pictures to make the visual flowchart readily functional with a few prompts. This is beneficial for teachers as well, saving them from explaining multiple times or being frustrated.

3. Development of NGOs such as IEC to support inclusive education system 

Many NGOs have developed in recent years to promote inclusive education systems by advocating for policy changes, providing resources, and supporting schools in implementing best practices.

Inclusive Education Canada is one among them.

IEC advocates for effective policy provision and investment in support for teachers and students. It also provides leadership to parents and families as well as teachers, principals and other stakeholders in the education system. It is committed to quality education for all students in inclusive schools and advocates for principles of inclusion, classroom practice, school strategies, teacher training, instruction and pedagogy.

Such NGOs ensure that inclusive education systems both become successful and a practical reality. It adds to the fuel of continuous improvement and widespread adoption of inclusive practices.

4. Group Work – An approached practice in classrooms to promote the principles of inclusive learning

Group work is definitely a learning practice that benefits not only the challenged or disabled students but all in the classroom. This collaboration skill is a must-have and is known to be one of the needed competencies for children in the 21st century.

Skills that once mattered a lot, do not matter anymore in this digital age.

Additionally, this scenario is also reflected in the learning environment. Accuracy and speed were once the two important criteria that determined the credibility of students.

But today, the criteria for assessments have changed and so have the learning curriculum in the schools. The focus has shifted from memorisation and content mastery to nurturing critical thinking and problem-solving along with collaboration skills.

By implementing group work, there are more chances of increased attention and getting support from peers and teachers rather than simply sitting and listening to the instructors.

5. Strategically Arranged Classroom Setup 

An inclusive education system has not only propelled a change in the education curriculum of schools in Canada but also resulted in a strategic classroom setup. In the current scenario, we rarely see individual sets of desks and chairs in public elementary schools. Instead, there are tables with chairs placed around them.

In this setup, students often do not face the front of the classroom where the blackboard and teachers traditionally once were situated. The new arrangement of desks and chairs encourages more group activities, peer collaboration, and interactive learning.

This helps in fostering social skills, enhancing communication, and promoting a more engaging and inclusive learning environment for all students.

6. Carpet Learning – A popular Learning approach to promote inclusive learning 

Carpet learning is a popular practice that is widely accepted and enforced in elementary and primary schools in Canada to effectively foster group engagement and interaction.

A large carpet lays on the floor in an area of the classroom where students gather to sit together and participate in interactive student-teacher or peer learning.

This has shifted the role of teachers from instructing to facilitating collaborative discussions and active participation.

7. Schools across Canada implement Individualised Education Plans (IEPs)

Schools in Canada keep a farsighted vision of the holistic development of students. Thus, they implement Individualised Education Plans (IEPs) to support inclusive education practices that accommodate the diverse needs of all students, including those with disabilities, culturally diverse backgrounds, and non-native English speakers.

7.1 “Story Workshops” – enhance efficiency in expression and increase the competency of communication skills

One example of individualised education plans (IEPs) is “Story Workshops”. It is an effective writing activity for primary students where they are encouraged to choose different words based on themes such as the beach, arctic, unicorn etc., and create stories using them.

This activity of writing stories fulfils the learning outcome of expressing the stories in the form of drawing pictures or expressing stories verbally, catering to different learning styles and abilities.

7.2 Maths Task Cards – A tailored learning methodology to encourage self-paced activities and cater to individual needs 

Another example of individualised education plans is the concept of math task cards. This is a tailored methodology to encourage self-paced learning, especially among children in the upper elementary school studying in grades 4 and 5.

Here, these cards reflect various levels of maths proficiency. For instance, division tasks range from challenging ones such as dividing 4 digits by 2 digits to simpler ones such as 2 digits by 1 digit without remainders.

Students are given choices to choose which math level they would want to try to solve. Students can work on their math problems independently or with a group of peers at the table to seek the teacher’s help as well.

8. Collaboration with Disability Advocacy Groups 

These advocacy groups serve as a bridge between the educational system and the community of individuals with disabilities. These disability advocacy groups work closely with educators, school management and policymakers to develop educational strategies that support various disabilities whether physical, cognitive or emotional.

The goal of these groups is to provide direct support and resources to disabled students and promote inclusive education through specialised teacher’s training, new technologies and curriculum change. Some of the notable disability advocacy groups are:

• Inclusion Canada (Formerly called Canadian Association for Community Living)

• CNIB (Canadian National Institute for the Blind)

• CHS (Canadian Hearing Society)

• CCD (Council of Canadians with Disabilities

• Autism Canada

9. Anti-Bullying Initiatives To Promote Inclusive Learning 

Enforcement of anti-bullying programmes is an essential step in the promotion of inclusive education, as it creates a safe and supportive environment for the students and also makes them feel respected and valued.

These initiatives address the root cause of bullying such as prejudice, violence, and intolerance, and educate students about mutual respect, and harmony. Whether these are disabled students or those from different cultural backgrounds, or non-native English speakers, every student has the right to participate fully in classroom activities without fear and hesitation. These anti-bullying programmes not only protect students from harm but also strengthen the overall inclusivity of the learning environment.

Some of the key anti-bullying initiatives taken by the government of Canada are as follows:

• Cyberbullying Public Awareness Campaign

• The Safe Schools Policy

• Promoting Relationships and Eliminating Violence Network (PREVNet)

• Provincial Anti-Bullying Legislation

• The WITS Programs (Walk away, Ignore, Talk it out, Seek help)

• The Canadian Centre for Child Protection’s Initiatives

• The Stop Hating Online Campaign

The Takeaway

An inclusive learning system allows both teachers and students to consider flexibility in the methods of learning. Students are given the choice and responsibility for their own learning in order to achieve their learning goals. An inclusive approach is making students more independent in making decisions and finding their own learning paths (without the influence of traditional set practice).

An inclusive system of education emphasises holistic learning for students and developing competencies such as problem-solving, critical thinking and collaborative skills. Students are gradually shifting from a textbook-oriented approach to a more experiential and interactive learning model.

An inclusive learning methodology has become the very catalyst that is amending educational policies and helping students break free from restricted, traditional set rules, encouraging them to think out of the box and embrace creativity and innovation.