Philosophical and Theoretical

Foundations

Objectives:
• Discuss the philosophical and theoretical foundation of special education; and
• Applies knowledge of models, theories, and philosophies that provide the basis for
special education practice.

Introduction

We know that we have brilliant and intelligent philosophers. Now, you have to identify the
philosopher who said the following given lines/quotes.

Instruction: Write your answers on the blank space provided

before the number.

1. “The unexamined life is not worth

living”
2. “We are what we repeatedly do.
Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit”

3. “That man is wisest who, like Socrates,

realizes that his wisdom is worthless”
WHO SAYS?
4. “That man is wisest who, like Socrates,
realizes that his wisdom is worthless”

5. “It is one thing to show a man that he

is in error, and another to put him in possession of truth”
 Analysis
• Are you familiar with those philosophers?
• What do you think the connection of the activity to our new topic?
• Do you have philosophies in life? What are those?

Abstraction

PHILOSOPHY OF INCLUSIVE EDUCATION

For almost quarter century, services to people with

Let’s discuss the disabilities were seemingly endless state of flux. In this process,
philosophies and the central themes that emerged and changed the future direction
theories of of services were deinstitutionalization, normalization, equal
Inclusive Education rights, access, least restrictive environment and community based
services.

PHILOSOPICAL FOUNDATION

• should have the rights as normal children do.

• must NOT be isolated nor be looked down.
• must be treated as persons of dignity.
• needs should be provided.

Models of Services

The various initiatives for disabled always reflected two primary approaches to
rehabilitation i.e., individual pathology and social pathology. In the former approach, the
individual is seen as problem while in latter the environment is seen as problem. Within these two
approaches, four models of disability emerged, which are - the charity model, the bio-centric
model, the functional model and the human rights model (NCERT, 2006).

a. The Charity Model.

The charity model brought out various welfare measures like providing care, shelter and
basic needs. This resulted in establishment of more number of residential units that provided
custodial care. These institutions functioned like detention centres and there was no public
accountability or comprehensive provisions of services that would enhance the quality of life for
individuals with disabilities. Eventually, this model resulted in marginalization and disconnect
with the larger society.

b. The Bio-centric Model.

Evolving from the previous model, bio-centric model regards disability as a medical or
genetic condition and prompted to seek medical treatments as only means 25 of management. The
role of family, society and government was flippant according to this model. However, medical
diagnoses and biological treatments have to be necessarily part of the rehabilitation of the disabled
along with the family and social support to participate in the activities of social life.

c. The Functional Model.

In the functional model, entitlement to rights is differentiated according to judgments of
individual incapacity and the extent to which a person is perceived as being independent to exercise
his/her rights. For example, a child’s right to education is dependent on whether or not the child
can access the school and participate in the classroom, rather than the obligation being on the
school system becoming accessible to children with disabilities. Thus, it may not pose obligation
to schools for facilitating barrier free education.

d. The Human Rights Model .

The human rights model positions disability as an important dimension of human culture
and it affirms that all human beings are born with certain inalienable rights. According to this
model, the principle of respect for difference and acceptance of disability as part of human
diversity and humanity is important, as disability is a universal feature of the human condition. It
purports to identify those barriers for participation in society and removes them. Advocating for
non-discrimination, it also calls for reasonable differentiation only to create specialized support
services for effective participation in the society.

BASIC PHILOSOPHY OF SPECIAL EDUCATION

“Every child with special needs has a right to an educational program that is suitable to his
needs.”
“Special education shares with regular education basic responsibilities of the educational system
to fulfill the right of the child to develop to his full potential.”

Developing a comprehensive system of inclusive special education

A new theory has been

proposed that synthesizes theory and
research from both special education
and inclusive education in order to
present a model for providing effective
education for all children with SEND
(special educational needs and
disabilities) Th e theory of inclusive
special education comprises a synthesis
of the philosophy and values of
inclusive education along with the
strategies and interventions used in
special education. The theory of
inclusive special education provides
guidelines for policies, procedures and
evidence-based teaching strategies that
will support the delivery of effective
education for all children with SEND. The goal of this new approach is to ensure that all children
with SEND are effectively educated in special or mainstream facilities, wherever most is
appropriate, from early childhood through secondary school education.
Thus, the model combines key aspects of special education and inclusive education to form
inclusive special education.

Inclusive special education is about providing the best possible instruction for all children
with SEND, in the most appropriate setting, throughout all stages of a child’s education, with the
aim of achieving the highest possible level of inclusion in the community post-school. Its focus is
on effectively including as many children as possible in mainstream schools, along with the
availability of a continuum of placement options from mainstream classes to special schools, and
involving close collaboration between mainstream and special schools.

Continuum of placement options from mainstream classes to special schools Inclusive

special education recognizes that, although the majority of children with SEND can be effectively
educated in mainstream classes, there are a minority of children with higher levels of SEND who
benefit more from being educated in resource rooms, special classes or special schools for some
or all of the time at school (Kauffman & Badar, 2014a; NCSE, 2010; Warnock, 2005). Therefore,
it is necessary that a continuum of placement options, from mainstream classes to special schools,
 is available. Such continua of options, often referred to as cascades of services
have been the reality of special education provision in most countries for
many years and typically include options from mainstream classrooms with
support from specialist teachers or teaching assistants, through resource
rooms or special classes within mainstream schools, to separate special
schools. A typical continuum includes the options below:
mainstream class with differentiation of work by the class teacher;
mainstream class with guidance for the teacher provided by a specialist teacher;

mainstream class with support for the pupil from a teaching assistant;
mainstream class with some time spent in a resource room;
special class within a mainstream school;
special class that is part of a special school but is attached to a mainstream school;
special school which is on same campus as a mainstream school;
special school on a separate campus;

residential special school on its own campus.

Application

ESSAY: Write an essay about the statement in inclusive

education. Write it in just 5 to 10 sentences only.

“Inclusion is a process. Inclusive education is not merely

about providing access into mainstream school for pupils
who have previously been excluded. It is not about closing
down an unacceptable system of segregated provision
and dumping those pupils in an unchanged mainstream
system. Existing school systems - in terms of physical
factors, curriculum aspects, teaching expectations and
styles, leadership roleswill have to change. This is
because inclusive education is about the participation of
all children and young people and the removal of all
forms of exclusionary practice” (Barton, 1998)