Inclusive education is increasingly regarded as a step towards\nachieving educational equity in Indonesia. Various policies have been\nissued to guarantee the right of children with special needs to access\neducation on an equal footing with other learners. The presence of\ninclusive schools is evidence that the state is striving to open wider\nlearning spaces for all children, regardless of their physical, mental,\nand social conditions. However, amidst these policies, questions still\narise about the extent to which government support is truly felt by\nschools implementing inclusive education.<\/p>\n
Inclusive education is not merely about placing children with special\nneeds in regular schools. More than that, it demands the creation of a\nlearning environment capable of accommodating the needs of every\nlearner. From a social inclusion perspective, every individual has an\nequal right to participate in community life, including obtaining a\nquality education. Therefore, the success of inclusive education cannot\nbe measured solely by the increasing number of inclusive education\nproviders, but also by the quality of services provided to learners with\nspecial needs.<\/p>\n
In terms of regulation, Indonesia actually has a fairly strong\nfoundation. Law Number 20 of 2003 on the National Education System,\nMinister of National Education Regulation Number 70 of 2009 on Inclusive\nEducation, and Law Number 8 of 2016 on Persons with Disabilities\ndemonstrate the state\u2019s commitment to guaranteeing education rights for\npersons with disabilities. However, strong regulations do not always\nalign with the conditions schools face in daily practice.<\/p>\n
This gap is reflected in various national education data. According\nto data from Statistics Indonesia (BPS), around 17.85 per cent of\npersons with disabilities over the age of five have never attended\nformal education. On the other hand, the government continues to promote\nthe implementation of inclusive education in various regions. Yet, this\nexpansion of access has not always been accompanied by adequate\nreadiness in terms of facilities, teaching staff, or support systems.\nThis condition indicates that the current issue of inclusive education\nis not only about the opportunity to attend school, but also the\neducation system\u2019s ability to optimally meet the learning needs of\nlearners with special needs.<\/p>\n
One of the challenges still widely encountered is the limitation of\nfacilities that are friendly to learners with special needs. Not all\nschools have the infrastructure to support the needs of children with\nphysical impairments or other special requirements. In fact,\naccessibility is a basic prerequisite for achieving equitable education.\nIt is difficult to discuss inclusive education if the school environment\nitself is not yet fully capable of accommodating the needs of its\nlearners.<\/p>\n
The next challenge lies in the curriculum aspect. Although inclusive\nschools accept learners with diverse characteristics, the curriculum\nused is still dominated by an approach designed for regular learners. As\na result, teachers often have to make adjustments independently so that\nlearning materials can be understood by all learners. This condition\nshows that inclusive education requires a more adaptive and flexible\ncurriculum so that the learning needs of every child can be met\noptimally.<\/p>\n
This issue becomes more complex with the still limited presence of\nspecial needs support teachers (GPK) in regular schools. The presence of\nsupport teachers plays an important role in helping children with\nspecial needs follow the learning process and adapt to the school\nenvironment. However, in many schools, this role is still unavailable,\nso the responsibility for support is largely borne by the classroom\nteacher. Furthermore, training on inclusive education for regular\nteachers is also still uneven. Not a few schools send only one teacher\nto attend training, while other teachers must learn independently to\nhandle the diverse needs of learners.<\/p>\n
These findings align with research by Dori Sri Wahyuni and Irdamurni\n(2024) on the implementation of inclusive education in primary schools\nproviding inclusive education. The research showed that inclusive\neducation training has not been evenly provided to all teachers, causing\nmany educators to experience difficulties in handling learners with\nspecial needs. The research also found that the absence of Special Needs\nSupport Teachers (GPK) is one of the obstacles in the inclusive learning\nprocess. This condition indicates that the challenges faced by schools\nare not isolated issues, but remain challenges found in the practice of\ninclusive education across various regions.<\/p>\n
These various problems show that the success of inclusive education\ndepends not only on the existence of policies, but also on the tangible\nsupport available within the school environment. In this context, the\nscaffolding theory proposed by Lev Vygotsky can help explain the\nimportance of support systems in children\u2019s learning processes.\nAccording to Vygotsky, learners can achieve higher abilities when they\nreceive appropriate assistance and support from their surrounding\nenvironment. In inclusive education, this support can take the form of\nadequate facilities, an adaptive curriculum, special support staff, or\nteachers who have the competence to assist learners with special\nneeds.<\/p>\n
The gap between policy commitment and school reality shows that the\nchallenge of inclusive education in Indonesia no longer lies in the\nexistence or absence of regulations. Various regulations have\ndemonstrated the state\u2019s commitment.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/inclusive-education-between-policy-commitment-and-school-reality-1782392005", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }