PRACTICES AND OPPORTUNITIES OF INCLUSIVE EDUCATION IN BOTSWANA

Inclusive education is fundamental to addressing the needs of diverse learners though it continues to be controversial due to the varied understandings and practices of inclusive philosophy. This chapter highlights inclusive education practices and opportunities in the context of Botswana, particularly paying attention to how inclusive practices have evolved under the different education policies. International policies that cut across countries, such as child-friendly schools and the pastoral care, have contributed immensely to shaping inclusive education practice in most African countries. As signatory to UN conventions, Botswana is mandated by EFA and the MDGs to provide accessible and equitable education opportunities in pursuit of inclusive education, but in practice the country remains somewhat exclusionary due to its special education approach to teaching and learning that is evident in the existing special schools and classrooms. This chapter argues that the special education approach is justifiable, though it may be antithetical to inclusive education. In this chapter inclusive education underscores three theories that are important in guiding the reader to appreciate the authors’ perceptions of the concept, namely social constructivism, socio-cultural theory and the community of learning, all of which draw upon diversity and how learners support each other as they learn together in inclusive classroom settings.