2022 Volume 2022 Issue 27 Article ID: 27.a01
Inclusive education has become part of the global education agenda as many countries have implemented inclusive education policies, especially for children with disabilities. Though it does not have a single model, many countries have accommodated children with disabilities in regular schools and even closed special schools/classes partly owing to the international agenda emphasizing that all children should be educated in the same regular classroom.
Ethiopia has implemented inclusive education policies in line with the international agenda, where regular schools attempt to accommodate children with disabilities. Simultaneously, Ethiopia started shifting special schools/classes to regular ones and began accepting children without disabilities. By examining Ethiopia’s case, this study identified some issues requiring consideration regarding the co-learning of children with and without disabilities, including learning readiness, skill education for each disability type, and instruction medium. Additionally, by examining the situation of children without disabilities in the special class-based regular classes, some challenges for children without disabilities from economically poor families are also identified. Finally, this study suggests full utilization of the resources and functions of special schools/classes as one of the ways to implement inclusive education rather than simply closing them, especially for low-income countries.
