The mandate of the Basic Education Sector is to provide an environment where everyone has access to lifelong learning, education and learning opportunities to enable all citizens to improve the quality of their lives, and to be able to contribute meaningfully to the welfare of their communities and society in general, whilst gaining 21st Century skills.
To ensure inclusive education is a reality for all learners living with disabilities in South Africa, the Departments of Basic Education (DBE), Higher Education and Training (DHET) and Woman, Youth and Persons with Disabilities (DWYPD) will host an Inclusive Education Summit on 22 and 23 November 2021. The purpose of the Summit is to provide a forum to deliberate ways of repositioning inclusive education within the sector to: acknowledge progress made and the gaps that still exist; contribute to formulating strategic interventions to take inclusive education forward; and develop a clear implementation plan for the improvement of Inclusive Education.
Minister of Basic Education, Mrs Angie Motshekga, will deliver the opening address during the Summit and Dr Reginah Mhaule, Deputy Minister of Basic Education, will officially open and welcome all delegates attending the Summit at the Birchwood Hotel and Conference Centre in Gauteng. Director-General, Mr Mathanzima Mweli, will provide an overview on the State of Inclusive Education in South Africa. Afterwards, six commissions will reflect on the progress made since the promulgation of Education White Paper 6 on July 2001 under the theme, Accelerating Inclusive Education: Leaving No Learner Behind.
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) recognises the rights of all children with disabilities to be included in the general education system to receive the individual support they require to develop into productive members of society. For this to happen, systemic change to identify and remove barriers as well as provide reasonable accommodation and support services are required, to ensure that children with disabilities are not excluded from any educational opportunities. Within a schooling context, inclusive education offers a mechanism through which better development prospects for all children, especially those with disabilities can be provided, whilst challenging and addressing the barriers that hamper initiatives to ensure that every child, especially those with disabilities have full access to, and participate fully in educational opportunities.