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Journal of Child & Adolescent Mental Health 2006, 18 (2) : iii
© NISC (pty) Ltd. www.nisc.co.za
Editorial
Education and intellectual disability in South Africa
Authors:
Emeritus Professor C Molteno
Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town
Corresponding Author: Emeritus Professor C Molteno (E-mail: molteno@curie.uct.ac.za)
Abstract:
Before the acceptance of universal education, the concept of educating children with intellectual disability (ID) received sporadic interest. In the early nineteenth century, Jean-Marc Itard embarked on a 5 year project of ‘educating the mind’ of Victor, who became known as the Wild Boy of Aveyron. Later Sequin, a pupil of Itard, founded a school for ‘idiots’ in Bicertre in 1846. In Switzerland, Dr Guggenbuhl, having recognised the condition of Alpine Fatuity (cretinism), set up a school in the picturesque town of Interlaken.
With the advent of universal education, questions arose as to the value of offering education to all, including those with intellectual disability. In Paris, Binet was given the task of developing a test that could identify children who would be unable to benefit from a regular curriculum. This gave rise to one of the first intelligence tests. Intelligence tests have since become the crucial diagnostic measure of ID.
In South Africa, the Van Wyk Report of 1967 was a milestone in the education of children with ID. The report advocated that children with an IQ below 50 were entitled to state-supported training if they were able to benefit from it. This referred to white children, but later the recommendations were extended to other racial groups. After the publication of the report, the classification of ID children as ‘educable’, ‘trainable’ and ‘ineducable/untrainable’ came into common usage. This has been highly stigmatising and has also served to exclude the so-called ‘untrainable’ from education department funding. Some of these children who attended special care centres received minimal Department of Health subsidy.
In 1995 the Department of Education White Paper on Education and Training was released, acknowledging the importance of providing an effective response to the unsatisfactory educational experiences of learners with special education needs. In August 1997 a public discussion document was launched to elicit submissions on the preliminary findings and recommendations of the National Commission on Special Needs in Education and Training (NCSNET) and the National Committee for Support Services (NCESS). These committees had conducted investigations earlier that year. Subsequently, a report Quality Education for ALL — overcoming barriers to learning and development was released in November. This led to the Consultative Paper No. 1 on Special Education of 1999 in which the context for the transformation process was presented. This argued for a progressive programme to address learning difficulties within an inclusive education system that accommodates diversity. A timetable recommended a three-phase programme:
• Phase one (1999–2000): building capacity and revising policies, legislation, and the competencies of advisory bodies
• Phase two (2001–2005): increasing access of learners experiencing learning difficulties and exclusion
• Phase three (2005+): expanding access to education and training and support services, emphasising improvement and quality assurance.
The Constitution of South Africa (Act 108 of 1996) states in Section 29 (1) that everyone has the right to a basic education. In Section 9 (2) the state commits to the achievement of equality and in Section 9 (4 and 5) to non-discrimination. These clauses are important for protecting all learners, including those who are disabled.
The Salamanca Statement and Framework for Action on Special Needs Education was published in 1994 following a world conference held in Spain in June that year. The right to education of every individual, as enshrined in the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, was reaffirmed. In addition, it called for regular schools with an inclusive orientation as the most effective means of combating discriminatory attitudes, creating welcoming communities, building an inclusive society and achieving education for all. Since then most countries have moved forward to implement inclusive education.
South Africa has followed in policy, but practical implementation has been slow. For instance, many children with ID in South Africa do not attend school and those who do, do so in a segregated system. Children within the severe and profound (special care) category of ID are excluded from Department of Education funding. Critics of inclusive education have claimed that it is untried and untested in the South African context and that its implementation is poorly planned and resourced. However, the challenge is to remedy the shortcomings and give substance to the years of planning. A just society is one based on inclusion. Inclusive education should be an important cornerstone of South African society.
Journal of Child and Adolescent Mental Health 2006, 18(2): iii
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