Introduction
Modern foreign practice demonstrates that the development of inclusive education is a complex and multifaceted process. It involves, in addition to scientific and methodological, economic, social, and administrative resources, and requires a radical restructuring of the modern education system. The basis of the idea of expanding access to education for children with special needs is determined by humanistic pedagogy, which excludes any discrimination against children. It ensures equal treatment of all people and guarantees accessibility to education for all without exception. Thus, it is necessary to identify and explain the international declaration of UNESCO, which supports inclusion in schools and describes the needs and problems of students from a cultural group.
UNESCO Declaration
The problem of providing a decent education for children with special needs has been frequently discussed at the international level. However, progress on this issue can be observed only after the adoption of the Incheon declaration. The Incheon declaration on education 2030, formulated during the World Education Forum held in May 2015 in the Republic of Korea, set a new direction for global education strategy beyond 2015 (Shu, 2017, p. 39). The main objective of the new vision was to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and to create lifelong learning opportunities for all. This transformative and universal purpose is designed to complete the Millennium Development Goals of Education for All and to address global and national education challenges (Shu, 2017, p. 39). It is based on a humanistic vision of education and development grounded in the importance of human rights and dignity, social justice, inclusion, protection, and cultural, linguistic, and ethnic diversity. This vision calls for a global educational focus on access, equity and inclusion, quality, and lifelong learning outcomes.
Moreover, inclusive education implies the process of educating children with special educational needs in mainstream schools. According to the declaration, everyone is accepted and considered an essential team member in an inclusive school (Shu, 2017, p.46). This gives the special child self-confidence and fosters responsiveness and understanding in children without disabilities. The student with special needs receives support from their classmates and the rest of the school community to address their special educational requirements (Shu, 2017, p.48). Thus, this UNESCO declaration lays the foundation for promoting inclusive education in schools. The adaptation of this declaration should resolve the problems of inclusive education at national levels.
The Needs and Challenges of Culture Group Students
The accelerating pace of globalization is leading to the spread of the idea of the need for a common global educational space. The development of a culture of international communication is becoming a severe problem in today’s society (Hyde et al., p.41). In my class, there are some Chinese students who do not speak Australian and have a specific cultural background. This causes some problems in interacting with the whole class and learning programs. In providing them with educational services, the following issues may emerge. First, the absence of comfortable living conditions to which they are accustomed and educational plans may differ. Thus, in case of learning delays, children need to attend additional classes (Hyde et al., p.41). This will help to enhance knowledge and reach the average level of knowledge in the classroom.
However, a problem associated with the difficulty of transferring from one educational program to another is the absence of classes in their native language. Considering that children may arrive from countries where English or Australian was not studied, they will feel unnecessary in the classroom (Hyde et al., p.41). This factor will contribute to children not being able to make friends and communicate on a personal level with others. Indeed, failing to eliminate knowledge of the Australian language will divorce them from the difficulties in communicating with the teacher in the classroom, leading to even more delayed learning outcomes (Hyde et al., 48). Thus, students need special preparatory courses focusing on learning the Australian language. Moreover, they need additional support from the teacher in the classroom, which will be expressed through knowledge of their socio-cultural background (Hyde et al., 49). This will support children from diverse cultural backgrounds in adapting to their new learning environment and receiving appropriate assistance.
Conclusion
Hence, the Incheon declaration emphasizes inclusive and universal development in schools. It reflects an international commitment to providing inclusive youth with an education that enables them to socialize. The primary focus is to provide access to education for students with special needs and to design programs in such a way that they can attend regular schools. This will help ensure equality and humanity, allowing children with special needs to become accustomed to a living community. In addition, it should be noted that there may be children of other races in the classroom who have problems with changing curricula and do not know the language of instruction. Accordingly, creating special conditions to improve their language skills and support them is appropriate. At the same time, the teacher should demonstrate knowledge of their culture in order to establish better communication and help them adapt to their new environment.
References
Hyde, M., Carpenter, L., & Conway, R. N. (2017). Diversity, inclusion and engagement (3 rd ed.). Oxford University Press.
Shu, Y. M. (2017). Incleon declaration: To help the disadvantaged by quality education. Journal of Education Research, 281, 39-51.