The roles of the principal and the SBST in supporting teachers teaching inclusive education

Abstract

This research focuses on the challenges encountered by teachers in terms of support in teaching inclusive education in primary schools. According to the White Paper 6 of 2001, the Department of Education gives guidelines and points out the strengths of school-based support teams (SBST) and district support teams in attempting to overcome inclusivity. The SBST works with a variety of internal support structures to meet the needs of teachers who are teaching inclusive education. Schools in South Africa - especially in townships – are, generally, of the opinion that managing the process of inclusive education is the sole responsibility of the Department of Education. The research methodology employed in this study is qualitative which is explorative and descriptive by nature. The purpose of this study was to explore the role of the principals and the school-based teams in supporting teachers teaching inclusive education in primary schools. Data was collected by means of two focused interviews, which involved the principals and members of the school-based support team and by using one-on-one, semi–structured interviews. The collected data was analysed and categorized according to a constant comparative method. The data revealed a number of frustrations and challenges for teachers who need support in teaching learners in inclusive education. It is evident that there is a lack of support both from the principals and the SBSTs in supporting teachers who are teaching inclusive education. There is an insufficient knowledge and a lack of skills in supporting teachers teaching inclusive education as there has been no proper training for these teachers. However, the Department of Education has ensured that the introduction of White Paper 6 is aligned to the schools’ contextual systems.