Inclusive education in Southern Africa: a critical policy analysis

Southern African countries have committed to protecting and promoting quality education for every learner regardless of their special educational needs. Each country attempts to ensure equal educational outcomes for all through various policies. Nevertheless, inequality is increasing, and the failure of policies is well documented. Traditional approaches to education policy need to be revised. A critical policy approach is needed to shed light on the distribution of power and resources inherent in educational policies, thereby enabling recommendations that increase the likelihood that the intended beneficiaries of inclusive education get more than mere policy rhetoric. Using a Critical Policy Analysis approach, we examined the state of inclusive education policy for 11 southern African countries. The analysis has shown that the same policy frameworks meant to foster it might undermine southern Africa’s transition from special to inclusive education. We argue that successful implementation of inclusive education in southern Africa would require countering the hegemonic perception that inclusion is a kind of charity for learners with special educational needs. We recommend that deciphering policy into practice requires paradigm shifts to inclusivity. We further recommend that policy ideals need to resonate with practice realities for meaningful inclusivity. We also emphasize policy frameworks’ need to ignite collaboration for inclusive education.