Local knowledge in inclusive education policies in Africa: informing sustainable outcomes

African Journal of Disability

 
 
Field Value
 
Title Local knowledge in inclusive education policies in Africa: informing sustainable outcomes
 
Creator Ohajunwa, Chioma O.
 
Subject Education; Indigenous Knowledge; Inclusive Policies; Rural Health inclusive education; Africa; local knowledge; policy; community; inclusion; schooling; sustainable Community; Inclusion; Schooling; Sustainable
Description Background: This article presents on the outcomes of a study that focused on an analysis of inclusive education (IE) policies in South Africa, Ghana and Uganda. Persons with disabilities live within communities and are raised by the values that apply within their communal context. Policymaking is intricately linked to policy implementation, and the inclusion of local knowledge strengthens policy influence, impacting on implementation processes.Objectives: This research study explored the definition and foci of inclusion, whether local knowledge is included and how it is represented within the national inclusive education policy in South Africa, Ghana and Uganda. This study reports on the outcomes of the second objective on inclusion of local knowledge.Method: A qualitative, critical, interpretative and constructivist approach was utilised for the study. Data were gathered through a desktop review and in-depth, individual interviews.Results: There is inclusion of some local knowledge within the national policies; however, this is minimal and insufficient. Participants argue that even when it is included, it is often embedded or implied, that local knowledge should be made more prominent within inclusive education policies as local knowledge is a community resource that supports policy implementation.Conclusion: The inclusion of local community knowledge and ways of knowing within inclusive education policies is viewed as a critical and an integral aspect of policymaking. It will help to address the challenges of stigma and negative attitudes, promoting a continuity of knowledge that supports local values and well-being of children with disabilities and their communities.
 
Publisher AOSIS
 
Contributor Harry Crossley funding African Network for Evidence-to-Action on Disability (AfriNEAD)
Date 2022-01-31
 
Type info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion — Qualitative research
Format text/html application/epub+zip text/xml application/pdf
Identifier 10.4102/ajod.v11i0.941
 
Source African Journal of Disability; Vol 11 (2022); 8 pages 2226-7220 2223-9170
 
Language eng
 
Relation
The following web links (URLs) may trigger a file download or direct you to an alternative webpage to gain access to a publication file format of the published article:

https://ajod.org/index.php/ajod/article/view/941/1702 https://ajod.org/index.php/ajod/article/view/941/1703 https://ajod.org/index.php/ajod/article/view/941/1704 https://ajod.org/index.php/ajod/article/view/941/1705
 
Coverage Africa; South Africa 2001-2021 Ethnicity
Rights Copyright (c) 2022 Chioma O. Ohajunwa https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
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