Inclusive School Social Work in Sub-Saharan Africa: A focus on Children with Disabilities

Abstract

Calls for inclusive education and respect for the rights of children with disabilities have been growing, particularly during the last couple of decades. The term inclusive education relates to a situation where groups (such as children with disabilities and minority groups) who have traditionally been excluded, learn in the same classrooms in the same schools, as everyone else. Schools have for the longest time, been touted as safe havens for children, including those with disabilities. However, this view seems to have since changed as school-based violence, in particular bullying, sexual and gender-based violence, child rights violations, and child abuse in general have become the norm.