Constituents of effective and sustainable implementation of school level inclusive education in Zimbabwe

Abstract

This article reviews the constituents of effective and sustainable implementation of school level inclusive education with reference to Zimbabwe. Implementation of inclusive education is a collaborative concern involving multiple stakeholders who include teachers, school administrators, government, parents, counsellors, psychologists, therapists and social welfare officers among others. It comes at a cost, hitherto less expensive than continuing with exclusive arrangements. The constituents of effective and sustainable implementation of inclusive education include reviewing and reflecting on current practices; setting up the Inclusive Education Leadership Team; development of an action plan for change; principles for implementation; implementation parameters; and monitoring and evaluation. From thorough examination of these constituents, the article concludes that effective and sustainable implementation of inclusive education depends on strategic action planning, commitment, collaborative effort and continuous monitoring and evaluation. Consequently, the article implores the government of Zimbabwe to intensify training and development of teachers, increase resource allocation towards the implementation of inclusive education and to review teacher deployment patterns and enforce policies that support effective and sustainable implementation of school level inclusive education.