The dynamics of the cost and funding of inclusive education in developing countries
Keywords:
Cost-effectiveness, Cost, Opportunity cost, Funding, Inclusive education, Parallel education system, Developing countries, Principles, Best practicesAbstract
This paper sought to analyse the dynamics involved in the cost and funding of inclusive education in developing and/or poor countries. The paper explores the cost-effectiveness of inclusive education by analyzing its measurability and sustainability. The literature that was reviewed reveals that the cost of inclusive education is less expensive but more sustainable than that of the traditional system in which general and special education are programmed and financed separately. The paper concludes that while it was difficult to find literature on the measurement of the cost of inclusive education in developing countries, it can be deduced from literature on middle-income and developing countries that inclusive education can cost up to 41% less than that of the traditional parallel system. However, this a can only be achievable if developing and/or poor countries embrace the central principles of inclusion and adopt best practices in these regards. Further research is certainly required on cost-effectiveness of inclusive education and the possibility of coming up with a model for calculating the real opportunity cost of foregoing the traditional more exclusive parallel systems often practiced in developing countries.
References
Banks, L.M., Polack, S., 2015. The economic costs of exclusion and gains of inclusion of people with disabilities. Evidence from Low and Middle Income Countries. London, CBM.
Brunswick Department of Education, 1994. Best Practices for Inclusion. Fredericton, New Brunswick.
DFID, 2000. Disability, Poverty and Development. Dares Salam, DFID.
European Agency for Development on Special Needs Education, 2003. Special Needs Education in Europe. Brussels, EADSNE.
Fullan, M.G., 1991. The new meaning of educational change. New York, Cassell.
Halvorsen, A.T., Neary, P., Piuma, C., 1996. A cost-benefit comparison of inclusive and integrated classes in one California district. California, ERIC.
Hoogeveen, J.G., 2005. Measuring welfare for small but vulnerable groups: Poverty and Disability in Uganda. J. Afr. Econ., 14(4), 603-631.
Inclusion Europe, 2007. Towards Inclusive Education: Examples of Good Practices of Inclusive Education. Brussels, Inclusion Europe.
Lamichhane, K., 2013. Disability and barriers to education: evidence from Nepal, Scandinavian. J. Disabil. Res., 15(4), 311-324.
Liao, J., Zhao, J., 2013. Rate of returns to education of persons with disabilities in rural China. A paper presented at the international conference on applied social science research.
Mulligan, D., Gooding, K., 2009. The millenium development goals and people with disabilities. Sight Savers International.https://www.cbm.org/article/downloads/82788/MDG_and_people_with_disabilities_Sightsavers.pdf
National Centre on Educational Restructuring and Inclusion, 1995. National Study on Inclusive Education. New York City, University of New York.
Odom, S.L., Parrish, T.B., Hikido, C., 2002. The costs of inclusive and traditional special education preschool services. citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?
Palmer, M., 2011. Disability and poverty: A conceptual review. J. Disabil. Pol. Stud., 21(4), 210-218.
Parekh, G., 2013. A case for inclusive education. Toronto, Toronto District School Board.
Parrish, T., 2011. Per-capita financing of education and equity issues. Conference on Inclusive Education for Children with Disabilities; UNICEF Country Office in the Russian Federation, 27-29 September.
Pjil, S., Dyson, A., 2015. Funding special education: A three country study of demand-oriented models. Comp. Educ., 34(2), 261-279.
Sebba, J., Thurlow, M., Goertz, M., 2000. Educational accountability and students with disabilities in the United States and in England and Wales. In: McLaughlin, M., Rouse, M. (eds.) Special education and school reform in the United States and Britain. London, Routledge.
Sharma, U., Forlin, C., Furlonger, B., 2015. Contemporary models of funding inclusive education for students with autism spectrum disorder. Victoria, Monash University.
Sibanda, P., 2015. Reforms needed for the operationalisation of inclusive education in ordinary schools in Zimbabwe. Sci. J. Pure Appl. Sci., 4(10), 185-192.
Tomlinson, C.A., 2005. Education in a post-welfare state (2nd Ed). Maidenhead, Berks: OUP.
UNESCO, 1994. The Salamanca statement and framework for action on special needs education. Salamanca; UNESCO.
Villa, R., Thousand, J.S., 2003. Making inclusive education work: Teaching all student. Educ. Leader., 61(2), 19-23.
Wapling, L., 2016. Inclusive education and children with disabilities: Quality education for all in low and middle income countries. Bellvile, CBM.
WHO, 2011. World Report on Disability. http://whqlibdoc.who.int/publications/2011/9789240685215.eng.pdf
World Bank, 2008. Project appraisal document on a proposed credit to the people’s Republic of Bangladesh for disability and children-at-risk project. Washington, World Bank.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2020 Patrick Sibanda
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
