Resource Development and Management for Inclusive Education

Abstract

In order to improve quality and inclusion in education, several factors must be considered. Without adequate resources, it is impossible to achieve quality in education. Resources provide necessary concrete experiences, in that skills that are hard to conceptualise are clearly demonstrated. When resources are inadequate, the teaching approach tends to be teacher-centred, and this has been criticised as contrary to inclusion initiatives. In Africa (and other continents) countries have struggled to cope with the high costs of educational resources that have been brought about by increasing demands to make mainstream schools inclusive and by the ever-increasing number of children in schools as a result of initiatives like the United Nations' call for compulsory primary education. The purpose of this chapter is to highlight different strategies to develop and manage school resources for the inclusion of learners with diverse abilities. It is argued that teachers and support staff are invaluable resources for materialising successful inclusion.