Inclusive Education Western Cape is a registered NPO that has, since 1995, been committed to promoting and supporting positive models of inclusive education in schools, preschools and other centres of learning in the Western Cape Province.
Our mission is to ensure that families, educators and service-providers of children with barriers to learning have access to information, and are introduced to support networks and services that can facilitate inclusion into ordinary neighbourhood schools. This involves:
- Challenging and changing attitudes towards inclusion in education.
- Nurturing collaboration between schools, parents, professionals and the broader community in supporting vulnerable children.
- Focusing on early identification of barriers to learning and implementing early intervention strategies to overcome these barriers from an early age.
- Working in communities where the most vulnerable children are at risk of dropping out of school because they do not access the right support.
- Fostering increased support for children in schools and early education centres.
IEWC’s core objective is to address these challenges through:
- providing information, training and support to parents, educators and others working with children with special needs;
- advocating for the rights and needs of children with disabilities or other special needs;
- facilitating better support for children in schools and early education centres.
OUR WORK:
- Early Childhood Development Program: To identify and strengthen potentially inclusive ECD Centres, better equipping them to accommodate young children with special early learning needs. This involves the training and development of ECD Practitioners by providing them not only with an understanding of inclusion, but also with the practical strategies and materials to teach children with disabilities and barriers to learning. The objective is to provide young, vulnerable children with the support they need prior to their entry into formal schooling.
- Inclusive Schools Program: A 1-year integrated whole school development programme to strengthen inclusive practice at primary schools. The programme focuses on aligning ethos and culture, policies and practice, with sound inclusive principles, whilst taking into account the unique South African classroom environment.
- Learner Support Program: Where staff provide an information and advice service, as well as training and workshops, to parents, educators and other professionals working with children with all types of special needs. Included in this program is our resource centre, which houses a small library, resource materials and an information database of services across the province and beyond.
- An Ongoing Advocacy and Awareness Program: Which encourages discussion and consciousness around the concept of inclusion via newsletters, meetings, conferences, exhibitions, print and broadcasting media, and advocates for increased support for ECD Practitioners in the form of increased subsidy for disabled children and improved inclusion training.
- Ongoing Training and Consultation: To meet the specific needs of teachers, early childhood development practitioners, district-based support teams of the education department, healthcare professionals, etc.
Operates in: Cape Town, Western Cape
Established in: 1995
Non-Profit Organisation Number: 020-669
Public Benefit Organisation Number: 930004485
Section 21 Company Number:
Trust Number:
Contact person: Marjorie Carew
Phone: 021 674 1422
Fax: 021 683 6379
Email:
Website: www.included.org.za
Physical address: 1st Floor, 66 Main Road, Claremont (Entrance off Toffie Lane)
Postal address: P O Box 36330, Glosderry, 7702
