Inclusive education pandemic: Learning barriers for children with disabilities in South Africa

Background: Children with disabilities encounter obstacles attaining basic education. Significantly, previous studies on South Africa have shown that up to 70% of the children with disabilities are out of school. Despite efforts to support inclusive education through White Paper 6 policy, the deployment of resources and transformation of the education sector has been a slower process. Objectives: The main objective of the article is to explore the challenges of basic education faced by children with disabilities in South Africa. Method: The study was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic using a qualitative research methodology. The data were collected using key informant interviews through online media platforms. The data analysis was conducted using computer-aided software in the form of ATLAS.ti 8. Results: This study established several challenges faced by special needs schools, especially in the rural areas. These include a limited number of special needs schools, scholar transport, enrolment, lack of psychosocial and expert support, sanitation and infrastructure and the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on children with disabilities. Conclusion: The article concludes that even though White Paper 6 focusses on Special Needs Education in South Africa, there remains poor policy implementation to ensure inclusivity for learners with disabilities. Contribution: The research provides an understanding of the challenges faced by children with disabilities to assist policy makers with recommendations and areas of concern to improve policy implementation of the White Paper 6 in South Africa.