International orthodoxy versus national realities: inclusive schooling and the education of children with disabilities in Lesotho

Specialists with international influence have been advocating in an uncompromising manner the policy of including all children with special educational needs (SEN) in regular schools and classrooms. The endorsement of this policy by an internationally agreed convention implies that it is universally applicable. This paper, however, questions the relevance of this orthodoxy to the educational systems of low-income countries and argues that the latter cannot easily progress from a situation of virtually no educational provision for disabilities straight to one of fully integrated provision. The paper examines an inclusion policy in Lesotho, a low-income country, which began with ambitious goals but largely failed to meet the needs of children with disabilities. It then outlines an alternative strategy for that context. A phase of development in which there is considerable use of specialised facilities and selected schools is seen as necessary if more children with disabilities are to have meaningful opportunities for learning.