An analysis of factors inhibiting the access of students with special educational needs to higher education in the Free State - Nkoane, Molebatsi Milton (University of the Free State, 2006)
English: The major focus of this study is an investigation into how higher education institutions in the Free State Province could enhance access of students with special educational needs. In order to make a systematic and scientific research analysis, the thesis seeks to examine practices that inform higher education, and how students with special educational needs make sense of their experiences concerning higher education. The purpose of the research is therefore to explore the factors that inhibit access to higher education institutions (HEIs) for the SEN students in the Free State region. Equally important, the challenges facing higher education institutions are investigated, drawing on evidence of the policy framework, i.e. the Bill of Rights (1996); the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa (1996); the South African Qualification Authority (1995); the National Qualification Framework (2002), the Education Green Paper on Higher Education Transformation (Notice 1196 of 1996); and Education White Paper No 6: Special Needs Education; Building an Inclusive and Training System (2001). These policies will be examined and the researcher identifies, defines and looks for causality and the manifestation of students with SEN in HEIs in order to propose ways for South Africa to initiate a public policy that will encourage understanding among policy-makers, practitioners and researchers in order that they might reflect upon these challenges. Equally important, interest in inclusive education has grown substantially in the last decade in South Africa as a new paradigm in the education sector has occurred whereby the Ministry of Education has to introduce an inclusive education system at school level [see DoE Education White Paper No 6 (2001)]. However, universities do not seem to be fully geared for SEN students. Access to higher education is used interchangeably with the concept inclusive education in this thesis because the researcher of this particular study understands them to basically mean and refer to the same process. Equally important, these concepts are central to this investigation. It is vital to provide a more in-depth and clear discussion thereof. In doing so, this thesis indicates why these concepts are so essential as well as central to this study. Furthermore, this research interrogates different literature sources on inclusive education. The review of challenges and possibilities for broadening access to education with focused view on (i) curriculum; (ii) assessment to promote access; (iii) access and fair chances to higher education. These are some of the issues that will be interrogated in this study. A close scrutiny and critical interrogation and/or review of possible barriers that could inhibit access to higher education for SEN students will be undertaken. This thesis presents and interprets data from seemingly contradicting approaches, namely positivistic; critical emancipatory and textual orientated discourse analysis (TODA). Thus implying the data collection techniques includes qualitative and quantitative methods, such as the use of questionnaires, open-ended questions using the free attitude interview (FAI) technique. The reason for this thesis to adopt the triangulation model are mutual validation of results on the basis of different methods and to assist the research to obtain a more in-depth or a complete picture of the phenomenon under investigation and produce a sound explanation. Equally important this thesis reflects on findings. It also draws various conclusions which lead to recommendations that could be followed up. These reflections are viewed against the backdrop of a situation that is unfolding in South Africa, a country that is beginning to shed some of the vestiges of the past. But contrary to popular belief, forces retarding progress towards aspired inclusivity and accessibility or democracy as well as a lack of “utopia” seem to have merely disguised themselves rather than actually retreating in shame. Based on the data collected and analysed it seems sound that the services provided by HEIs in the Free State serve certain section of the population of students. However, departments, units, administrators and SEN students alike believe that there are numerous administrative and other issues that must be addressed to provide equal services to all. Lastly, suggestions and recommendations that are important for the purpose of access to be realised in HEIs by students with SEN are made. This could enable future relevant research based on the theory generated in this study. The purpose of the thesis is to empower SEN students, rather than blowing the deficiencies or challenges out of proportion. The study aims to destroy the reproduction of the status quo of segregation, inequalities, exclusion and marginalisation of SEN students in HEIs. Access to equal higher education provision will be discussed and defined through various discourses. In fact, the understanding of SEN students and access to higher education remains a social construction. Access to higher education provision has to do with how marginalised and excluded SEN students understand the barriers and what they think could be done to overcome them and what they as equal human beings feel and aspire to become. The discourse raised challenges such as oppression, exclusion or marginalisation of students with SEN. HEIs should avoid ignoring the existence of SEN students at all costs. The vision and frame of reference of these institutions should always be conscious of those they are serving in the broad spectrum. Research in this area could be understood as playing a role in the process of the emancipation of marginalised SEN students. Inevitably, the thesis can therefore only be judged emancipatory after SEN students themselves have made their voices heard. This study can be viewed as a forum of amplification for the voices of those who are marginalised or excluded from mainstream university culture. It might also be engaged as a tool for those who are seeking emancipation for themselves.

Afrikaans: Die fokus van hierdie studie val op die wyse waarop hoër onderwysinstellings in die Vrystaat meer toeganklik gemaak kan word vir studente met spesiale onderwysbehoeftes. Om ’n sistematiese en wetenskaplike navorsingsontleding te maak, beoog die proefskrif ’n ondersoek na praktyke wat hoër onderwys beïnvloed, asook hoe studente met spesiale onderwysbehoeftes sin maak van hul onderwyservarings. Die doel van die navorsing is dus om faktore te ondersoek wat toegang tot hoër onderwysinstellings in die Vrystaat bemoeilik vir leerders met spesiale onderwysbehoeftes. Die proefskrif ondersoek verder die uitdagings wat deur hoër onderwysinstellings in die gesig gestaar word en verwys na beleidsraamwerke soos die Handves vir Menseregte, 1996; die Grondwet van die RSA, 1996; die SuidAfrikaanse Kwalifikasieowerheid (SAKO) en die Nasionale Kwalifikasieraamwerk (NKR). Hierdie raamwerke is ondersoek en die navorser poog om ’n oorsaaklike verband tesame met die uitdagings wat studente met spesiale behoeftes aan hoër onderwys instellings ervaar te identifiseer, te definieer en te ondersoek, om sodoende voorstelle aan die hand te doen sodat Suid-Afrika ’n openbare beleid kan inisieer wat begrip sal kweek by beleidmakers, praktisyns en navorsers om hierdie uitdagings aan te spreek. Dit is voorts van ewe veel belang om daarop te let dat inklusiewe onderwys gedurende die laaste dekade in Suid-Afrika beduidend gegroei het tot ‘n nuwe paradigma in die onderwyssektor, met die instelling van inklusiewe onderwys op skoolvlak deur die Departement van Onderwys (sien Witskrif op Onderwys No 6, 2001). Dit wil egter voorkom asof universiteite nog nie ten volle ingerig is om te voorsien in die behoeftes van studente met spesiale onderwysbehoeftes nie. Toegang tot hoër onderwys word afwisselend met die konsep inklusiewe onderrig gebruik in die proefskrif, aangesien die navorser meen dat beide na basies dieselfde proses verwys. Hierdie konsepte staan ook sentraal in die studie. Dit is noodsaaklik dat ‘n diepgaande en toeligtende bespreking daarvan hier verskaf word. In die proses word voorts ook aangedui waarom hierdie konsepte so belangrik beskou word en sentraal tot die studie staan. x Die navorsing sal verder ook verskeie literatuurbronne oor inklusiewe onderrig aanhaal. Die oorsig van die uitdagings en moontlikhede om toegang tot hoër onderwys te verbeter, fokus op: (i) kurrikulum; (ii) waardebepaling om toegang te bevorder; (iii) toegang en billike kanse vir hoër onderwys. Hierdie is slegs ’n paar van die kwessies wat in die studie toegelig word. ’n Noukeurige ondersoek en kritiese bevraagtekening en/of oorsig sal onderneem word van moontlike faktore wat toegang tot hoër onderwys kan verhinder vir studente met spesiale onderwysbehoeftes. Data uit benaderings wat mekaar op die oog af weerspreek, naamlik positivistiese, krities-emansipatoriese, en tekstueel-georiënteerde diskoersanalise, word ontleed en bespreek. Dit impliseer dat die data ingesamel is met behulp van beide kwalitatiewe en kwantitatiewe metodes, soos vraelyste, oop vrae en die vryehoudingonderhoudstegniek. Die rede waarom die tesis ‘n triangulasiemodel gebruik, is sodat die geldigheid van resultate gebaseer kan word op die gebruik van verskillende metodes en om die navorser te help om ‘n geheelbeeld van die fenomeen wat ondersoek word, te verkry en dit afdoende te verduidelik. Resultate asook gevolgtrekkings wat lei tot aanbevelings word bespreek. Hierdie bespreking beskou word teen die agtergrond van die huidige situasie in Suid-Afrika. Daar bestaan egter steeds faktore wat die proses van inklusiewe onderwys vertraag. Die tesis oorweeg vervolgens ’n aantal bevindinge. Daar word gekyk na verskillende gevolgtrekkings gepaard met aanbevelings wat opgevolg kan word. Hierdie nabetragting geskied teen die agtergrond van ’n situasie wat besig is om te ontplooi in Suid-Afrika, ’n land wat sommige van die nalatenskappe van die verlede begin agterlaat. Anders as wat egter algemeen geglo wil word, wil dit voorkom of die magte wat vordering in die rigting van die ideaal van inklusiwiteit en toeganklikheid belemmer, sowel as die gebrek aan ‘n “utopie”, hulself bloot versteek het, eerder as om in skaamte die aftog te blaas. Gebaseer op die data wat ingewin en ontleed is, blyk dit dat die dienste van hoër onderwysinstellings in die Vrystaat ‘n sekere seksie van die studentepopulasie bedien. Departemente of eenhede, administrateurs en studente met spesiale onderwysbehoeftes is egter van mening dat ‘n verskeidenheid administratiewe en ander kwessies aangespreek behoort te word om sodoende gelyke dienste aan almal te verskaf. xi Ten slotte word voorstelle en aanbevelings gemaak wat van belang is vir die doel van toeganklike onderwys vir studente met spesiale onderwysbehoeftes. Verdere toepaslike navorsing kan voortspruit uit hierdie voorstelle. Die doel van die proefskrif is om studente met spesiale onderwysbehoeftes te bemagtig, eerder as om die tekortkominge of uitdagings uit verband te ruk. Die doel van die studie is om die status quo van segregasie, ongelykhede, uitsluiting en marginalisering van studente met spesiale onderwysbehoeftes by hoër onderwysinstellings uit die weg te ruim. Die tesis beklemtoon gelyke voorsiening van hoër onderwys. Toegang tot hoër onderwys het te doen met hoe die student met spesiale behoeftes die hindernisse begryp, en hulle sieninge oor hoe om hierdie hindernisse te oorkom. Die diskoers wat deur die tesis onder die loep geneem word, sluit die verdrukking, uitsluiting of marginalisering van studente met spesiale onderwysbehoeftes in. Hoër onderwysinstellings moet tot elke prys vermy dat die bestaan van studente met spesiale onderwysbehoeftes ontken word. Die visie en verwysingsraamwerk van hierdie instellings moet altyd diegene wat hulle oor ’n breë spektrum bedien, in gedagte hou. Om navorsing op hierdie gebied te doen, kan gesien word as om ‘n rol te speel in die emansipasie van gemarginaliseerde studente met spesiale onderwysbehoeftes. Die tesis kan dus eers as bevrydend beskou word wanneer studente met spesiale onderwysbehoeftes self ook hul stemme laat hoor. Die studie kan dus slegs dien as ‘n forum wat die stemme versterk van hulle wat gemarginaliseer of van die hoofstroom van die universiteitskultuur uitgesluit is. Dit kan ook gebruik word as ‘n werktuig vir hulle wat emansipasie vir hulself najaag.
Keywords: Education, Higher -- South Africa -- Free State; Inclusive education -- South Africa -- Free State; Special education -- South Africa -- Free State; Thesis (Ph.D. (Higher Education Studies))--University of the Free State, 2006