INCLUSIVE EDUCATION MEANS ‘COME ONE, COME ALL’

By Morapedi Sibeko.

• A visit to Japan offered officials and caregivers from the Department of Social Development valuable insights into how that country creates inclusive environments for all children, regardless of their different abilities.
• The South Africans saw how this principle of inclusivity plays out in early childhood development centres like Kitaoka Seiai-en, in the Osaka Prefecture.
• ⁠The environment allows children to learn not only from the curriculum but from each other.

In a brightly lit classroom in Japan’s Osaka Prefecture, children of different abilities laugh, play, and learn together. There are no separate rooms or labels, just the sound of youngsters learning happening through connection, curiosity, and care.

This is not an exception, but the everyday reality at Kitaoka Seiai-en Early Childhood Development Centre, where inclusive education means, in the words of Principal Taeko Niiyama, “Come one, come all.”

The centre, originally founded as part of a church, began enrolling children with disabilities at a time when few other places would.

Today, it thrives as a beacon of inclusive early childhood care, embracing children from all walks of life, regardless of ability, nationality, age, gender, or other differences.

With 165 children, including nine with different disabilities, the school reflects a society where each child is respected, valued, and supported.

At Kitaoka Seiai-en, differences are not barriers; they are invitations to learn.

Conflict, Niiyama explains, is not treated as a discipline issue but as a learning opportunity.

“In a society where it is common to have children of different ages and abilities, we teach them to listen, share thoughts, and resolve issues together. They develop the skills to relate to each other with respect.”

This nurturing of peer relationships fosters self-esteem, emotional intelligence, and mutual empathy. Children learn not only from the curriculum but also from one another.

A team of officials and caregivers from the Department of Social Development travelled to Japan to learn how that country caters for children with disabilities, and to bring back fresh insights and ideas that can be used back home.

Japan’s model reminds everyone that inclusion is not just about the classroom. It begins in the home, in the community, and in the kinds of care and support offered to families.

At Kitaoka Seiai-en, children with and without disabilities learn side by side. Each child’s individuality is celebrated.

Principal Niiyama explains: “There are people who need your help, and you also need their help. Children learn through one another.”

South Africa is a signatory to the United Nations’ (UN) Convention on the Rights of the Child and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Article 24 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities commits governments to ensure children with disabilities access inclusive, quality support services that enable them to participate fully in society.

Japan echoes this through Article 16 of its Basic Act for Persons with Disabilities, which promotes harmony between persons with and without disabilities.

These instruments remind everyone that inclusive support is not optional, it is a legal and moral obligation.

Megan Chamel, a parent of a child with a disability and programme coordinator at the Oasis Skills Development Centre, in the Norther Cape, shared how inclusion plays out on the ground.

“I moved my son to a small class setting where he can still interact with other children. He learns from their cultures, behaviours, and social cues. Over and above academic support inclusion is also about belonging,” she says.

“At Oasis, we modify activities so that all children can participate. Everyone follows the same programme, just modified to their needs. This way, children grow up knowing that every person has value.”

Although early childhood development no longer falls under the Department of Social Development, it still provides essential children’s programmes and services that promote the protection, care, and wellbeing of children and children with disabilities.

The department remains central to ensuring that children with disabilities are included, supported, and safeguarded at every stage of life.

From facilitating community-based care to empowering families and providing respite services, the department’s role is to build an inclusive society where all children, regardless of ability, are respected and seen.

The Japan visit has provided valuable insights for the South African delegation. However, the real work is about strengthening families, supporting caregivers, and ensuring that no child is ever left behind.

As Niiyama says: “Everyone is different. Everyone is wonderful.”