DEPARTMENT of EDUCATION
Tasmanian Curriculum

Inclusive education

The term inclusive practice or inclusive education has traditionally been used in relation to students with a disability. Educational thinking in Tasmania has developed to the point where the concept of inclusive education now encompasses the needs of all students. The focus is on maximising all students’ learning.

Inclusive education means that all students in a school, regardless of their differences, are part of the school community and can feel that they belong. The mandate to ensure access, participation and achievement for every student is taken as given

Inclusive education means:

  • authentic student engagement in their learning through a curriculum that is accessible to all students working together
  • a truly safe and supportive school community where all students are genuinely valued and respected
  • student’s social and emotional needs, as well as their intellectual needs, are responded to, recognising the relationship between their social and emotional wellbeing and learning receptivity
  • social connectedness and a feeling of belonging for all students
  • a systematic approach to ensuring that the practices of inclusive education are embedded, sustained and evaluated
  • understanding that the quality of relationships in a school, especially between students and their teachers, is the most important variable in supporting all of the above.

The information, resources and links on this site are intended to support schools in the challenging but rewarding process of ensuring access, participation and achievement for all students.

Inclusive Curriculum Project 2005

Inclusive Curriculum Project 2006

Getting Started: A guide for teachers of students with disabilities in regular schools [PDF 1.3MB]

Guidelines for Individual Education Planning (IEP)

Key information about IEPs and students with disabilities

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