HUMAN “Complicit in Exclusion” RIGHTS South Africa’s Failure to Guarantee an Inclusive Education WATCH for Children with Disabilities “Complicit in Exclusion” South Africa’s Failure to Guarantee an Inclusive Education for Children with Disabilities Copyright © 2015 Human Rights Watch All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America ISBN: 978-1-6231-32644 Cover design by Rafael Jimenez Human Rights Watch defends the rights of people worldwide. We scrupulously investigate abuses, expose the facts widely, and pressure those with power to respect rights and secure justice. Human Rights Watch is an independent, international organization that works as part of a vibrant movement to uphold human dignity and advance the cause of human rights for all. 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For more information, please visit our website: http://www.hrw.org AUGUST 2015 978-1-6231-32644 “Complicit in Exclusion” South Africa’s Failure to Guarantee an Inclusive Education for Children with Disabilities Map ........................................................................................................................... i Glossary ........................................................................................................................ ii Summary ....................................................................................................................... 1 Key Findings ..................................................................................................................... 2 Necessary Steps ............................................................................................................... 4 Key Recommendations .................................................................................................. 6 To the Government and National Assembly of South Africa ................................................ 6 Methodology ................................................................................................................ 8 I. Overview: Inclusive Education ................................................................................... 11 Schools Act, 1996 ........................................................................................................... 11 Education White Paper 6, 2001 ....................................................................................... 12 Western Cape Ruling, 2010 ............................................................................................. 16 II. International Standards ........................................................................................... 17 a. Right to Free and Compulsory Primary Education ......................................................... 17 b. Right to Access Inclusive, Quality Education ............................................................... 18 c. Right to Education on an Equal Basis .......................................................................... 20 d. Duty to Ensure Reasonable Accommodation ............................................................... 21 III. Discriminatory Fees and Expenses ........................................................................... 23 Fees ............................................................................................................................... 23 Transport ....................................................................................................................... 28 IV. Discrimination in Access to Education ...................................................................... 33 Problematic Referrals ..................................................................................................... 34 Arbitrary and Unchecked School Decision-Making .......................................................... 36 Waiting Lists .................................................................................................................. 42 V. Discrimination due to Lack of Reasonable Accommodation in School ......................... 45 Lack of Appropriate Learning Material and Subjects ........................................................ 46 VI. Violence, Abuse, and Neglect in Schools .................................................................. 50 VII. Lack of Quality Education ....................................................................................... 53 Lack of Teacher Knowledge, Training, Skills .................................................................... 54 Lack of Teacher Motivation, Incentives ........................................................................... 60 Lack of Individualized Learning and Planning .................................................................. 61 Inappropriate Grade Transition ....................................................................................... 63 VIII. Lack of Preparation for Life After Basic Education .................................................. 66 IX. Other Factors Limiting Inclusive Education ............................................................... 74 Data Inconsistencies ...................................................................................................... 74 Inadequate Funding ....................................................................................................... 75 Lack of Adequate Information and Support Services ....................................................... 80 Recommendations ....................................................................................................... 85 Guarantee Right to Inclusive Quality Education for Children and Adults with Disabilities .. 85 Comply with Existing National Laws and Political Commitments ...................................... 88 Adopt Stronger Policies and Laws on Inclusive Education ................................................ 88 Increase Accountability in the Education System ............................................................ 90 Allocate Resources and Safeguards to Guarantee Inclusive Education ............................. 92 Increase Global Accountability for the Right to Education for Children with Disabilities .... 93 Acknowledgments ....................................................................................................... 94 Annex 1: Letters Sent to the Government of South Africa ................................................ 95 Annex 2: Response from the Department of Basic Education ....................................... 107 Map I AUGUST 2015 | HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH Glossary Autism spectrum disorder: A lifelong, complex condition that occurs due to disordered brain growth, structure and development. Autism is believed to stem from a genetic predisposition triggered by environmental factors and affects four to five times more boys than girls. Since a person can manifest their autism in a vast number of ways, this condition is now often referred to as "Autism Spectrum Disorders." Cerebral palsy: A condition that affects movement, posture, and coordination. These problems may be seen at or around birth and mean part of the brain is either not working properly or has not developed normally. This may be due to problems during the first weeks of development in the womb (such as an infection) or the result of a difficult or premature birth. Sometimes there is no obvious cause. Developmental disability: An umbrella term that refers to any disability starting before the age of 22 and continuing indefinitely (likely lifelong). It limits one or more major life activities such as self-care, language, learning, mobility, self-direction, independent living, or economic self-sufficiency. While this includes intellectual disabilities such as Down Syndrome, it also includes conditions that do not necessarily have a cognitive impairment component, such as cerebral palsy, autism, epilepsy, and other seizure disorders. Epilepsy: The most common neurological condition, impacting on the body’s nervous system, characterized by unusual electrical activity in the brain, causing unprovoked seizures and sudden, uncontrolled movements. Epilepsy, however, is not a psychological disorder, disease, or illness, and not all cases of epilepsy are lifelong. About 80 percent of people can effectively control their seizures with medication and a healthy lifestyle. Fetal alcohol syndrome disorder: A group of conditions that can occur in a person whose mother drank alcohol during pregnancy. Fetal alcohol syndrome causes brain damage and growth problems. These effects can include physical problems, behavior and learning problems, or an intellectual disability. Often, a person with this disorder has a combination of these problems. “COMPLICIT IN EXCLUSION” II Intellectual disability: Characterized by significant limitations in intellectual functioning (reasoning, learning, problem solving) and adaptive behavior, covering a range of everyday social and practical skills. “Intellectual disability” forms a subset of “developmental disability,” but the boundaries are often blurred as many individuals fall into both categories to differing degrees and for different reasons. Learning disability: Difficulties in learning specific skills, such as reading, language, or math. They affect people's ability to either interpret