What’s the difference between inclusion and differentiation policies in school?

The school as an educational institution is built to provide equal, unbiased and progressive learning to all its students. Every child entering the school premises has a different learning style and learns at a different speed. Therefore it becomes essential for schools to cater to the educational needs of all students. Teaching models are a great way of offering a systematic framework to teachers to help them provide quality education.  Keeping in mind the differences in needs of every student, introducing inclusion and differentiation policies in schools has proven to be an efficient tool in enhancing the learning process of all students.

What is the importance of teaching models in school?

Teaching models are guides for instructors and teachers essential for teaching students effectively. All the teaching theories are based on teaching models to enhance students’ learning styles. Teaching models act as instructional strategies that help frame a road map and offer learning objectives so that students are given a clear idea of what they will learn from a specific topic or lesson so that they follow the same track. 

• It helps mentors figure out the best teaching style for their students as the queries and questions can be addressed beforehand while introducing a lesson.
• Further lesson plans can be built based on the understanding of students on the topic so that the syllabus can be delivered and covered in time.
• A significant advantage of utilising teaching models in schools is the differentiation and personalisation of learning. These learning models help differentiate instructions and meet the students’ diverse educational needs.
• Teaching models help carve and adapt to student-centric learning approaches to foster interaction and engagement during the learning process.
• It offers techniques for adapting new methods and teaching styles to educate students with different abilities and potential.

Inclusion Policy in Schools

Every child born has the right to education and to fulfil their dreams. While some are born with no physical issues, some have disabilities or learning difficulties. There are millions of disabled children worldwide who are consistently overlooked by educational policymakers, thereby barring their academic and social participation. At the same time, society underestimates and suppresses disabled people, even if they are ambitious and have dreams. We are denying them their fundamental rights by limiting them to staying indoors due to discrimination and stigma and not providing them access to education. An inclusive educational policy refers to an equal and non-discriminatory set-up in schools where every child, irrespective of their lingo, race, or ability, is valued and accepted. It allows students from all backgrounds to come together and learn. The policy has been designed to aid children from all walks of life to learn to live their everyday social, economic and political lives without any hindrances. Educational equality is an effective way of raising all children to a similar level instead of treating disabled people differently and building separate educational organisations for them. Society must change itself and foster an environment where every child, regardless of disabilities, is treated equally.

Advantages of Inclusion Policy in Schools

Inclusive education is a powerful tool for standardising education for all students and providing a platform free from any biases or discrimination. A few more advantages of inclusion policy are- 

1. It fosters equal education and learning for all children and helps identify and remove barriers.
2. Every child gets an opportunity to fulfil their educational needs as the teaching model can be tailored according to the learning capabilities of students.
3. Disability leads to low self-esteem instilled by society. Inclusion policy in school is a catalyst for debunking the existing dogma and bringing all students together to break any barriers of discrimination. This way, disabled students gain the confidence to work normally in society and explore their potential.
4. When imparted from a young age, inclusive education fosters acceptance in children’s minds towards the difference between themselves and their peers.
5. It develops sensitivity in children’s minds and further grows towards debunking such conservative opinions linked with disabled children for future generations.

Differentiation policy in schools

In a classroom, students from various backgrounds, cultures, learning abilities, and styles enter the same environment to learn and grow together. While some may be brilliant learners, others struggle to grasp and understand topics. Some students perform beyond expectations, while some end up failing their exams. While some are quick learners, others take time. It makes it difficult for students with slow learning and grasping capacity to understand even basic concepts and retain them, which later becomes a cause for exam stress among many students. Therefore, teachers need to adapt teaching models that help and simplify every child’s learning process so that education becomes fun instead of a burden. To promote such individualistic learning, schools have differentiation policies that allow teachers to offer knowledge where students with different learning styles and abilities can grasp the lessons thoroughly. For this, teachers assess the strengths and weaknesses of the children to know how to plan the lessons and teaching methods to match the student’s individual needs. Students can be divided into groups based on their learning potential to assign appropriate tasks and activities to help them grow. 

Advantages of Differentiation Policy in Schools

The differentiation policy is introduced in schools in a modern methodology of teaching students by focusing on the diverse educational needs of every child.

1. Differentiated education helps offer targeted instructions to support the strengths and improve the weaknesses of every student.
2. It is a form of personalised learning where students can learn at their own pace based on their primary learning style.
3. Teachers can tailor newer teaching strategies and formulate targeted assignments, in-depth study material and better assessment methods.
4. Every teacher’s goal is to provide high-quality education to all students equally by providing learning that is equally challenging, informative, and understood by all.
5. It is a way to value the diversity of young minds and affirm that each child is unique and talented.

Difference between inclusion and differentiation policy in schools

Although both policies are made for the benefit of all students across the globe, they are different.

1. Target – While inclusion policy is more focused towards providing quality education to disabled students in mainstream classrooms, differentiation policy looks into the diverse needs of all students.
2. Educational needs– Inclusive education serves a higher social purpose and needs infrastructure changes, specialised support services, and an open physical environment. Differentiated education requires changing teaching techniques and establishing strategic learning inside the classrooms.
3. Individualisation– Inclusive learning caters to the needs of disabled people by offering them support and their integration within the classrooms. Differentiated learning is more individual-specific and provides a personalised learning experience for every child.
4. Result– While inclusion policy fosters a sense of acceptance, equality, belongingness and respect for diversity in society, differentiation policy enhances academic growth and results.

Knowledge and awareness about the importance of inclusion and differentiation policy in schools can help parents choose the school for their children.

Scindia Kanya Vidyalaya is an all-girls residential school in Gwalior that fosters progressive and personalised learning to students from class VI onwards. We have well-trained and experienced mentors that utilise the best teaching styles to cater to your child’s educational needs.