POLICY ON SCREENING, IDENTIFICATION, ASSESSMENT AND ...

1 POLICY ON SCREENING, IDENTIFICATION, ASSESSMENT . AND SUPPORT. 2014. Department of Basic Education Sol Plaatje House 222 Struben Street Private Bag X895. Pretoria 0001. South Africa Tel: +27 12 357 3000. Fax: +27 12 323-0601. 120 Plein Street Private Bag X9023. Cape Town 8000. South Africa Tel: +27 21 465-1701. Fax: +27 21 461-8110. Department of Basic Education POLICY ON SCREENING, IDENTIFICATION, ASSESSMENT . AND SUPPORT. 2014. POLICY ON SCREENING, IDENTIFICATION, ASSESSMENT AND SUPPORT 2014 1. FOREWORD.. and education stakeholders.

2 When Education White Paper 6: Special Needs Education Building an Inclusive Edu- cation and Training System was approved by Cabinet in 2001, the Department set out to implement in an incremental way, the main elements of an inclusive education system, . The SIAS POLICY aims to respond to the needs of all learners in our country, particularly those who are vulnerable and most likely to be marginalised and excluded. The POLICY has been developed over a period of ten years through a rigorous process of ! " . " #.

3 The inputs of organisations, including those for and of people with disabilities, were incorporated in this strategy so as to ensure that it would respond to the needs of all learners whose lives will be affected by its implementation. The introduction of this POLICY will allow large numbers of children of school-going age who experience barriers to learn- ing, including those who are disabled, to exercise their right to basic education and to access the necessary support in their local schools as far as possible.

4 At the same time the POLICY introduces new roles and responsibilities for the education support system in the country, including the District-based Support Teams, Special School Resource Centres, Full-Service Schools and the School- based Support Teams. This new support system also acknowledges the central role played by teachers and parents in the decision-making and support processes. The successful implementation of the POLICY will ensure that we begin to realise our obligations as government in respect $ % & " ' ( # # & # % " # )**.

5 < & " # " " = - = # " )> . < ( ? @ # " # # " . learners should be admitted to particular special schools and how their educational needs should be supported. The pol- icy should ensure that no one is refused admission to a special school because of the severity of his or her disability but = . < " " # # . without the hard work and dedication of hundreds of educators, principals, researchers, lecturers, parents, persons with # " )**) G . know that we can rely on all these stakeholders to implement the processes to ensure that all learners receive appropri- ate support to enhance their learning.

6 ANGELINA MATSIE MOTSHEKGA, MP. MINISTER OF BASIC EDUCATION. PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA. POLICY ON SCREENING, IDENTIFICATION, ASSESSMENT AND SUPPORT 2014 2. CONTENTS. ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS 6. DEFINITIONS 7. CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCING THE POLICY ON SCREENING, IDENTIFICATION, ASSESSMENT AND 10. SUPPORT (SIAS). 1. PURPOSE OF THE POLICY 10. 2. RELATED LEGISLATION AND POLICIES 11. CHAPTER 2 RATIONALE OF THE POLICY ON SCREENING, IDENTIFICATION, ASSESSMENT AND 12. SUPPORT (SIAS). 3. EDUCATION WHITE PAPER 6 12. 4. THE UNITED NATIONS CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTS OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES 12.

7 $%&' ( . 5. ADDRESSING BARRIERS TO LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT 12. 6. DETERMINING THE SUPPORT NEEDS OF ALL LEARNERS 13. CHAPTER 3 PRINCIPLES OF THE POLICY ON SCREENING, IDENTIFICATION, ASSESSMENT AND 14. SUPPORT (SIAS). 7. ORGANISING PRINCIPLES 14. 8. PRINCIPLES OF SUPPORT 14. 9. PRINCIPLES OF ASSESSMENT 15. 10. GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR DECISION MAKING 16. 11. COMPETENCIES RELATED TO THE SIAS PROCESS 16. CHAPTER 4 LEVEL AND NATURE OF SUPPORT 17. 12. SHIFTING FOCUS FROM THE INDIVIDUAL LEARNER DEFICIT TO THE SUPPORT 17.)

8 PROGRAMME. 13. INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR DELIVERY OF SUPPORT 17. 14. PROGRAMMES OF SPECIALISED SUPPORT 17. 15. DESCRIPTORS FOR DETERMINING THE LEVEL AND NATURE OF SUPPORT PROVISION 19. CHAPTER 5 SCHOOL ARRANGEMENTS RELATED TO THE POLICY ON SCREENING, 22. IDENTIFICATION, ASSESSMENT AND SUPPORT (SIAS). 16. INTEGRATED COMMUNITY-BASED SUPPORT PROVISIONING 22. 17. ALIGNMENT WITH THE SYSTEMS AND POLICIES WITHIN BASIC AND HIGHER EDUCATION 22. 18. ALIGNMENT WITH THE INCLUSIVE EDUCATION POLICY 23. 19. NORMS AND STANDARDS 23.

9 POLICY ON SCREENING, IDENTIFICATION, ASSESSMENT AND SUPPORT 2014 3. 20. ALIGNMENT WITH HEALTH SYSTEMS 24. 21. ALIGNMENT WITH SOCIAL SERVICES 24. 22. Q Z%[@%< G <\ <\@ & '@ %( $ ]'< ^]' <\@ <@ &\ %Z %( Q@ '% %Z & <Q 24. PROGRAMME. 23. POLICY IMPLEMENTATION PLAN FOR 2015 TO 2019 25. CHAPTER 6 THE PROCESS OF SCREENING, IDENTIFICATION, ASSESSMENT AND SUPPORT 27. (SIAS). 24. SUMMARY OF THE STAGES OF THE SIAS PROTOCOL 27. CHAPTER 7 ROLE FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES 30. 25. ROLE FUNCTIONS OF SCHOOL STAKEHOLDERS 30. 26.))

10 FUNCTIONS OF SCHOOL-BASED SUPPORT TEAMS 30. 27. COMPOSITION OF SCHOOL-BASED SUPPORT TEAMS 31. 28. THE ROLE OF THE SCHOOL-BASED SUPPORT TEAM IN THE SIAS PROCESS 31. 29. EXTERNAL SOURCES OF SUPPORT 32. 30. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH SERVICES AND HEALTH-CARE PRACTITIONERS 32. 31. DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT AND SOCIAL WORKERS 32. 32. NON-PROFIT ORGANISATIONS, DISABLED PEOPLE ORGANISATIONS AND HIGHER 33. EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS. 33. ECD SERVICE PROVIDERS 33. 34. THE ROLE OF TEACHERS AND PRACTITIONERS 34. 35. THE ROLE OF SCHOOL GOVERNING BODIES 34.