Problematics of Inclusive Schools at the Elementary School Level

The purpose of inclusive education is to give equal places for normal students and students with special needs to study and interact together. In Malang city, schools with the label of inclusion have been launched since 2001. Each year, some improvements are always made to them, but they still encounter a lot of problems in terms of teachers, students, and local society. The objective of this present research was to reveal any obstacles encountered by inclusive schools at the elementary school level, so it is expected that the researchers and the schools could cooperate together in solving the problems. A qualitative method was employed in this present research, in which the data were collected from the teachers in Malang city registered as inclusive schools at the Elementary Schools level. The method of data collection was made by administrating questionnaires with open questions to the teachers and doing direct observations. Questions were developed in line with the needs in the field. The questions were in the form of open and closed questions. The results showed some problems faced by the students with special needs, the regular students, and the teachers. Various problems should be solved, among of which are that there are lot of schools that have not been ready to become inclusive schools since they do not have any special assistant teachers, a curriculum which is appropriate with students with special needs, and a lack of cooperation with various parties in the society and the government dealing with the pioneering of inclusive schools at the elementary school level