Experiences of parents with children with disabilities in mainstream schools

M.Ed.After the change in government in 1994, the development of and commitment to the democratic values of liberty, equality and civic rights, led to the wider notion of inclusion in South Africa. Inclusive education has recently been enforced by the White Paper 6, which promotes the access of learners with disabilities in mainstream schools and protects the rights of all learners from discrimination. Education must therefore be structured in such a way that all learners can have access to a single educational system that is responsive to diversity, regardless of learners' physical, intellectual, social, emotional, linguistic or other differences. In establishing inclusive education in South Africa, parents are regarded as an important form of support. At institutional level, partnerships will be established with parents so that they can, armed with information, counselling and skills, participate more effectively in the planning and implementation of inclusion activities, enabling parents to play a more active role in the learning and teaching of their own children, despite limitations due to disabilities or chronic illnesses. Parents are thus, through legislation, empowered to be partners in the education of their children. Research on inclusive education in South Africa mainly focused on policy development and the attitudes and perceptions of teachers. The purpose of this research is to contribute to the knowledge base that could promote effective parent-school partnerships. Through the use of a qualitative research design and the theoretical framework of inclusive education, the aim of the study was to gain an understanding of parents' perceptions and experiences of inclusive education. Six 'information-rich cases' were selected for in-depth interviews. Field notes, as secondary data, were taken as it is a classic medium for documentation in qualitative research and it contributed to the trustworthiness of the study. Through the use of the Constant Comparative Method, the data gathered were analysed and finally categorised into three main findings: qualities of the principal as leader and manager, the role of the teacher in determining the success of inclusive education and supporting the siblings of the learner with a disability