1. Introduction

Disability has been a major educational impediment worldwide, leading to children being excluded from schools. To overcome this challenge, educators worldwide have sought solutions, and inclusive education has emerged as an idea that advocates for equal access to education for all students, irrespective of their differences in abilities, backgrounds, or identities. Recognizing and valuing variety, inclusive education encourages tolerance, respect, and understanding among students from various backgrounds. While inclusive education is a valuable approach to promoting equity and diversity in education, it may face certain challenges and obstacles. How will we overcome the difficulties that inclusive education will encounter and at the same time gain global recognition for inclusive education?

Based on the concept provided by McCarty, it emphasized the importance of providing educational opportunities for students with diverse abilities and backgrounds in inclusive settings, where they learn alongside their peers without disabilities. The article provides an overview of the benefits and disadvantages of inclusive education, shedding light on the potential advantages and challenges. In this paper, we will explore the meaning of inclusive education, discuss the importance of inclusive education, and examine the benefits and disadvantages of inclusive education. We will also consider the future implications of inclusive education and the need to address its challenges to ensure equitable access to education for all people around the world.

In the future, the goal in the future, the goal of inclusive education is to achieve continued progress toward inclusive and equitable education for all children. Addressing systemic challenges and prejudices that may inhibit the full implementation of inclusive education practises, as well as pushing for policies and resources that support inclusive education at all levels, are all part of this. The future vision of inclusive education is for every student, regardless of ability, background, or identity, to have access to a high-quality education that respects their dignity, promotes their well-being, and prepares them to be active and engaged citizens in a diverse and inclusive society.

2. Special Needs Groups

The term “special need” is employed in clinical diagnosis and functional development to refer to individuals who require assistance with disabilities that may be physical, mental, or psychological in nature. Special needs are areas where individuals may require accommodations or specialized services to participate in everyday activities, including physical, emotional, intellectual, and sensory impairments.

3. Inclusive Education

3.1. Definition

The term inclusive education pertains to the assurance of equitable learning opportunities and access for all students. United Nations Children’s Fund has states that, to provide every child with an equal opportunity to attend school, acquire knowledge, and develop the necessary abilities to succeed, inclusive education is the most efficient approach [1]. Inclusive education, which is based on the idea that giving special needs students a diverse experience will help them be more successful in social relationships, leading to further success in life.

3.2. Methods

Implementations of inclusive education practices varies. For a chosen group of students with mild to moderate special needs, schools most typically employ the inclusion model. Instruction and support in a grade-level classroom with same-aged peers; A specialized classroom or setting: consist of a blend of students with varying abilities such as gifted students, auditory learners, visual learners, and students with disabilities; Inclusive teaching strategies etc.

4. Benefits of Inclusive Education

4.1. For Gifted Students

In addition to having non-disabled classmates as role models for appropriate behavior, students with special needs will be able to form relationships with general students. General education students can derive academic benefits from inclusive education such as having extra special education professionals in the classroom, receiving individualized instruction in small groups, and receiving academic adaptations that cater to the needs of all students. According to 2020s data, the majority of inclusive education students — 66% of them spend at least 80% of their time in regular classrooms. In recent decades, the number has more than doubled compared to only 31.7% of them spending 80% or more of their time in regular classrooms in 1989 [2]. A three-year investigation of elementary inclusive settings where co-teaching was used shown advantages for both special education pupils, according to Walther-Thomas’s study [3]. All kids were said to have gained a new understanding of their own abilities and successes, and social skills for special education and low-achieving pupils had improved. Additionally, everyone gained an appreciation for their individuality and that of others.

4.2. General Students

General students will understand how all students can contribute distinctive skills and abilities to the community and society together, and they will have additional special education staff in the classroom to provide comprehensive assistance originally provided for students with special needs. Salend and Duhaney conclude that academic performance is comparable to or superior in inclusive settings for general education students, including high achievers, in their evaluation of research on inclusion at both the primary and secondary levels [4]. Due to their increased tolerance and awareness of one another’s peculiarities, kids also seem to perform better socially.

4.3. Facilities

Once set aside funds for special education classes can now be used to support inclusive education classes. With the additional money, inclusive education equipment and resources can be upgraded and the teachers who implement inclusive education can be well-trained. Results of a study of 25 general education middle school teachers who taught in three modes: regular, co-teaching, and mainstream contexts are reported by Hines and Johnston [5]. The quantity of time past, on instruction in the three settings, the results suggest no statistically significant difference, according to the analysis of instructional interactions, mainstream classrooms spent significantly more time on managerial interactions than normal or co-taught settings.

5. Drawback of Inclusive Education

5.1. Influences on Facilities

The absence of source classes, the unavailability of braille literature, special play areas, special restrooms, and several other supporting facilities are examples of inadequate infrastructure and facilities. The little funding available to complete these facilities would be another crucial factor. A formula is used to distribute funding for inclusive education to school districts in a way that attempts to maintain fairness. According to the needs of the pupils in their school communities, school authorities allocate the cash they receive. Thus, it will be exceedingly challenging for schools to upgrade the facilities and programs if there is no financing [6].

5.2. Influences on Teaching and Learning

The National Education Association advises keeping inclusive class sizes under 28 and keeping the percentage of students with learning difficulties in classes to no more than 25%. Co-teaching schools need more professors to schedule the time required for collaborative planning, particularly at the middle and secondary levels where a co-teacher may collaborate with up to six other instructors throughout the course. Teachers are not able to provide individual learning programs. The instructors stated that the lack of support in the classroom was a significant cause of stress, even if they generally agreed with the inclusion philosophy. As a result, 47% of teachers left their positions before retirement owing to stress and frustration [7]. Gifted students will show different attitudes due to different disabilities. For example, children who have ADHD will be hard to focus on the teacher and engage with general students, or children who have anxiety will easily distribute course progress and influence others’ experience. On the other hand, children with special needs may face bullying from their peers as it can be challenging for them to establish social connections.

5.3. Support Needed

The lack of cooperation from special needs children’s parents, the community, professional staff, and the government. Parents of general kids may be concerned that complete inclusion will lower the bar for learning and make it less of a priority than interacting in classrooms.

6. Discussion

Children’s growth psychology has begun to be valued by primary schools, but China needs to advocate diverse and inclusive cultural education. China’s current education needs to improve because all junior high and high school students have been instilled with the modern thinking that getting good grades is the only way out. Because for the development of a country, it is not only the progress of high-end technology and the introduction of talents but also the diversification of industries and economic development. The premise is that there needs to be a better education to realize these.

Education is now an essential concern in various countries. From June 7 to 10, 1994, in Salamanca, the United Nations held the World Conference on Special Education, which issued the Salamanca Declaration [8]. The idea of inclusive education was put forward in the Salamanca Declaration. They proposed that educational opportunities should be equal, and those educated with exceptional circumstances must have the opportunity to enter ordinary schools, which is similar to treating these students differently. Inclusive education aims to create a learning environment which provides a welcoming and supportive environment for all students, irrespective of their abilities or disabilities.

In order to creating a better supportive and inclusive studying environment, not only can students with disabilities or special needs benefit from inclusive education, but their peers and teachers can also reap its rewards, but it is challenging to implement in practice” The idea of “equal educational opportunities” and the development of inclusive education, each country lacks inclusiveness for particular groups. There is no relevant practice before this. Furthermore, most research was conducted by exceptional education professionals, with little contribution from other disciplines.

On the other hand, research on inclusive education was initially very single, focusing on special education. However, research in different fields, such as sociology, psychology, philosophy, comparative pedagogy, educational technology, and management have also contributed in recent years. Inclusive education involves enhancing student participation and promoting participation in nearby schools’ culture, curriculum, and community activities while reducing instances of student exclusion. Therefore, what inclusive education needs to extend is not integration or separation but to further explore the issues of inclusion and exclusion. In China, there is a stereotype that vocational colleges are always “smaller than” undergraduate colleges [9]; a student does not meet the undergraduate score in the college entrance examination, so he can only choose vocational colleges, which creates a higher vocational college. The school was branded as “poor in learning” and “bad boy”. At this stage, integrated education has become mainstream in China, and people’s thoughts and educational concepts are complicated to change.

Because the change from “them” to “us” is fundamental [10]; for example, the whole world had a strong stereotype of dark-skinned people before, although the significant media later urged not to wear “colored” glasses, which will still be the case with people of different skin colors. However, there is a short video on the International tik talk in which a white father takes her daughter to the mall to buy things, and behind him is a black mother with her daughter. The white girl asked her father why their skin color was different from ours; her father squatted down and asked her, the world is colorful, and there are many colors in her room. If he only gave her a room with one color, his daughter will not accept that. Her father said that is why the world is also colorful, and dull colors do not make the world more beautiful. Therefore, a good education will change children’s cognition and tolerance of the world. Children are always the future. They have the highest tolerance in the world. What kind of education and values they received when they were young will be difficult to change later. Inclusive education makes the world less prejudiced and instills the healthiest thoughts when they are young. Why worry that education under this system will not have a promising future?

The United States has issued the Education Act for Persons with Disabilities, referred to as IDEA [11]. It already has a specific system stipulating that students with disabilities require education alongside their peers in general educational courses and provided with necessary aids and services to support their learning. In the past three decades, inclusive education in the United States has developed from a purely teaching philosophy to an educational reform campaign affecting primary and secondary schools nationwide.

Although US has begun implementing inclusive education, there will still be some things that could be considered. For example, some teachers or administrators may resist or be unwilling to fully accept the practice of inclusive education because they lack the training in this area; there is no way to fully inclusive education because of some physical disabilities, and some traditional courses cannot provide them with adequate classroom participation. Nevertheless, every country needs more further understanding and recognition of inclusive education and has fewer practices and regulations in this area.

7. Suggestions

Creating a positive learning environment is essential for strengthening students’ direct mutual help and establishing good partnerships. Nowadays, many people are very concerned about the recognition and respect of others. A positive learning environment could help to increase confidence and self-esteem. Students with disabilities would feel safe and supported, which can benefit their social and emotional skills. When they feel valued and respected, they would be more likely to accomplish their goal. Therefore, by giving these disabled students opportunities to participate in group projects without prejudice among classmates, they would consider themselves as different from the other students. Furthermore, collaboration across grades would also help them to gain a new perspective on the same business. Senior students would help them to realize responsibility, teamwork, and communication.

On the other hand, the relationship between students and teachers is another essential factor. Teachers could help them reduce stress and the anxiety of studying, which could help them feel more comfortable sharing their thoughts, asking questions, and not being too distant from elders. On the other hand, teachers are required to train in this specific area, and teachers lack this knowledge about how to treat these disabled kids. When they give positive feedback, they could help students develop a growth mindset and lead them to the right way.

As well as the parents, none of them have any idea under these circumstances. Parental support is essential. They attend some school occasions, such as homecoming and graduation ceremonies. Celebrate their achievements, honor, and be happy for their children’s progress, which will provide public recognition, create a sense of pride and motivation among students, and let the children know that their parent cares about them, which refers to positive reinforcement. Positive reinforcement is a choice based on the principle of behavior management, which can benefit relationships, academic improvement, and social-emotional outcomes.

Moreover, giving accessible materials is necessary. Many colleges and universities provide the benefit for disabled students, such as elevators and hearing aid. These could ensure that every disabled student can access all required information; appropriate fonts and colors can help students with color blindness to read easily; advanced electronic devices comprise items that enhance audio output, upgraded typing input systems, and more user-friendly computers.

8. Conclusion

In conclusion, to guarantee that every student, irrespective of their physical, mental, or psychological disabilities, can avail of education and equal learning opportunities, it is imperative to implement inclusive education.

Inclusive education brings advantages to both students with special needs and those without, such as enhanced academic and social abilities, recognition of diversity, and improved access to educational resources.

The promotion of diversity and the development of social skills and a sense of appreciation for one’s own and others’ uniqueness are among the crucial advantages of inclusive education.

General education students also benefit from inclusive education because they understand how all students contribute unique skills and abilities to their communities and society. Inclusive education can also help schools allocate resources more efficiently, as funds set aside for special education classes can be used to support inclusive classes.

However, one of the main disadvantages of inclusive education is the need for adequate infrastructure and facilities. A positive learning environment, such as collaboration across grades, good relationships between teachers and students, and parental support, will also facilitate this. Another potential shortcoming of inclusive education is the need for more experienced teachers of these students with special needs, as only some teachers and even parents are trained in this area. Nonetheless, by implementing inclusive education, a society that values and respects the rights of all individuals can be fostered, promoting diversity and inclusivity. Schools, families, and society require close attention and recognition to achieve an education system that provides equal opportunities for all students. Inclusive education at this stage has yet to be very mature, and it still has a long way to go, which requires much effort.