Depok, November 11th 2023. Universitas Indonesia (UI) inaugurated Prof. Farida Kurniawati, M.Sp.Ed., Ph.D., as permanent professor of Psychological Science, Faculty of Psychology (Fpsi). The inauguration was led directly by the Rector of UI, Prof. Ari Kuncoro, S.E., M.A., Ph.D., on Saturday (11/11), at the Convention Hall, UI Depok Campus. At the inauguration, she delivered a scientific oration entitled “The Role of Family, Educators and Peers in the Successful Implementation of Inclusive Education”.
In her speech, Prof. Farida said that inclusive education is an approach that ensures that all children, including children with special needs (CWSN), have access to equal education through regular classes with appropriate support. Since the release of the Salamanca Statement by UNESCO in 1994, inclusive education has been considered an inseparable part of human rights and equality of opportunity, and has become the main policy goal of countries in the world, including Indonesia.
Prof. Farida stated that there are various efforts that can be made to realize the success of inclusive education. This practice considers two main factors, namely school factors and student factors. According to her, families, educators, and peers have a major role in supporting the successful implementation of inclusive education in educational institutions, from early childhood education to higher education.
“Family plays an important role in the lives of CWSN. Parents are the main advocates for children, by fighting for their children’s rights to receive quality, inclusive education. Parents are involved in their child’s education, as well as being a source of emotional, social, and informational support for the child. Unfortunately, there are several challenges experienced by families, such as a lack of understanding of special needs, pressure from social stigma, difficulty managing time and energy to care for CWSN, as well as limited resources and social support,” said Prof. Farida
Apart from families, educators have a significant role because they have the main responsibility in providing education for all students at school or campus. In reality, most educators do not have an educational background in the field of special education. Several other challenges faced by educators in teaching students with special needs are lack of self-confidence, negative attitudes, and lack of skill in using appropriate teaching strategies.
The lives of CWSN in inclusive education cannot be separated from the role of other students as their peers. According to Prof. Farida, peers in inclusive education have an important role in supporting the social, emotional, and academic development of students with special needs. Therefore, serious efforts need to be aimed at overcoming the negative attitudes of peers towards CWSN. The existence of peer acceptance can increase the social participation and academic achievement of students with special needs in inclusive classes.
Prof. Farida’s research provides a strong foundation for determining the direction of future learning and action in order to create a stronger inclusive education system in Indonesia. Several strategies that can be implemented to increase the role of families, educators and peers are reforming educational values so as to encourage inclusive education; increasing knowledge regarding special needs and inclusive education; strengthening resource support; and collaboration from every party involved in inclusive education.
This research related to inclusive education for children with special needs is one of the other studies conducted by Prof. Farida. Some of her research includes Teaching for Fostering Creativity in Higher Education for Facing The Global Competition: A Systematic Literature Review (2023); A Systematic Literature Review on Career Adaptability among Adolescents (2023); and Literacy Skills Intervention Program in Preschoolers with Speech Sound Disorder (2023).
