Section 4 calls for their to be a clearly stated and well defined onus on who is responsible for inclusive education. This responsibility would help to ensure that inclusive education would not ‘slip through the cracks’ as it would be a priority for the individuals who are responsible for it.

Students spoke about the need to have clear and defined roles and responsibilities, to make sure that there is clear onus on who is meant to be actively implementing inclusive education, so that there can be checks and reviews on the progress of implementation, and increased accountability.

Throughout the SE Act, in sections relevant to the roles and responsibilities of different groups within the Department of Education, there should be explicit mention of the duty to realise students’ rights to an inclusive education.

This responsibility should be held by everyone in the education system, from the CEO of the Department of Education to education assistants in classrooms (and the principals and teachers in between). The CEO and the Department of Education should be accountable for the implementation of system-wide policies which improve access to inclusive education, principals should be responsible for ensuring that the practices in their schools align with the right to an inclusive education, and educators should be responsible for ensuring that their classrooms are inclusive, and their teaching is accessible.