Typical Challenges Faced by Sub-Urban State Primary Schools Implementing Inclusive Education in Indonesia

The aim of this study was to determine the common obstacles that Indonesian state primary schools have in attempting to provide inclusive education since there are gaps between sub-urban with urban areas. The objects were five state primary schools in one supervisory area in Central Java, one of which was the appointed inclusive school in the area. The four focuses of the research were the physical facilities, teacher perceptions, peer perceptions, and parents’ perceptions. Questionnaires were used to collect data from the headmasters, teachers, peers and parents of children with special needs. The results indicated that peers and parents of children with disabilities tended to have positive attitudes towards children with disabilities. Teachers had positive attitudes towards children with disabilities, but not to inclusive education. Another significant challenge was the limited physical school facilities, including building accessibility. The implication of these findings is that the development of inclusive education in sub-urban areas in Indonesia needs to pay attention to the physical facilities and teacher training.