Inclusive education and family approach for enhancing equal learning opportunities: A wellness perspective

Abstract This study examined how inclusive education is experienced by key stakeholders within Eswatini's sociocultural and rural high school contexts, addressing the overarching research question: How does inclusive education ‘feel like’ for stakeholders in Eswatini's socio‐cultural and school settings? Using a qualitative design, data were generated through semi‐structured interviews with purposively selected participants from rural schools and their catchment communities, complemented by field notes. Data were analysed thematically following transcription and coding. Findings reveal a disjunction between progressive inclusive education policy rhetoric and lived practice, with barriers including inadequate teacher training and institutional support, overcrowded classrooms, limited resources, insufficient parental involvement and persistent sociocultural stigmatization. Enabling factors were identified, notably strong family school continuum dynamics, emotionally responsive classroom practices, health promotion initiatives, and stakeholder commitment to inclusive principles. Drawing on a holistic wellness theoretical lens—encompassing physical, emotional, social and psychological dimensions—the study recommends a contextually grounded, evidence‐informed wellness framework that strengthens policy implementation through coherent stakeholder collaboration, structured parent training, sustained home–school communication, counselling and positive behaviour support systems and community mental health programmes. It advances an emergent wellness‐oriented, family‐inclusive model designed to enhance equitable learning opportunities, foster resilience and promote multidimensional learner development in Eswatini and comparable contexts.