INCLUSION FOR ALL
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Every child has a right to Education without any discrimation on the basis of caste, religion and physical and mental capability. In India approx 2% of the total population is diagnosed with one or other type of disability. Children with disability under 19 yrs contribute to 35 to 37% of total population of disabled. Out of this percentage only 3–4% has access to education. In India there are many Laws and Policies which favour education among children with disability. Biwako Millennium framework and PWD 2005 advocates for education among disabled.
In past few years there is paradigm shift among special need children to get proper inclusive education. Parents and various NGO’s are demanding for the inclusive education rather than a segregated setup (special school). Inclusive eduction not only sensitizes the community about disability but it is equally important for socialization and inclusion and participation of disabled in the community. To setup an inclusive setup is not an easy job. It requires consideration of policies matters, laws, financial and human resources, infrastructure and professional guidance.
Inclusive education is based on the principle….. school should accommodate all children regardless of their physical, intellectual, linguistic, caste and religion. In some European countries inclusive education is compulsive. “The only condition for a child to be included is that he/she is breathing”.
Mainstreaming
Generally, mainstreaming has been used to refer to the selective placement of special education students in one or more "regular" education classes. Proponents of mainstreaming generally assume that a student must "earn" his or her opportunity to be placed in regular classes by demonstrating an ability to "keep up" with the work assigned by the regular classroom teacher. This concept is closely linked to traditional forms of special education service delivery.
Inclusion
Inclusion is a term which expresses commitment to educate each child, to the maximum extent appropriate, in the school and classroom he or she would otherwise attend. It involves bringing the support services to the child (rather than moving the child to the services) and requires only that the child will benefit from being in the class (rather than having to keep up with the other students). Proponents of inclusion generally favour newer forms of education service delivery.
NATIONAL EDUCATION POLICIES
Ø The integrated education for disabled children scheme, launched in 1974, to admit children with disabilities in regular schools
Ø The National policy on Education 1986, which promotes the integration of children with mild disabilities into mainstreaming
Ø The PWD (Person with Disability) act, 1995, recommends making changes in assessment and curriculum, and removing architectural barriers to support inclusion. It also recommended free books and uniforms to the children with disabilities.
Ø National Trust Act, 1999 which includes Autism also, which recommends promotion of inclusive education.
Ø The Sarv Siksha Abhiyan, 2000, which pledges that the “SSA will ensure that every child with special needs, irrespective of the kind, category and degree of disability, is provided education in an appropriate environment.
Even after these many policies and laws, the inclusive education is either not being provided by most of schools. If some schools initiate it, they either charge heavily or can’t sustain the services because of lack of professionals and resources. Most of the teachers and parents have a mind set that no regular school teachers can handle a disabled child. The people who can handle them are special educators. It is true that special educators are trained and qualified to handle and teach special need children. But, in the paucity of trained and qualified professionals this conception is not completely true.
If we have to make an inclusive education compulsory and successful, regular teachers should also be trained to teach the children with special need children special who are mildly or moderately delayed in developmental scale. Few specific qualities have to be developed in the regular teachers like patience, dedication and creativity. It becomes more critical for the schools who are facing the challenges in finding a special educator or who can’t afford the special services in their school.
Posted byNeeti at 10:38 PM 1 comments
Labels: disability