Inclusive education

Dr.C.Thanavathi
M.A.(His.), M.Phil. (His.), B.A. (Eng.), M.Ed., M.Phil.
(Edn.) DGT., DCA, SET (Edn.), CTE, PGDHE, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of History,
V.O.C. College of Education,
Thoothukudi – 628008.
9629256771
thanavathic@thanavathi-edu.in,
http://thanavathi-edu.in/index.html
Inclusive Education

Inclusive Education
inclusive education as a process of addressing and
responding to diversity of needs of all learners through
increasing participation in learning, cultures and
communities, and reducing exclusion within and from
education. It involves changes and modifications in
content, approaches, structures and strategies, with a
common vision which covers all children of
appropriate age range and a conviction that it is the
responsibility of the regular system to educate all
children.

Objectives of policies on Inclusive
Education
 The governments have to give the highest policy and
budgetary priority to improve their education systems to
enable them to include all children regardless of individual
differences or difficulties.
 The governments have to adopt as a matter of law or policy
the principle of inclusive education, enrolling all children
in regular schools unless there are compelling reasons for
doing otherwise.

The training programmes for the teachers have to include
the education of disabled children.
All children have access to general education system, to
expand the coverage to reach the unreached population.
The IEDC Scheme, which is being implemented in over
20,000 schools in India covering over 1,20,000 children
with disabilities. aims to provide educational
opportunities for children with mild and moderate
disabilities in general schools.

 The scheme includes pre-school training, counselling for
parent, allowance for books and stationery, uniforms,
transport, reader and escort, hostel facilities and assistive
devices.
 Education has focused on enrollment of Children with
Special Needs (CWSN) as schools are resistant to admitting
most CWSN.
 IEDC was successful in creating awareness on the
importance of integrating CWSN in the mainstream of
education, a fact noted in the National Policy on Education,
1986.

The National Policy on Education,
1986 (NPE, 1986)
 The objective to be achieved as stated in the NPE, 1986
is "to integrate the physically and mentally
handicapped with general community as equal
partners, to prepare them for normal growth and to
enable them to face life with courage and confidence".

Rehabilitation Council of India Act 1992.
 The said act was passed by the Parliament in 1992,
this act makes it mandatory for every special
teacher to be registered by the council and lays
down that every child with disability had the right
to be taught by a qualified teacher. In fact it
provided punishment for those teachers who
engaged in teaching children with special needs
without a valid registration.

Persons with Disabilities Act ( Equal opportunity, protection
of rights and full participation )1995 (PwD Act)
The Act stresses the need to provide free of cost
education to all children in an appropriate environment
till they are 18 years old and further emphasize their
right to measures like:
Transport facilities to the students with disabilities
Architectural barrier free Environment.
The supply of books, uniforms and Aids & Appliances.
The grant of scholarship to students with disabilities.

Setting up of appropriate forum for the redressal of
grievances.
Suitable modification in the examination system.
Restructuring of curriculum for the benefit of students with
hearing impairment.
As mentioned in Section 2.1, in India disability is
measured in five categories – sight, speech, hearing,
locomotor, and mental – which excludes disabilities such as
autism. In addition, a person has to be medically certified as
having 40% or more of one of these disabilities in order to be
counted and so qualified to request ‘benefits’.

Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, 2002 (SSA)
 Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) is the government’s
millennial Education For All (EFA) umbrella
programme for all education schemes, which aims to
universalize elementary education, the goals are that
all children aged 6-14 including the enrolment of
children with disabilities.

THE RIGHT OF CHILDREN TO FREE AND COMPULSORY
EDUCATION (AMENDMENT) BILL, 2012
 The Act stresses the need to provide and to have right
to free and compulsory education neighborhood
school till the completion of his or her elementary
education and further emphasize confirming the zero
rejection in school admission:

WHY INCLUSIVE EDUCATION ?
There are a number of reasons why inclusive education is a better concept
to adopt. The integrated education enhances the social acceptance of a
child due to the following factors::
 Accessible to the disabled in all parts of the country.
 Use of existing infrastructure and resources possible with some
modification.
 Least cost solution.
 The child has the advantage of being in an environment which shares
with his/her peers.
 Congenial company instead of isolation – a natural social environment.
Participation in the general community life.
 Stays with his/her family thus ensuring family bonding.

COMMON BELIEFS ::
 We all can learn
 We are all different
 We all belong to, and have a role in the society
 Societies are involved in creating difference
 Difference can and should be valued.

Traditional Approach Inclusive Approach
Education for some Education for all
Static Flexible
Collective teaching Individualized Teaching
Learning in segregated areas Learning in Integrated areas
Emphasis on teaching subject-orientated Emphasis on learning child-centred
Diagnostic / prescriptive Holistic
Opportunities limited by exclusion Equalization of opportunities for all
Disability view Curricular view
Labels children disability wise Planning is made on ability levels and
opposes all kinds of labeling
Approach realization

The Inclusive Class may have the following
Children::
 Regular Normal School Children,
 Children with Visual Impairment,
 Children with Hearing Impairment,
 Children with Locomotor Disability
 Children with Mental Retardation.

Such a Classroom will need teachers who can deal with
all the children at the initial level.
INGREDIENTGS AND METHODOLOGY OF INCLUSIVE
EDUCATION NEED TO BE DEFINED, REVIEWED AND
WORKED OUT IN FINER DETAILS TO ENSURE SUCCESSFUL
INCLUSION

INGREDIENTS for Successful Inclusion ::
:: INFRASTRUCTURE ::
Infrastructure should be such that it creates a barrier-free
environment.
:: NATIONAL LEVEL POLICIES ::
We have sufficient national level policies as discussed
above, but the need of the hour is to have more policies to
implement inclusive education

What preparation have you made with the
class/ group for:
 one to one peer support
 collaborative teaming
 group work
 valuing difference of race, gender, ethnicity, disability,
age or religion
 How do you ensure that mutual respect is encouraged
within your classroom?

Lesson planning: how will you support the needs
of all learners?
 Consider:- timing, - variation of activities,
 - types of activities [concrete/abstract],
 - reinforcement of key ideas,
 - extension work - recall of previous work,
 - links to future work,
 - clear instructions.

What different teaching styles are you going to
use?
 Visual e.g. use photos, mind maps, maps and
diagrams, pictures, film clips, digital cameras, wall
displays?
 Auditory e.g. use story telling, talking, effective
questions, problem solving, clear sequencing, music,
singing?
 Kinaesthetic e.g. use movement, role play, artefacts,
use the environment

Preparing materials
 Scaffolding [practical materials] e.g. writing frames,
pictograms, sounds, pictures, objects, artefacts, word
lists, number lines, etc, are they accessible to all?
 Appropriate use of augmented communication and
Information and Communication Technology.

CAPACITY BUILDING ::
 Capacity building i.e., suitable personnel for the
implementation process at all levels and in all areas are
very much required.
 Teachers should master the skills for curriculum
adaption and they should be able to develop readiness
skills in persons with disability.

LEGISLATION REFORMS::
PD Act 1995 – Emphasis is on appropriates educational, placement of
children with disabilities based on their needs, which demands that a
suitable system be developed to include children in regular schools.
UNDERTAKING ::
Positive Attitude and Flexibility may be inculcated. Seamless
Educational Provision may be provided.
SENSITIZATION::
Sensitization of Administrators, Parents, Principals, Teachers, Drivers
and Ayahs should be taken as goal which needs to be achieved.
INTIATIVES ::
Initiative of all those in the process of inclusive education can
bring about the desired result.

ORGANISATION ::
Every child can be part of inclusive education through careful planning
and systematic organization. Children with Special Needs (CWSN) even educable
children with Mental retardation and children with learning problems.
1.As a rule, there are a number of practical problems that have to be solved
before a child with special educational needs can go to school or take part in school
activities.
2.The arrangements it takes are fairly simple, provided co-ordinated local and
unconventional initiatives are stimulated.
3.One should also remember that the child's schoolmates represent a valuable
potential partner who is ready and able to help in overcoming some of these
problems.
4.School reform needed which facilitating learning of every child.

NETWORKING OF THE FOLLOWING IS A MUST
FOR SUCCESSFUL INCLUSION::
 General Education - Central / State Government
 NGOs
 Existing Resources
 Models.
Making inclusive education a success is a challenging task
but not impossible. This can be achieved only if all the
above ingredients are present in the right quality in a
timely manner.

Inclusive Practice
 Inclusive practice can be defined as attitudes,
approaches and strategies that we take to ensure that
no learners are excluded or isolated from the
education on offer.
 In other words, we all work to create a culture
where all learners feel welcome, accepted, safe, valued
and confident that they will get the right support to
assist them to develop their talent and achieve their
goals.

 These schools had to share resources such as specialized
equipment, instructional materials and special education
teachers. One key aspect of the project was the teacher
training component. The teacher training program,
available to teachers in each selected block, followed a
three-level training approach:
 a five-day orientation courses for all the teachers in the
regular schools,
 a six-week intensive training course for 10 percent of the
teachers, and
 a one-year multi-category training program for eight to ten
regular school teachers.
 The teachers who completed the one-year multi-category
training program were required to act as resource teachers.

The fundamental principles
 (i) Increasing the participation of students with disabilities in,
and reducing their exclusion from, curricula and communities of
local schools.
 (ii) Restructuring the cultures, policies and practices in schools
so that they respond to the diversity of students' needs.
 (iii) Accepting diversity as normal and as a rich source for all
students.
 (iv) Responding to the diverse needs of all students.
 (v) Accommodating both different styles and rates of learning.
 (vi) Ensuring the quality of education to all students through
appropriate curricula, support and teaching strategies.
 (vii) Accepting that inclusion in education is one aspect of
inclusion in society.

Salient Features of Inclusive Education
 It is a constantly evolving process of change and improvement
within schools and the wider education system to make
education more welcoming, learner-friendly, and beneficial for a
wide range of people.
 It is about restructuring education cultures, policies and
practices so that they can respond to a diverse range of learners -
male and female; disabled and non-disabled; from different
ethnic, language, religious or financial backgrounds; of different
ages; and facing different health, migration, refugee or other
vulnerability challenges.
 It is about changing the education system so that it is flexible
enough to accommodate any learner.
 It is an ongoing effort to identify and remove barriers that
exclude learners within each unique situation.

 It is about identifying and removing barriers to learners' presence in
(access to) education, participation in the learning process, and
academic and social achievement
 It focuses on solving attitude, practice, policy, environmental and
resource barriers.
 It is a process in which all stakeholders should participate (teachers,
learners, parents, community members, government policy-makers,
local leaders, NGOs, etc).
 It is something that can happen outside the formal education
system, as well as informed school environments (inclusive
education can happen in learning spaces that are non-formal,
alternative, community-based, etc., with learners from young
children through to elderly adults).
Salient Features of Inclusive Education

The basic elements of inclusive education
 Use of teaching assistants or specialists
 Inclusive curriculum
 Parental involvement

Benefits of Inclusive Education
 All the children away from education will be benefitted.
 Disabled or challenged students may get a support and help from
normal students.
 All the students excluded from school because of some reason
may get chance to enjoy school life with normal students.
 Disabled or challenged students get motivated for learning.
 They may get a confidence and can learn to face problems and
challenges because of peer help.
 Develop individual strengths and gifts, with high and
appropriate expectations for each child.

Benefits of Inclusive Education
 Work on individual goals while participating in the life of
the classroom with other students their own age.
 Involve their parents in their education and in the activities
of their local schools.
 Foster a school culture of respect and belonging. Inclusive
education provides opportunities to learn about and accept
individual differences, lessening the impact of harassment
and bullying.
 Develop friendships with a wide variety of other children,
each with their own individual needs and abilities.
 Positively affect both their school and community to
appreciate diversity and inclusion on a broader level.

Here are key findings about the benefits of
inclusion for children and families
 Families’ visions of a typical life for their children
can come true.
 Children develop a positive understanding of
themselves and others.
 Friendships develop.
 Children learn important academic skills.
 All children learn by being together.

Difficulties in implementation of
Inclusive Education
 Characteristics of individual pupils should match to
facilitate participation in schooling and the curriculum
limitations. No tested methods and techniques and
teaching aids available to cater their needs. Teachers or
trained staff must be enthusiastic to promote greater
participation of challenged students.
 Disabled or challenged students may not get proper help
from teachers and peers. They may face any other problems
because of inadequate facilities and teaching aids required
to meet their needs. They may get inferiority complex
because of their disability.

Integrated Education Inclusive Education
Can have their own criteria of integrating students
with some disability or ability.
Do not have their own criteria of including students as
main aim is to include all the students who are
excluded from education.
Not very expensive as inclusive education.
Can be more expensive as special planning is done for
infrastructure, curriculum and trained staff is
appointed.
Regular curriculum is also followed by challenged
students with same school timing.
Special curriculum is designed and followed for
challenged students with may be less school timing for
according to need.
Challenged or gifted students in any way are
occupied in same normal classrooms.
Special classrooms are designed according to their
needs.
Children with some disability are integrated in
normal school only.
Children with some disability are included in normal
schools but with some special facilities for them.
No formal planning is required. Formal planning is required.
No special infrastructure, trained staff, special
curriculum is required.
Special infrastructure, trained staff, special curriculum
is required.
All the students away from education are not
necessarily included in main stream schools.
All the students away from education are necessarily
included in main stream schools.

CONCLUSION
Despite the above challenges of Inclusive Education, the
progress in this direction has been insignificant. No debate
is required in this regard, we believe that Inclusive
Education is the only answer for ‘Education for all’ which
includes children with disabilities. The process of inclusive
education has started, but much needs to be done to achieve
the desired result.

Inclusive education

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