Shanti Auluck Director (hon.)/President

1. Teacher development for working with children with special needs & strategies for community involvement ShantiAuluck Director (hon.)/President Muskaan: Parents Association for the empowerment of persons with intellectual disability & families

2. Data--- 'Elementary Education in India : Progress towards UEE (Analytical reports and tables) by the National University of Educational Planning and Administration. This publication is based on data received from as many as 1.25 million schools spread over 625 districts across all the States and Union Territories. 

4. Issues involved in this process • Understanding of the diverse educational needs of children with disability • Medical vs. social model of disability • Deepening and broadening the meaning of education, • Critical look at normative thinking and utilitarian attitudes • Understanding the challenges of the parents and families and their involvement in education process • Change in the way we understand a person with disability. contd..

5. Problems with the usage of the term “Special education” and segregated education system • Challenges of inclusive schools & class rooms: • Preparations of teachers, school management and parent community to meet the needs of inclusive class rooms

6. What does UNCRPD say • persons with disabilities include those who have long term physical, mental, intellectual and sensory impairments which in interaction with various barriersmay hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others.

7. What is special about special education? • Special about special education is that we do not understand the needs of certain children and our usual ways do not seem to work. • Onus is placed on the child rather than us. A sincere examination of the situation reveals that it is lack of our own understanding of a child’s education/growth needs that becomes a barrier in the learning process

8. What is Inclusive Education • Ideally it means attending to diverse needs of every child ( differing in ability, ethnicity, socio-economic background etc.) in the same class room or school setting. • Respect and acceptance of diversity (all marginalized groups) can happen by inclusion in all aspects of life starting from inclusion in schools. • How ready we are for such an approach? There needs to be thorough change in ideology and school environment that values growth & development of a child over achievements alone

9. Demands of Inclusive Education • Attitude change of policy makers, school management and most importantly of teachers. • Enough knowledge base about various impairments e.g. locomotor, visual, hearing, intellectual and how it affects the learning process. It also demands deepening of our understanding of mind functions including cognition, emotions and motivation. • Devising teaching strategies including learning material to reach out the children with diverse (dis)abilities, • It demands systemic change rather than huge finances, child-centric approach rather than information-centric approach

10. Teacher development for Inclusive education • Sensitization of all the teachers about the educational needs of children with diverse impairments and how environmental & attitudinal barriers prevent them from learning and living a fuller life, • Broadening the meaning of education beyond curriculum transaction, • Orientation programs for in-service teachers to sensitize them about the needs and challenges of children with disability along with deepening the understanding of mind including cognition, emotions, motivation and learning processes

11. Abolition of separate systems of training of teachers for mainstream children and children with impairments (locomotor, sensory and cognitive impairments). • Teacher training courses must have 1or 2 core courses on understanding the educational and learning needs of children with diverse disabilities. It will enrich their knowledge base.

12. Teachers are the key to success of education • Teaching is an organic system, it should not be equated with industry. • Academic leadership is very important and good deal of attention should be given to it. • Leadership is all about innovative thinking, deep commitments and personal conduct • Stress on responsibility and accountability • Contextualization is very important. It requires looking at strengths and weaknesses of one’s culture with an open mind

13. Preparations required for implementing Inclusive Education • Important to recognize that India has no option other than mainstreaming of education for all children having diverse needs and backgrounds, including children with disability • Models of inclusive education need to be evolved through pilot projects and NGOs working with persons with disability need to be involved in this process. • Implementation can not happen in one go; it has to be a phase wise and time bound plans • NGOs working in the field of disability need to be supported to function as resource centres

14. Orientation programs for school management, teachers, parents and other staff members are necessary for a successful implementation, • Parents/families involvement is important. It will serve twin purpose of parents capacity building as well as support system to the school • . • Other students of the school can become a huge resource if they are properly informed and oriented. • NGOs can contribute through their knowledge and experience.

15. Concluding thought Inclusive education is possible. It needs: • critical look at present system of education • conviction and courage to take bold steps • Openness to experiment with new ideas • determination to evolve implementation strategies and accountability systems • If properly done, it has the potential of humanizing the younger generation—an aim of true education It is worth doing as it is a matter of preparing future generations for an inclusive society where diversities are accommodated & respected.