Inclusive
Education for Quality Enhancement in Higher
Education
In the decade of 1990 the emphasis
was given on as education is an investment in human capital, the education
should reach up to the all disadvantaged children in the world. There is a need
for enabling the schools where every child with special needs has a place to
acquire suitable learning experiences. Every child is the special child with
special learning difficulties and better school system should e address the
educational requirements of children for specific learning difficulties.
Education for all is considered as the education to orphans, population out of
school children, children of migrant workers, children from below poverty line
families, children with disabilities etc. The term Inclusion is refereed in
case of disability.
There is a need to identify the
similarities between children with disabilities and non disabled children in
the learning process. The researches in multi-sensory approaches in learning
reveled that lack of ability in one faculty does not totally develop the learning
capabilities in the child. In the mid of 20th century the special
school will remain the most accepted approach to educate the children with disabilities.
The approach of effective schools emerged in the 1990, which is based on need
to prepare teachers, who acquire skills to transform in the diverse needs of
children in the classroom without comparing them with common children in
school. Sometimes it requires the particular teaching approaches with specific
children at various levels. The teacher
educator is to be assume that every child in classroom is a special child. The
effect of it was that the children with disabilities were referred as the children
with special needs who may require the special attention of teachers to them.
In 1998 the Booth and Ainscow came to the conclusion from their extension work
that, there is an exclusionary pressure in schools and their categorization
contribution to the process of exclusion. Therefore the terminology of
inclusion is used to denote everyone.
Approach to inclusive education in India
1. Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA):
The Govt. of India has initiated education
through SSA for education to all which is the suitable approach to inclusive
education which came in existence in April 2001. SSA provided the huge umbrella
of education with lot of flexibility and innovation in school as inclusive
education. It facets of comprehensive education such as community
participation, improving teachers skills, provision f learning materials,
special emphasis on disadvantaged group etc.
It is the programme to improve the various human capabilities of all
children through quality education provided by community through SSA. SSA adopts
zero rejection policy, so that no child is left out of the education system. SSA
is providing integrated and inclusive education to all children with special
needs in general schools. It supports a wide range of approaches, activities,
options and strategies for education of children with special needs. This
includes open learning systems, pen schools, home-based education, distance
education wherever necessary, and also the remedial teaching, part time classes,
night schools, community based vocational and rehabilitation education.
2. Inclusion:
Inclusion
is not a programme but an ideology proposed by SSA. It refers that the overall
system of education becomes effective in order to encourage Schools for All. It
provides an opportunity to every child has a place to study and teachers become
facilitators of learning. It also refers the macro level education policy issue
whereas for many developing nations inclusion is the only option.
3. Ideal Inclusion:
As
far as India
is concerned, the ideal system of inclusion is that the general education
system itself should make education of children with disabilities as its integral
part. This implies that the general classroom teachers should be equipped with
skills to address the educational needs of these children with minimum. It may strengthen
the pre-service general teacher preparation programme by including essential
component of education of children with disabilities in general curriculum.
Inclusion is the process that empowers persons with disability.
4. Legislation support for inclusive
education:
For
implementing the SSA in India ,
Govt. of India came up with comprehensive legislation to ensure educational opportunities
for persons with disabilities. It acted as equal opportunities, protection of
Rights and full participation in education by implementing the persons with
disability Act PWD 1995. Seven types of disabilities namely blind, low vision,
deaf, mentally retarded, loco motor disability, leprosy, cured and mental
illness have been included in it. It attempts to empower persons with
disabilities with their rights to education, rehabilitation and empowerment. The
persons who have disability more than 40 percent are certified as disable. The
Act provides that the state and the central Govt. shall insure free and
adequate education till the age of 18 to every disabled child. It also indicates
that integrated education and special schools will have to set up to meet the
educational needs of children with disabilities. It indicates that Govt. should
create adequate teachers training facilities to prepare teachers for special
and integrated schools which will provide the support for quality enhancement
in higher education in future.
RCI is specially working to provide
the large opportunity to develop the potentialities and abilities of the
children with disabled. RCI has the recognition monitoring and de recognition
power to enhance the quality education for children with disabled in India . It is also providing the various types of
financial supports to the institutions and the scholarships to the eligible
students in the field of school education and higher and professional
education. ie. Special schools, teacher education institution for special
Education.
5. Developmental Issue:
To creation of conducive environment
for inclusive education to children according to their learning disabilities is
becoming the emphasis to develop the quality education all over the world. It will
help to provide the equal opportunity and status to disabled child.
·
The inclusive education system is fully
committed for full development of human potential, sense of dignity and respect
to human rights, fundamental freedom and human diversity.
·
The development by persons with disabilities of
their personality, talents and creativity and physical and mental abilities up
to the highest potential.
·
Enabling persons with disabilities to
participate effectively in a free society.
·
Govt. has the provision to provide effective
individualized measures and environment for maximum academic and social
development with consistency according to goal of full inclusion.
·
Philosophical and sociological implications of
inclusion for disabled is that why the segregation of disables from the general
education and the society? But the idea
such as disable persons are special, they have sixth sense, these attitude made
them to exclude from general stream. The sympathy towards them superseded human
rights and as a result, education of disabled remained welfare activity for
decades together.
·
Cultural implications and inclusive practices
have various results on the education of disabled. India is a country with huge
population, many official
languages, unique customs and rituals, varied dialects, still the country
lies in the concept of “unity in diversity”. This has been used for centuries
together, and this exemplifies the inclusive society in India . Care of
others is an inherited ingredient in the Indian culture.
6. Best Practices in India
Education in India adopts a variety of context
specific models. These indicate to use eclectic
approach in serving the persons with disability. The following prominent models
are in operation in India
for serving the children with disabilities.
·
Model 1: Residential Schools for persons with
Disabilities: Curriculum is specially designed for them to suit their learning
needs. Vocational skills are also developed in children .It is the oldest model
to serve the persons with disabilities.
·
Model 2: Integrated Education- Resource Room
Model: The students are enrolled in general school but the special resource
teacher is appointed in school. The consultancy is provided to regular teacher
in school by special resource teacher.
·
Model 3: Integrated Education- Itinerant Model:
Disabled children are enrolled in general school which is located in the
vicinity of the homes of the children. The visiting itinerant teacher is
appointed to serve all the categories of children with disabilities.
·
Model 4: Inclusive Education: Disabled children
are enrolled in general school. All general teachers are oriented to the
educational needs of children with disabilities. Frequent in service programs
are organized to improve the skills of
general classroom teacher in teaching the children with disabilities.
Conclusion:
The various approaches and
development plans for Inclusive Education will provide the great support to
enhance the quality of higher education to the children with disabilities for
Quality Enhancement in Higher Education in India .
Reference:
- Siddiqui
M.A.,(2009)Teacher Education;
- NCERT;(2000)
National Curriculum framework for School Education:
- NCTE
and RCI Jt. comm. Report (2005) Strategies to formulate Special Education
Tr. preparation courses,
