Education for Children with Disabilities – A Long Road to Inclusivity – By Amal Agarwal

“When you educate one person you can change a life, when you educate many you can change the world” – Shai Reshef

In our nation, Children with Disabilities (CWD) are discriminated in most spheres of life, be it physical or intellectual, resulting in their exclusion from the societal ecosystem. Owing to such an environment, most are confined to lives of mediocrity, deprived of meaningful learning. Apart from discrimination, other factors such as lack of accessibility to schools and well-trained special educators amplify this effect on the children.

To make amends and rectify some of these issues, The Union Cabinet of India approved the National Education Policy 2020 (NEP 2020) in July this year. This policy is earmarked to replace the National Policy on Education 1986. It seeks to address all forms of marginalization of children ranging from societal ostracism to providing education to remote areas and promoting inclusive learning.

The salient features of this policy and their implications, with respect to the CWDs are enumerated below:

• SEDG – The policy introduces a term – Socially and Economically Disadvantaged Groups (SEDGs), based on gender identities, socio-cultural identities, geographical identities, disabilities, and socio-economic conditions. For these groups, it suggests Special Education Zones and provisions segregating the school system and teacher education system from the non- Special Education Zones. This includes community-led volunteering, peer tutoring and special certification courses for teachers.
  This reform goes against the fabric of an ‘inclusive society’, by marginalizing the already marginalized communities further rather than promoting a Common School Model wherein children from different strata, study together.
• The School Complex– NEP has introduced the concept of school complexes for CWDs, as per which the schools within a 5-10 km radius will be consolidated into one school complex. This will ensure there are adequate resources for children with disabilities including resource centres and special educators.
  However, for CWDs, school distance is an important parameter to consider, as there are challenges with safe transportation of these children. There is a risk that the objective of resource rationalization may result in lower enrolment and attendance of CWDs.
• Curriculum changes – The policy states that curriculum changes will be made in consultation with national institutes under the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities. This is a constructive step provided the curriculum is flexible in design, offers multiple channels of engagement for the CWDs and ensures that the relevant infrastructural facilities, which might be necessitated because of such adaptive norms, are in place.
• FLN and Tracking Learning Outcomes – As per the provisions of NEP, learning outcomes will be tracked as part of PARAKH (a National Assessment Centre). It emphasizes the achievement of Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN) for all children, by Class III. This provision, although well- intentioned, can exacerbate the divide between the CWDs and other academically successful students, as children unable to complete FLN by Class III, might be subject to further ostracism. This goal driven by achievement is opposed to the ‘Inclusive Education for all Children’ paradigm.

While it is true that NEP intends to make significant changes to overhaul the existing Education system and provide an equitable solution for all classes of society, the fact that it keeps the CWDs at the periphery of this discussion does leave a lot to be desired.

A few recommendations, towards greater inclusivity, lacking in this policy are elucidated, as under:

• A relook at disability – NEP 2020 does not recognize disability as a form of identity and diversity, but only as a form of deficit, viewing the CWDs as recipients of welfare and care. A shift in mindset is needed from a deficit driven model to an empowerment-based model. Focus should be on accommodation of CWDs and promoting diversity. Special educators should be employed in the early stages of the education lifecycle, fostering an inclusive atmosphere devoid of stigma and ostracism.
• A roadmap for execution – The policy is a vision document that fails to be inclusive of the CWDs and provides little or no relief to them, as it glosses over key concerns of access to education which have long prevailed. It needs to have a comprehensive roadmap and a coherent implementation strategy in place to execute its vision.
• No segregation of disabled students – Rather than specializing the needs of the CWDs, a generalist approach which inculcates a mentality of equal and considerate treatment, at the very outset of education, needs to be adopted. This shall avert discrimination and raise a happy generation which is empathetic and compassionate.
• Focus on sustainable transitions to higher education and employment – The aim of education should be to nurture and develop capable individuals. As most CWDs drop out of schools or do not attend one, a pathway ensuring full schooling and enabling a smooth transition to higher education and employment is paramount to their growth.

To conclude, the need of the hour is inclusivity. It can help CWDs have equal access to quality education, on which they can build a base for economic independence and dignity.

As mentioned in the NEP itself, the global education development agenda reflected in the Goal 4 (SDG4) of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by India in 2015, seeks to “ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all” by 2030.

By what means does this come into effect for the marginalized and the ostracized communities, including CWDs, remains to be seen.