According to UNESCO, inclusive education is seen as “a process of addressing and responding to the diversity of needs of all learners through increasing participation in learning, cultures and communities, and reducing exclusion from education and from within education.”
The goal is that the whole education system will facilitate learning environments where teachers and learners embrace and welcome the challenge and benefits of diversity.
Within an inclusive education approach, learning environments are fostered where individual needs are met and every student has an opportunity to succeed. Inclusive education is a real implementation of the basic human right to education.
It is not only about attaining universal access to education, but universal access to meaningful and purposeful knowledge and learning for all. Although the context in every country and region is unique, we all share common concerns in education regarding justice, equity and peace.
Students need to acquire the competencies and appropriate qualifications for life in an ever-changing and increasingly plural and interdependent political and economic landscape of the 21st century.
Inclusive education brings all students together in one classroom and community, regardless of their strengths or weaknesses in any area, and seeks to maximize the potential of all students.
Inclusion is an effort to make sure that diverse learners – those with disabilities, different languages and cultures, different homes and family lives, different interests and ways of learning – are exposed to teaching strategies on a more personalized platform as teachers in inclusive classrooms vary their styles to enhance learning for all students.
A question frequently asked by skeptics is ‘will the learning of students without special needs suffer because of inclusion?’ Studies have shown no slowdown in the learning of children without special needs in inclusive classrooms in fact research suggests that students without special needs can gain a number of important benefits from relationships with their classmates who have special needs which include friendships, social skills, personal principles and values and caring classroom environments.
Inclusive Classroom Practices
Inclusion requires some changes in how teachers teach, as well as changes in how students with and without special needs interact with and relate to one another. Inclusive education practices frequently rely on active learning, authentic assessment practices, applied curriculum, multi-level instructional approaches, and increased attention to diverse student needs and personalization.
Remediation is an important component of inclusive education as it makes provision for intervention or support to help all students attain their achievement goals.
A remediation plan helps teachers to organize the specific remedial work after they have identified the specific problem areas and have linked them to steps that can produce attainable results .. The remedial plan can be used to:
· Involve Students in their own learning : a teacher-student conference is held to go over the details of the remediation plan to make certain the students understand what they are expected to achieve
· Involve Parents as much as possible: the remediation plan is shared with parents so that they are equally involved and they understand the steps their children should take to improve their performance in class.
· Identify common steps and resources that can be used for different levels of remedial study: Teachers identify several sets of steps and resources for at least two different levels of student need in the identified academic area.
Once the teacher identifies students in need of intervention, she can choose their level and the appropriate remediation plan. While the teacher will probably want to customize the plan per student, she will at least have a defined set of steps with which to begin.
After the end of a semester the teacher/ special educator can then evaluate each plan’s success rate and determine what can be revised to improve each set of actions or resources.
In India, the issue of inclusion in schools is still a work in progress. While there has been progress made in recent years, there are still significant challenges in ensuring that all children have access to quality education, regardless of their background, abilities, or disabilities.
In terms of government schools, the Right to Education Act passed in 2009 mandates that all children between the ages of 6 and 14 are entitled to free and compulsory education. However, the implementation of this law has been uneven, and many children still face barriers to accessing education, particularly in rural and marginalized communities.
In the private school sector, there has been some progress in recent years in terms of promoting inclusion and diversity. Many private schools have started to adopt inclusive policies and practices, such as providing support for children with disabilities and offering scholarships or financial assistance to students from low-income backgrounds. To achieve inclusive education in India, there are several key steps that need to be taken. These include:
1. Increasing public investment in education: India currently spends only around 4% of its GDP on education, which is well below the recommended international benchmark of 6%. Increasing public investment in education can help to improve the quality of education and ensure that all children have access to quality education, regardless of their background.
2. Improving teacher training: Teachers play a crucial role in promoting inclusion and diversity in education. Providing teachers with training and support to work with diverse groups of students is essential to creating an inclusive education system.
3. Developing inclusive policies and practices: Schools need to adopt policies and practices that promote inclusion and diversity, such as providing support for students with disabilities, offering scholarships or financial assistance to students from low-income backgrounds, and promoting cultural diversity.
4. Engaging parents and communities: Parents and communities play a crucial role in creating an inclusive education system. Engaging parents and communities in the education process can help to promote understanding and support for inclusive policies and practices.
While creating an inclusive education system in India is a challenging task, it is also an achievable one. With the right policies, investments, and partnerships, India can create an education system that is truly inclusive and equitable for all children.
Dr. Farooq Ahmad Wasil, a published author, and an educationist, is Consultant and Advisor, to TSPL (Thinksite Services Private Limited).
DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed in this article are the personal opinions of the author.
The facts, analysis, assumptions and perspective appearing in the article do not reflect the views of GK.