In a move that will bring relief to hundreds of parents, the government plans to introduce a policy that mandates zero rejection for children with disabilities rather (specially abled ) in all educational institutions and hostels. All formal schools, including, aided and unaided ones, will be covered under the policy. Not providing admission to children with disabilities in regular schools is a violation of human rights, which shall be penalized… Every educational institution shall have an accessible environment. This was the main aim of this scheme. The policy aimed to “provide free and compulsory education to children with disabilities, as defined under the Physical Disabilities Act, with child-centric programs in convergence with other departments.” It stated that all pre-service and in-service teacher-training programs should give adequate weightage to theory and practice in inclusive education. Since years, school buildings are incorporating ramps, accessible classrooms, drinking water facilities, toilets, playgrounds, laboratories and libraries. Ramps with railings, appropriate boards for the visually impaired and enhanced acoustics are also being incorporated. Samagra shiksha is currently playing the heroic role in achieving the desired goals. It mainly proposes :
Identify children to be included in regular census of the education department, with training of teachers and functionaries at different levels
To revisit classroom organization required for the education of Children with Special Needs. To ensure regular in-service training of teachers in inclusive education at the elementary and secondary level.
Develop scientific identification checklist for right identification
Every child with special needs should be placed in neighbourhood schools, with support services
Ensure transportation or escort facilities
School readiness programmes like training in mobility and Braille, sign language and postural training
Curriculum should be accessible to CWSN and adequate measures to be taken for adaptation
Vocational training should be included
Free supply of textbooks, assistive devices
Scholarships
Extra time to complete tests
Spelling concessions in tests
Exemption from 2nd and 3rd languages, if need be
Alternative questions if required for the blind
Inclusive parks for recreation
Convergence with health department for medical assistance
Partnership with NGOs
Special committees to ensure implementation
Disabilities covered
Thalassemia
Speech impairment
Learning disabilities like dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, dyspraxia
Multiple sclerosis
Muscular dystrophy
Multiple disabilities
Mental illness
Low vision
Locomotor disability
Persons cured of leprosy
Intellectual disability
Hard of hearing
Hearing impairment (loss of 60 decibels)
Haemophilia
Dwarfism
Chronic neurological conditions
Blindness
Cerebral palsy
Autism spectrum disorders.
In this context an orientation training program “” orientation workshop under Inclusive Education”” was conducted at GHSS Handwara by Chief education officer Kupwara Ab.Hamid Fani. The District Coordinator (inclusive education ) Javed Ahmad Wani (cwsn) inaugurated the training program in which teachers from different zones participated with full enthusiasm.The main focus was laid on conducting a pure survey of CWSN children so that every such single child is included. In the said program I believed that Children with special needs are young adolescents that are determined to need exceptional care and necessities that are not needed by other children. This classification may be declared by the state to provide rewards and support for the prosperity and growth of the child. Extraordinary requirements, particularly in the choice and child care network, where youngster and gatekeeper are jointly enriched, may also be a legitimate task.To overcome these problems generally an aid is given to the child. An aid is an adult sitting along with the special child encouraging and motivating the child to move alongwith the class. Schools are advised to allow parents when they make a request to provide an aid so that individual attention is possible for the child and enables the student to grow and learn alongwith the other peers in the class. Further inclusive education also needs to be done with an Individual Evaluation Program. Specific goals should be set for each child with special need based upon the appraisal. For this purpose the schools need to have a special educator as has already been recommended earlier.Guidelines of Inclusive Education of Children with Disabilities (IECD) each school is advised : To ensure that no child with special needs is denied admission in Mainstream Education To monitor the enrollment in schools of disabled children To provide support through assistive devices and the availability of trained teachers To modify the existing physical infrastructure and teaching methodologies to meet the needs of all children including Children with Special Needs To ensure that 3% reservation of persons with disabilities is done in all institutions receiving funds from Government (Under The Persons with Disabilities Act, 1995) To ensure that all schools are made disabled friendly by 2020 and all educational institutions including hostels, libraries, laboratories and buildings will have barrier free access for the disabled To ensure availability of Study material for the disabled and Talking Text Books, Reading Machines and computers with speech software To ensure an adequate number of sign language interpreters, transcription services and a loop induction system will be introduced for the hearing handicapped students. To revisit classroom organization required for the education of Children with Special Needs. To ensure regular in-service training of teachers in inclusive education at the elementary and secondary level.
( The author is a teacher in Education Zone Mawer of North Kashmir’s Kupwara district of J&K School Education Department. Views are his own)
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