Normally, all the parents look forward for a good education to their children when they initially enroll them in schools. But expectations would have not remained too high, when the guardians of Tawsiya Nazir, an orphan child, would have enrolled her in the school, because of her severe impairment in both speech as well as in hearing. After her admission in the school, It was a first hand experience for the teachers to deal with such a kind of differently abled child who was completely deaf-mute and the job to teach her was not less challenging. In order to meet her guardian’s expectations, Bashir Ahmed Reshi named teacher of the same school came forward to embrace the challenge and he made it happen to teach her at par with other students in the same classroom. Despite being not a special educator or professionally well trained to deal with Children With Special Needs (CWSN) , he didn’t give up but provided equal educational opportunity to her anyway. Tawsiya Nazir is a student of Government Middle School Hardutooru of zone Achabal, district Anantnag, now studying in class 8th. She is now doing good not only in her studies, but also participating in co-curricular and extra-curricular activities. On asking how he made it possible, Bashir Ahmed Reshi said, ” First it was by the grace of Almighty Who gave me the courage , then my empathetic care for the specially abled child compelled me to leave no stone unturned to search for the relevant content on internet and learn sign language, then I made use of best of my efforts to teach the student and make her understand in every possible way”. When asked, had he not availed any special training for teaching CWSN, he said, ” Though periodically orientation programmes at district level are being conducted, which provide general and basic awareness about the CWSN, no methods like sign language are being taught to teach such particular section of CWSN. Getting internally well motivated for the good cause to teachCWSN children, Bashir Ahmed Reshi keeps his morale high and visits the family of another class 3rd student Danista Jan, a specially abled child with multiple disabilities, and teachers her daily. There would be thousands of students like Tawsiya who might be deprived of basic education. Latest reports of WHO show that there are about 1.3 billion people in the world who experience significant disability, among which there are about 250 million children who have some form of disability, which include those who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairments which in interaction with various barriers may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis”. Children with disabilities mostly face discrimination and are marginalized in every society. In this regard, CRPD ( Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities ) was adopted in 2006 by UN to protect the rights of such persons. The convention was a human rights treaty designed by representatives of the international community – including people with disability, government officials, representatives of nongovernmental organizations and others – to change the way people with disability are viewed and treated in their societies. A Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities was also constituted which is the body of independent experts which advocates human rights of all persons with disabilities, monitors , recommends and provides support for the implementation of the provisions enshrined in the convention and advocates for the human rights of all persons with disabilities. Keeping in view the growing need of educating the disabled children and the children belonging from other marginalized sections of the societies, with less or no access to education, Right to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act. 2009 mandated free and compulsory education for all children in the country including Children With Special Needs (CWSN).
We are very much fortunate that Almighty has bestowed upon us a wonderful gift that is good mental and physical health for which we should always remain grateful. But there is an innumerable number of the persons with impairments who deserve to be taken care of, get equal opportunities in terms of effective participation in the society, get good education and get equal human rights. Authorities of school education department are playing a good role to promote the concept of inclusive education, but it needs to be given more emphasis like providing more CWSN friendly environment in the schools and providing trainings for special educators.
New Education Policy (NEP) 2020 in a more broader perspective also recommended equitable and inclusive education for all including Socio-Economically Disadvantaged Groups (SEDGs). These initiatives have worked well and brought appreciable and effective results not only in other states of the country but in Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir as well. Zaiba Apa Institute for differently abled children in South Kashmir’s Anantnag district, which is a prominent Institute for inclusive education founded by Jevad Ahmed Tak a Padmashri Awardee, is bringing wonderful results. In recently announced JKBOSE 10th class results the students of this Institute have shown excellent performance. Education for specially abled children aims at their all-round development as well as making them economic independence. Ajaz Ahmad named specially abled boy from shopian district, whose story was recently carried by Bashart Amin a community correspondent of Video Volenteers, is working as a delivery boy after getting a scooty under Viklang Scooty Yojna, so has become economically independent. We are very much fortunate that Almighty has bestowed upon us a wonderful gift that is good mental and physical health for which we should always remain grateful. But there is an innumerable number of the persons with impairments who deserve to be taken care of, get equal opportunities in terms of effective participation in the society, get good education and get equal human rights. Authorities of school education department are playing a good role to promote the concept of inclusive education, but it needs to be given more emphasis like providing more CWSN friendly environment in the schools and providing trainings for special educators.
(The author is a teacher at J&K School Education Department. The views, opinions, facts, assumptions, presumptions and conclusions expressed in this article are those of the author and aren’t necessarily in accord with the views of “Kashmir Horizon”.)
[email protected]
