Inclusive Education

 The NEP-2020 stresses the importance of inclusive education ~ a process that protects the presence, participation and achievement of all individuals in equitable learning opportunities.

he NEP-2020 stresses the importance of inclusive education ~ a process that protects the presence, participation and achievement of all individuals in equitable learning opportunities. Samagra Shiksha, an integrated scheme for school education, highlights that education policies, practices and facilities respect the diversity of all individuals in the classroom because education is a basic human right that should be generated to all regardless of their social status, gender, age, ethnicity, race, language, religion, and disability. Admittedly, inclusion is all about building the inner in children.

In the wake of the publication of the UNESCO’s Salamanca Report in 1994, many developing countries started formulating the process to include students with disabilities in mainstream educational institutions. As per the 2011 census in India, over 61 per cent of disabled children attend educational institutions and 12 per cent of disabled population attended schools earlier. But 27 per cent of them did not do so.

Over the years the government has launched different programmes for their inclusion in mainstream institutions. The Mental Health Act (1987) consolidates the law relating to treatment and care of mentally retarded people. The Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI) Act,1992 was amended in 2000 to work on manpower development to provide Rehabilitation services. Persons with Disability (PWD) Act,1995 stands for equal opportunity for every person and gives protection of rights and full participation of disabled persons in education, vocation, social security etc.

Every child is assured of getting free education in a good educational climate up to 18 years. Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009 tries to protect the rights of education of those belonging to the backward groups and of children with disabilities from any kind of discrimination and ensure to them elementary education. Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), 2000 attempts to implement inclusive education and provides orientation of all teachers to the education of children with special needs. The scheme for Inclusive Education for Disabled at Secondary Stage (IEDSS) was launched in 2009-10 to provide further inclusive education for the disabled children in classes XI to XII. The aim of Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) was to enhance access to secondary education and improve its quality. So many programmes relating to inclusive education have been envisaged and introduced, but the desired success has hardly been achieved.

Why? The answer lies in the fact that along with the government, teachers and guardians as beneficiaries also need to be aware about their inclusion in education. We all agree that education is a basic human right that should be guaranteed to all children. Globally, recent estimates suggest that 224 million young people affected by crises are in need of educational support among which 1 in 10 have a disability.

Inclusive education is a process that protects the participation of all individuals in equitable learning opportunities. It is, in fact, not the same as special education, in that it relies on segregation or integration rather than inclusion. Inclusive education is not a buzzword in the learning environment; it is a transformative approach that brings together students of all backgrounds and abilities. It celebrates diversity, fosters empathy among students and encourages them to respect differences.

Also, it is a potent weapon against discrimination and bullying. It highlights the belief that education is not a one-size-fit-all approach but is about finding the right fit for every student. Education for All, as set out in the Dakar Framework for Action, is to provide quality education for all children, including those who have a distinct form or the other. Thus, a rights-based approach should be adapted, and disability inclusion should be mainstreamed into institutional culture. Provision of accessible and inclusive teaching and learning materials will ensure participation and learning achievement of all learners, including those with disabilities.

In encouraging human diversity in the class, educational institutions built on humanistic aspects of life may lay the foundation for the acceptance of differences. Tony Booth, author of Index for Inclusion, emphasizes the role of values in the democratic and participating practice of inclusion, which recognizes teachers and learners equally. The website of NCERT has links to documents on Learning Outcomes for elementary school and a guidebook on index to inclusion and suggestions for accommodation and modification in assessment. But, in practice, it seems the government has so far focused on universal enrolment while the focus should be on quality of learning. Recent statistics on learning outcomes in numeracy suggested that proper pedagogy and teacher-student interactions are the need of the hour. However, the replacement of PWD Act by RPWD Act, 2016 became momentous in the annals of the disability rights movement.

The preamble of RPWD Act lays down the principles of empowerment of disabled persons in unequivocal terms that includes respect for difference and acceptance of PWD as part of diversity and humanity. This provides for Inclusive Education as a system wherein students with or without disability learn together and the system of teaching and learning is suitably adapted to meet the learning needs of different types of students with disability. The RPWD Act additionally introduces the concept of “barriers” or its definition of disability. Its most progressive feature is the “universal design” which is the design of products and environments to be usable by people in general to activities. Disability rights activists ask if social barriers are being overlooked.

RTE mentions quality of learning based on curriculum and assessment methodology should also reflect the change. To encourage more students with support needs, institutions should create a collaborative culture supporting diversity. Collaboration is a process and not an end-product of intervention. Building an inclusive institutional culture is the foundation for promoting inclusive education which may be created by fostering an environment that values diversity, equity and inclusion. This can be achieved by providing opportunities for students to learn about different cultures and traditions.

Teachers can play a key role in promoting education and diversity in schools by using diverse teaching materials to promote Inclusive Education. They can adapt their teaching methods to suit different learning needs, making sure every student grasps the material. The entire school community should promote an environment where students understand and appreciate each other’s differences. Schools should provide extra support or accommodation for students who need them, tailoring the approach to each student’s unique needs. Teachers should create opportunities for all students to actively engage in classroom activities and discussions. Communication lines between students, teachers and parents should be kept open to address concerns and make necessary adjustments.

Schools must implement strategies to prevent bullying and promote respect among students. The effectiveness of inclusive practices should be periodically assessed, and improvements be made as required. Boosting student confidence begins by giving everyone equal learning opportunities and celebrating diversity.

An inclusive environment empowers students to thrive both inside and outside school and provides everyone with an equal opportunity to learn. Moreover, schools should help teachers and professionals with the necessary training and resources for inclusive education. Using efficient master schedule software may make classroom organization a breeze and encourage inclusivity

A K GHOSH

Source: The Statesman, 27/04/24

How smartphones can make education inclusive

 

Doing well in examinations and getting jobs will continue to be a goal for a good proportion of youth but life goals that are not connected with academics are also becoming popular. Our system has to evolve to support them. Technology can assist

Two decades ago, there was much hope that computers with the Internet would revolutionise education. A decade later, mobile technology led to the belief that education anytime anywhere was possible. From one laptop per child, we started thinking of mobile devices replacing books. Now we are about to reach a situation when there will be a mobile phone in every home. In its survey of 14-18-year-olds across the country, the recently released Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2023 shows that about 89 per cent youth in the surveyed age group of 14-18, said they have a smartphone at home. An even higher proportion — 92 per cent — said that they can use a smartphone.

Of those who reported knowing how to use a smartphone, two-thirds said that they had used mobile phones for their studies, the week before the survey. This is a large proportion, but it’s smaller than the population who reported using smartphones for entertainment. The market has many products from for-profit and not-for-profit companies for education but they are generally focused on preparing for examinations. AI-based tutoring programs are growing. As technology advances, making such programs in local languages will be easily possible. There is reason to believe that costs will keep falling. But their focus is still on preparation for exams because that is what the market demands.

Technology barriers to the availability of knowledge are falling but the transfer of this knowledge and certification is still a restricted process. These processes need to be opened up.

The idea of education anytime anywhere is now being put to test. Universal elementary school enrollment has been achieved in India and we are on our way to achieving universal secondary and higher secondary enrollment. But, as ASER first reported in 2005, enrollment or schooling is not the same as learning. Also, the 2023 report points out, half of these adolescents start working part time after completing Class X or the age of 15-16. Although the education policy talks about greater flexibility in entering and re-entering the formal education process, the need really is for the underprivileged to be able to study while working to earn a living. Open schooling and digital technology is a powerful combination. The open school and open university processes need to be decentralised and strengthened. Rapidly developing technology is going to make it easy not only to teach and learn anywhere-anytime but testing anytime-anywhere should be possible as well.

The need for many more universities in India is much talked about. This is directly linked to the fact that the population is going to continue growing for the next 40 years or so. But there is also a need for non-formal education to supplement the formal processes of education or fulfil other needs. Widespread smartphone ownership combined with cheap data presents a huge challenge because of the risks of distortion of information. But it is also an opportunity for education of the kind that is not offered in schools and colleges. For example, agriculture, or broadly natural resource management, is a subject that is not offered in rural schools and colleges, at least on the scale it should be. The ASER 2023 survey found that while 56.4 per cent and 31.3 per cent rural students respectively were studying Humanities and Science beyond Class X, only 0.7 per cent reported they were studying agriculture. Agriculture employs over 50 per cent of India’s workforce and ASER 2023 shows that nearly a quarter of all adolescents in the 14-18 age group also work in agriculture while being enrolled in schools or colleges. The need to formally train our youth in advanced skills and knowledge of agriculture, fisheries and forestry, traditionally handed down in families, should be obvious. This is not a matter of skilling for jobs or livelihoods alone.

Issues of natural resource management are the issues of environment and climate. They have always been interconnected. The difference now is that there is a growing awareness about the linkages. Therefore, there is all the more reason for the entire population to learn about agriculture and the environment — not just agrarian communities. Each home has a laboratory around it for experimentation and learning. Knowledge and information can be accessed using digital technology wherever people are. So, the way to do it probably is not through rigid structures of classrooms, departments and universities run by governments or for-profit private players although these will continue to thrive for much of the foreseeable future.

Our education system has grown to train students to aim at one purpose — do well in examinations and get jobs. Times are changing. Doing well in examinations and getting jobs will continue to be a goal for a good proportion of youth but life goals that are not connected with academics are also becoming popular. Our system has to evolve to support them. Technology can assist but our mindsets have to change.

Written by Madhav Chavan

Source: Indian Express, 18/01/24

How online education can give disabled children greater learning opportunities

 Globally, about 15 per cent of the population lives with some form of disability. Of this, 80 per cent lives in developing countries. Persons with disabilities (PwDs) are among the most marginalised groups. They encounter a range of barriers and are more likely to experience adverse socioeconomic outcomes. Limited support infrastructure can have a significant debilitating impact on everyday life. WHO now considers disability a human rights issue. It emphasises that people are disabled by society and not by their bodies.

Over the last 65 years, the overall global literacy rate has increased by 4 per cent every five years — from 42 per cent in 1960 to 86 per cent in 2019. However, the global literacy rate for the disabled is as low as 3 per cent with just 1 per cent for females. Ninety per cent of disabled children in developing countries do not attend school, says UNESCO. The school drop-out rate is also high due to the lack of adequate infrastructure, inaccessible reading material and untrained teachers. An insignificant number make it to institutes of higher learning.

Lack of education has a trickle-down effect. Most disabled children are not equipped with foundational skills for employability. According to the UN, in developing countries, 80 to 90 per cent of PwDs are unemployed, whereas in industrialised countries, it is between 50 to 70 per cent. In most countries, the unemployment rate for PwDs is at least twice that of those who have no disability.

The pandemic has made us realise how technology is reshaping education. Lockdowns made schools rapidly migrate to online education. This metamorphosis of education systems has far-reaching implications for disabled children. Online education has the potential to make learning more accessible for PwDs. It takes care of physical barriers created by transportation and mobility issues. Children have the advantage of accessing learning from the safety and comfort of their homes. It saves them from unnecessary inhibitions in attending physical schools. Disabled students in higher education too can have access to lectures, libraries and resources without the need to physically navigate remote campuses.

Online learning, both in the synchronous and asynchronous modes, offers added flexibility and the advantage of self-paced learning. With technological aids and assistive devices, it is possible to train disabled children in various skills. E-learning allows the review of materials and repeated viewing of video lectures. Various assistive technologies like screen readers, text magnifiers, speech recognition software, braille keyboards, sign language interpreters, videos with subtitles, audio recordings, etc, can be used.

Internet penetration is increasing fast. As of January 2021, there were 4.66 billion active internet users worldwide — almost 60 per cent of the global population. In 104 countries, more than 80 per cent of the youth population is online. Out of the 830 million young people who are online, 320 million (39 per cent) are in China and India, which are among the countries with the highest incidence of disability.

Prices of internet services have dropped by 50 per cent on average over the last three years and broadband and mobile services are available at much higher speeds. This augurs well for online education. Children are quick learners and adapt fast. With adequate support, adopting e-learning may not be a huge challenge.

The 2030 Sustainable Development Goals focus on “inclusive and quality education for all”. With barely nine years left for the target, greater strides have to be made. Governments and educational bodies have an important role to play in making ICT accessible to disabled students. Those at the forefront of education administration can facilitate designing online courses and learning modules in easy-to-deliver formats. Initial challenges do exist, but students who did not attend schools due to physical limitations at least have an alternative now. This can be a good starting point to bring in students who have been denied access to schools.

Advances in the digital economy are creating unprecedented work opportunities for the disabled, a report by ILO says. With the rise of the gig economy, most work is being done from homes, creating new job opportunities for physically restricted PwDs. Online education could prove to be a turn of the wheel in the quest of PwDs to gain a meaningful life.

This column first appeared in the print edition on September 25, 2021 under the title ‘Learning without barriers’. The writer is professor, Department of Business Administration, Faculty of Management Studies & Research, Aligarh Muslim University

Source: Indian Express, 27/09/21