Sajjad Bazaz
Let me begin with a social media post of one of my friends living in Mumbai. The post reads: “There is still a stigma attached to the special needs kids and mostly, would you believe, it comes from the most educated lot – the teachers – who outcast them and make them feel lesser human beings. I think it is important to talk about these disorders that still too often pass for laziness and where the gaze of the entourage is not always easy to manage.”
The post further reads: “Can I ask you for a show of solidarity about a thing that is close to my heart? Someone is ready to publish this message and to let him on his wall for one hour?”
This post takes me back to some interactions with special kids where I learnt about most disturbing stories about the denial of rights to such children. The intensity of concern and pain can be understood by those parents who have special kids. Almost negligible support from the external system has added more woes to the families who have been craving for support to bring-up their special children like a normal human being despite disabilities.
In our region (Jammu & Kashmir) the scenario governing the rights of special kids is not healthy. Some time back I came across a group of parents having special (mentally disabled) children admitted in a local non governmental organisation (NGO). The NGO is running a home for these children to help them to negotiate their disability for better future. Even some of the children over a period of time are in a position to receive normal education.
In another incident, I came across a disturbing situation. One of the kindergarten kids of a reputed private school was very low at negotiating with the teaching techniques of the teachers. He was forcibly discharged from the school for being ‘disabled’. This was a shock to his parents and their arguments couldn’t win over the hard attitude of the school authorities. Finally a non – governmental organization (NGO) came to their rescue; adopted their child and today the same kid is growing fast like other normal school going children.
These are not standalone incidents. In the name of disability factor, children have been denied (continue to be denied) admission in mainstream schools and forced into special schools meant exclusively for them. There are disturbing stories of government as well as private schools denying admission to these special kids.
We have Right to Education Act in place with specific provisions for disadvantaged groups, such as children with special needs etc. The Act was to trigger an atmosphere where a classroom, irrespective of anyone likes it or not, was set to become more diverse. But it is not happening here, the way it should have been. Even a mega initiative in Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), with specific aspects to benefit people with disabilities also got defeated due to the negligent attitude.
Precisely, the concept of inclusive education has not been translated fully into practice. Otherwise, in inclusive education all students, regardless of their disabilities are necessarily to be allowed in a regular classroom. This inclusion enables all children to learn and participate effectively within mainstream school systems, without segregation.