“There is only one child in the world and that child’s name is ALL children.”
– Carl Sandburg, an American poet and writer
Sajjad Bazaz
Let me share a Facebook post of one of my friends living in Mumbai which caught my attention. 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 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 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, one of the kindergarten kids was forcibly discharged from the school for being ‘disabled’. Finally a non – governmental organization (NGO) came to the rescue of the parents; 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.
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.
Precisely, the concept of inclusive education has not been translated 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.
We see more emphasis of the authorities on segregated education system where special children are forced to learn completely separate from normal children. This system of segregation breeds inferiority complex among the special children. It identifies the child as the problem in the system.
So, what is needed in promoting inclusive programmes for special kids is to restructure the existing culture, policies and practices in institutions like schools to make them to respond to the diversity of students in their localities. The curriculum and teaching methodologies are to be readjusted so that all students benefit. Here special schools also need to revamp their approach. They mostly focus on care of the disabled child. What’s needed is to simultaneously focus on education and personality development needs of such kids.
Meanwhile, let the authorities at the helm of affairs in a mission mode make all mainstream educational institutes disabled friendly by next five years. Inclusive education training programmes for teachers should be prioritized to ensure exclusive success of the inclusive mission. And educational institutions with exemplary services in inclusive schooling should be rewarded.