Inclusive Education: a Right Based Approach to Education

Inclusion of children with special education needs has become a matter of priority in many countries around the world. It is undoubted that reform towards inclusion of children with diverse needs continues across the globe. The implementation of inclusive education requires dedication and willingness on part of all stakeholders especially educators. Every educator must be aware of the concept of ‘inclusion’. Sensitization towards inclusion is need of the hour.

Inclusion means that schools should accommodate all children regardless of their physical, intellectual, social, emotional, linguistic or other conditions. This should include disabled and gifted children, street and working children, children from remote or nomadic populations, children from linguistic, ethnic or cultural minorities and children from other disadvantaged areas or groups. Inclusion is about school change to improve the education system for all students. It means change in the curriculum, changes in how teachers teach and how students learn, as well as changes in how students with or without special needs interact with and relate on one another. Inclusive education practices reflect the changing culture of contemporary schools with emphasis on active learning, authentic assessment practices, applied curriculum, multi-level instructional approaches and increased attention to diverse students and individualization.

As far as the education of children with disabilities is concerned, there has been a global shift from segregation to integration and further from integration to inclusion. Segregation means placing the child apart from the general system. Integration means placing the child in the general system where the system remains rigid. Inclusion means placing the child in a flexible general system and developing friendliness and togetherness. The traditional approach in education supported education for some and remained static. Collective teaching was common in this approach. Special schools were recommended for children with disabilities. An Inclusive approach advocates education for all. It provides flexibility to the system. In inclusive settings, individualized teaching is in practice for children with disabilities.

The concept of Inclusive Education is different from special education as it brings the support services to the child (rather than moving the child to the services) and requires that the child will benefit from being in the class. Special settings (special schools) develop the culture of disability and promote segregation.

Segregated education was based on the medical model of disability that sees the child as a problem. It relies on diagnosis, labeling and corrective measures for normalization. It focuses on impairment and allows entry only if the child is normal enough otherwise the result is exclusion. Inclusive education is based on the social model of disability. It sees system as defective rather than the child. It sees social environment and attitudes as real cause of creating handicap situations. Social model welcomes diversity and provides need-based services. It identifies barriers and develops solutions. Inclusive education is a human right approach that advocates that education is not mere a need of children but a basic right of all children.

Inclusive education made available a wide range of support services to children with disabilities. These include information, programs and processes such as, specialist support (Advisory visiting teachers, specialist teachers, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, speech-language pathologists, and orientation and mobility specialist), essential skills for effective classroom management, behaviour support, school-transport program, barrier-free design, assistive and adaptive technology.

We should remember that inclusion is a process, not a place, service, setting or a destination. Inclusive schooling extends far beyond mere physical proximity to providing students and adults the support required to belong and achieve in classroom and school communities.  

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Vishal Jain