Legislative and Policy FrameworksIndia

Prof. Anita JulkaNCERT

The Presentation

Policies and Programmes Issues and Challenges

Peculiarities of Indian Education System

Central Government Plays some role-Mandates through Right To Education, 2009, Persons with Disabilities Act, 1995, Rehabilitation Council of India Act, 1992, National Trust Act, Mental Health Act, 1987

State Governments responsible for implementation of number of Policies, Curricula, Assessments, textbooks etc.

Guidelines – National Curriculum Framework, NCERT, National Curriculum Framework for Teacher Education, NCTE

Policy and Legislative FrameworksIndia

The Wardha Scheme known as the Zakhir Hussain Committee Report (1938)- Free & Compulsory Education for seven years.

Sargent Report (1944) proposed a system of universal, compulsory and free education for all boys and girls between ages of six and fourteen.

The Kothari Commission (1964-66)-concept of neighbourhood

school and common school system

National Policy on Education (1968, 1986) & Programme of Action (1992)

Integrated Education for Disabled Persons (IEDC, 1974) & Project Integrated Education for the Disabled (1987, NCERT)to strengthen the integration of learners with disabilities into regular schools.

District Primary Education Programme (DPEP, 1993) & Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan(SSA) (2001-02)-EDUCATION FOR ALL

Rashtriya Madhyamic Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) & Inclusive Education for Disabled at Secondary Stage (National Middle Level Education Programme)

Cont.

1974 IEDC

1992The RCI Act

t

1997, 2000Inclusion of IED in DPEP & SSA

1995The Persons with Disabilities Act

1999National Trust

2005Comprehensive Action Plan

2006National Policy for Persons with

Disabilities

Significant Milestones in

India2009

RMSA-IEDSS

2009Right to Education (RTE) Act

Law, policy, programs &rights instruments reflect two primary approaches or discourses that treat disability either as an individual pathology or as a social pathology.

curriculum must be “an inclusive and meaningful experience for children”Teachers must be trained to address the learning needs of all children including those with marginalized and disabled NCF, 2005

Teacher Education Institutions will need to reframe their programme courses to include the perspective, concept and strategies of inclusive education NCFTE, 2009

NATIONAL FRAMEWORKS

Gearing all teacher education programmes to developing pedagogical skills required in inclusive classrooms- National Focus Group-2005

Not failing any students

Class Teacher responsible for all children

Special teachersfully included

Developing strengths & abilities

Developing strengths & abilities

Nurturing all aspects

of personally

Class teacher responsible for all

children

Promoting self reliance& inculcating criticalthinking, decision making, problem

solving etc.

NCF,2005

DISE DATA NUEPA, 2013-14

CWSN enrolled as compared to total

ISSUES AND CHALLENGES Vision and values in schools NOT based on

inclusive ethosA ' will have to do' rather than 'will do' or 'can

do' attitudeShort term introductory training only awareness

creating Long term training (90 days) fails to build the

skills for inclusive classroomsPro-active approach to identifying barriers and

finding practical solutions missing

Cont. Partnerships with parents, community and other staff members need to be strengthened

Strong leadership & regular critical review and evaluation necessary

Lack of Resource Persons for Training Teachers

Practical Training not inclusiveTeacher Education Programmes at pre-primary and primary level to be more inclusive

We do not have the time to explain each and every concept, we need to have support of a special educator

Since these children do not have less IQ, hence they can fit into the existing

classroom processesl Factors like large Classroom sizes, maintaining

discipline, vast syllabus, emphasis on Marks, only few included students act as constraints

They like Science. But they simply cannot sit inside a classroom to learn it. So we started taking

classes in the open where they are at ease

TEACHERS' VOICES

Ignorance......is a guarantee to Marginalization

The problem is not how to wipe out the differences but how to unite with the differences intact

Rabinder Nath Tagore

A THEME SONG FOR SOCIAL EXCLUSION

You’ve got to be taught to hate & fear,You’ve got to be taught from year to year,It’s got to be drummed in your dear little earYou’ve got to be carefully taught.You’ve got to be taught to be afraidOf people whose eyes are oddly made,And people whose skin is a different shadeYou’ve got to be carefully taught.You’ve got to be taught before it’s too lateBefore you are six or seven or eight,To hate all the people your relatives hateYou’ve got to be carefully taught!You’ve got to be carefully taught!From South Pacific, Rodgers & Hammerstein