Inclusive Education in India: Interpretation, Implementation, and Issues.
Abstract
This paper aims to present a case study of the current status of inclusive education in India with a focus on children with disabilities. it explores access issues faced by children with disabilities in the first three CREATE zones of exclusion - those without any basic education access, those who drop-out after entry, and those who are at risk from exclusion. After exploring some general, conceptual questions concerning the relevance of disability and inclusive education in the context of Education For All, the paper analyses the interpretation and implementation of inclusive education in India, alongside the issues and constraints faced by the stakeholders involved. This is followed by discussion of the implications these may have for the future of educational inclusion of all children, particularly those with disabilities, in the areas of government policy, school quality, attitudinal change and the potential for research. The paper concludes that a twin-track approach to disability may assist not only in improving educational access for marginalised children, but also the reconceptualisation of inclusive education as a school quality issue to benefit all children.
Citation
CREATE Pathways to Access Series, Discussion Paper Number 15, 44 pp.
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