Critical Analysis of Inclusive Education Development in India

Need, Challenges and Possible Solutions

Abstract

Inclusive education in India is a new approach towards educating the children with disability and learning difficulties with that of normal ones in the same roofs. Its main aim is to bring all the students together in uniform learning environment, despite of their strengths or weakness in any area and seeks to elevate the potential of all students. Inclusion rejects the use of special schools or classroom to differentiate the students with disabilities from students without disabilities. Inclusion involves the responsibility of every school to accept every child irrespective of their disabilities. Inclusion plays an very important role as in inclusive education Children develop a positive understanding of themselves and other, develop friendship, and all children learnt by being together thus learn important academic skills in cooperative environment. Inclusive education involves the transformation of schools and other learning centres in such a way that it meets the requirements of all Children with difficulties and disabilities in learning and to provide learning opportunities for all youth and adults as well. Its aim is to eliminate exclusion that is a consequence of negative attitudes and lack of response to diversity in race, economic status, social class, ethnicity language, religion, gender, and ability. Consequently inclusive education is not a marginal issue but it results in the achievement of high quality education for all learners and the development of more inclusive societies. Inclusive education is essential to achieve social equity and is constituent element of lifelong learning. The paper will focus on various questions like what is inclusion? What is the importance of inclusion? What are the challenges to inclusion? How to overcome these challenges? It also reflects an analysis of key developments in national policies and programmes in relation to education of children with disabilities in India.