We are all quite familiar with the popular statement that states “Today’s children are the citizens of tomorrow”. Hence it is essential that the children of today are given the proper guidance and support in order to build a better future for them as well as for the society as a whole.
Children with disability in India constituting 1.7 percent of the total child population among whom 75% of children with disabilities don’t attend schools in India.
(Source indiatoday.in)
This may lead to a serious problem in the growth of the country as a large number of the child population remain uneducated, and can lead to problems of unemployment and thus lead to poverty. Hence Inclusive schooling is an essential prerequisite for the overall development and creation of lasting impact in the lives of children and the communities they live in.
Most schools fail to include children with disabilities due to lack of awareness among teachers and peers.
Move away from rigid decontextualized disciplinary content to inter-disciplinary content.
No universal approach and hence there is a need to share and adapt as per local context.
Lack of clear objectives and definitions about inclusive education in schools.
Needs better articulation of success measures.
Lack of ownership and teacher involvement in co-creation of the curriculum, framework to empower teachers to adapt and co-create content as per needs of the class.
In order to address these challenges and create a bright learning atmosphere among children with and without disabilities, it is important to adopt measures such as:
Empower ownership and teacher involvement in co-creation of the curriculum, framework to empower teachers to adapt and co-create content as per needs of the class.
Promote awareness among both teachers and peers on challenges faced by children with disabilities and ways of handling them.
Help children with disabilities cope with their surroundings and make the best use of the resources available to the best of their ability.
And make the schools and class rooms accessible to all.
There are a number of NGOs working to promote inclusive education, hence making it convenient for teachers and parents and everyone concerned to get acquainted with the concept of inclusion.
As a part of its work, Disability Entrepreneurship And Leadership (DEAL) Foundation) works with different schools to promote awareness on inclusive education by collaborating with organizations to conduct trainings, conferences etc.
We also promote awareness on ways to build an inclusive community through the use of assistive technologies that would help make life more convenient for a child with a disability to learn and understand things and bring them up to speed with their peers.
For any questions regarding the blog please write to us at info@deal-foundation.com.
To understand more about the work we do, please log on to www.deal-foundation.com.
Awarded by Guidestar India