Creating An Inclusive School

PREFACE

Inclusive education in India is rather a novel endeavour which means the schools creating effective classroom functioning where the educational needs of all children including those with disabilities may be addressed. In well-developed countries like the USA, many excluded and marginalized groups of children labelled as “different” and “difficult” are successfully getting special educational facilities. But in India, such efforts for meeting the needs of SEN learners have proved cumbersome and the teachers and planners have faced many obstacles with regard to the realization of objectives of education. In fact, segregated special schools are the second-level alternative educational arrangement and it would be rather injudicious on the part of the nation, which is the world’s largest democratic secular republic, to marginalize and segregate those who need our more attention, understanding, and empathic attitude and permissive environment for development and healthy living. Realizing this fact, more and more communities of the world are opting for an inclusive education pattern where all children can get education together and learn to live together.

The present book deals with creating an inclusive school. It provides information about the different aspects of inclusive education including its meaning, need, objectives and principles. The subject matter also deals with the transition from segregation to inclusion and the prominent models of inclusive education. The chapters that follow deal comprehensively with Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan (2002) and National Policy for Persons with Disabilities (2006). After that, the identification of diverse needs of SEN learners is discussed, and it is followed by the chapters with the discussion of various types of SEN learners such as children who have hearing disability, visual, speech, orthopaedic, intellectual and multiple disabilities. This discussion also includes the description of cerebral palsy and learning disabilities. Next to these, are the chapters wherein the types and use of Assistive Devices for SEN learners, barriers in their education, and educational concessions and facilities for them have been explained.

The contents of the book deal with the provisions which are considered inseparable from the meaningful implementation of inclusive education. Effective classroom practices and their management such as; seating arrangement, collaborative teaching, activity-based learning,