Inclusive education for all

Inclusive Education for Children with Special Needs in Jammu and Kashmir: A Long Road to True Inclusion.  

As told by Zaheer Jan to Jamuna Rangachari

A child is an asset belonging to the whole society, and education is a fundamental human right. Every child with special needs deserves equal rights and inclusive education, as outlined in the Right to Education (RTE) Act of 2009 and the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPWD) Act of 2016. The RTE Act specifies that no child can be held back or expelled from school until they have completed their education. Inclusive education is essential; it strengthens the capacity of the education system to reach all children with special needs. This approach aims to universalize education regardless of disability, promoting equity within society. However, several challenges hinder the implementation of inclusive education in Jammu and Kashmir, including negative attitudes among private schools, non-inclusive curriculum, and lack of resources, accessibility issues, parental unawareness, and inadequate policy execution.

 Inclusive education is about providing equal opportunities for all children with special needs. Children with special needs should be included regardless of their age, gender, disability, or background. This approach fosters attention and concentration for all students. In my opinion, successful inclusion occurs when children with special needs are integrated into mainstream education settings. 

According to the 2011 Census, there are more than 500,000 people in Jammu and Kashmir living with various disabilities. Since then, no new census has been conducted, and the number of individuals with disabilities especially Autism, learning disabilities has been increasing daily. Like other states, Jammu and Kashmir also has a significant population of children with special needs. During the academic session of 2022-23, only 2,300 children with special needs were enrolled in J&K Government schools and private schools refuse to admit. In contrast, private schools in states like Delhi, Mumbai, and Bangalore have special facilities, accessibility features, such as ramps, Braille, appointed special educators, Occupational therapists and psychologist for children with disabilities, so that every children with special need received proper care and education. However, in Jammu and Kashmir, critical resources for children with special needs—such as accessibility, inclusive education, early intervention centers, and vocational training for adults, special educators, Rehab Therapists—are largely absent, resulting in a severe lack of essential services and support for inclusive education.

In Jammu and Kashmir parents faced a lot of challenges; Private educational institutions are often reluctant to admit children with special needs (CWSN), particularly in top schools that have received large lease land from the state government. Despite this support, many of these private schools fail to provide admissions for children with special needs they violated RPWD Act 2016. I know numerous parents of children with autism, CP and learning disabilities who have approached various well-known private schools, but schools only to be refused enrollment. Some parents from different districts have informed me that while private schools have admitted their children with special needs, these schools lack essential resources such as special educators, Rehabilitation therapists, and psychologists. As a result, the school management fails to adequately support these special children, often leading to excuses for their termination from the school. In 2023, I launched an online petition on Change.org advocating for inclusive education in all private schools in Jammu as well as Kashmir, which garnered thousands of signatures from stakeholders and individuals across the country. In response, the Director of School Education Kashmir as well as Jammu has issued a circular instructing all education institutions not to deny admission to CWSN. However, many private schools continue to ignore Government directives and violate the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPWD) Act of 2016.

Parents of children with special needs (CWSN) from various districts in Jammu and Kashmir have informed me that the Government Education Department SAMAGRA initiative has started implementing inclusive education and has set up 4 to 5 Resource rooms for CWSN in each district, along with appointing few special educators and Resource persons. However, these resource rooms are often not fully equipped with necessary materials, and some are not functioning effectively. Additionally, each district has only few resource rooms, making it difficult for special needs children to access them, especially in traveling from long distance in different rural areas.

Jammu and Kashmir has 20 districts, yet parents of special needs are struggling to find well-equipped educational institutions in Jammu as well as Kashmir where every special need child received proper inclusive education. The SAMAGRA Resource rooms lack essential professionals such as physiotherapists, rehabilitation therapists, occupational therapists, and speech therapists, which are crucial for providing timely care and educational interventions for special needs children. Many parents feel trapped in their search for inclusive education in mainstream schools; 99% prefer not to send their children to special schools due to social stigma. Moreover, many NGOs running special schools do not have adequate staff, funds and infrastructure to cater the needs of CWSN. Furthermore, there is a significant gap in vocational training centers for adults with disabilities over the age of 18, forcing many parents to keep them at home.

Although the Government educational department has appointed contractual special educators and a limited number of Resource persons since 2012, it is challenging for them to cover entire districts effectively because in every districts, the needs are rising day by day. The government should take steps to regularize these Resources persons and special educators and also appoint additional permanent special educators, rehabilitation therapists, and other Rehab professionals at zonal and block levels in every district. Both Government and private schools should take some steps to improve accessibility, such as installing ramps and ensuring a proper curriculum for children with special needs (CWSN) in every school. These measures are essential for creating an inclusive educational environment where all students can thrive. By ensuring that trained professionals are consistently available, the government as well as private schools can create a more inclusive educational environment. This would ensure that every child with special needs receives proper education and care in a timely manner ultimately making inclusive education for children with special needs successful in Jammu and Kashmir. Also Government as well as private schools should involve registered NGOs that work with children with special needs to help develop proper inclusive education policies, conduct survey and design curriculum as per the NEP 2020. This collaboration will ensure that every district in Jammu and Kashmir has effective inclusive education in place.

I request Government, all stakeholders, including NGOs and educational institutions, to come forward and support children with special needs (CWSN) and their families. I believe together, we can work towards making inclusive education successful in Jammu and Kashmir. Your involvement is crucial for creating an environment where every child can thrive and receive the education they deserve.

By Zaheer Jan (Senior Pediatric Rehab Therapist & Social Worker)