Are the Pre-service Teacher Training Degree Courses Preparing Teachers for Addressing the Needs of Inclusive Classrooms?

The pre-service teacher education degree course or B. Ed, is one of the most sought after pre-service professional course. Pre-service teacher education degree courses prepare an individual for working as a:

• Subject teacher for teaching English, Hindi, Mathematics, Social sciences etc. after completing B. Ed

• Special education teacher for talking care of special educational needs of students who have difficulty in seeing, speaking, hearing, social interaction etc, after completing B. Ed. special education

• Physical education teacher after completing Bachelor in Physical Education (B. P. Ed)

All the three types of professionals, i.e., the subject teachers, the special teachers and the physical education teachers anaequired to work in collaboration in the same work setting, the regular school. The regular schools are becoming inclusive by opening their doors for the children with disabilities and children belonging to socio-economic disadvantaged conditions. In this context, following questions are worth asking:

• How the teachers are being prepared for their role and responsibilities in inclusive classrooms?

• Are the pre-service teacher education degree programs fulfilling their roles and responsibilities towards preparing teachers for working in inclusive classrooms?

• Does the pre-service teacher education degree programs, require any modifications or changes for preparing teachers empowered to work in inclusive classroom?

• In what ways inclusive pedagogy is made a part of the pre-service teacher education degree programs?

In an attempt to find answers for few of these questioned, the present study was initiated with the following objectives of analyzing the pre-service teacher training degree programs from the lens of inclusive education, identifying the existing lacunas (if any) and to list suggestions and modifications for making pre-service teacher training degree programs inclusive. An analysis tool was prepared and vetted by an expert group from the field. With the help of experts a five point criteria for inclusive pre-service teacher training degree programs was developed. A sample of pre-service teacher training degree programs (20 programs of general education 10 programs of special education and 10 programs of physical education) were analyzed using the tool and the analysis criteria.

None of the programs studied could satisfy all the five points of the criteria for inclusive pre-service teacher training degree programs. The situation was found to be extremely poor in the programs of physical education as comparison with the programs of general education and special education.

The pre-service teacher training degree programs needs to incorporate many changes like making inclusive pedagogy a significant part of the pedagogy courses, student teaching in inclusive classrooms, visit to special schools, learning to work in collaboration with other professionals and fellowcolleagues and addressing special needs in group setting instead of one to one mode after pulling the child with special needs out of the regular classroom.