1Associate Professor, Department of Economics, Delhi College of Arts & Commerce, University of Delhi
*Emails: rashmisharma2729@gmail.com
An earlier version of this paper titled ‘Education of Children with Special Needs in India: Inching towards Inclusive Education ’was presented at the 17th Annual Conference of Indian Association of Social Science Institutions (IASSI) held from December 9th to 10th, 2016 at Chandigarh, India and the authors would like to thank the Expert Panel and other participants for their useful feedback and observations
There is a need for re-examining the perceptions around the values and purpose of education for students with disabilities. The diagnostic medical approach to education for children with special needs that focuses on access and provision of aids and resources is becoming increasingly antiquated. The global trend towards inclusive classrooms calls for simultaneous development of reforms in curriculum, alongside a change in attitudes and beliefs as reflected in the culture of the educational institution. In this paper, we trace the evolution of government educational policies and legislations in India, relating to inclusion of students with disabilities, over the last four and a half decades. Clearly the underlying ideologies guiding such policies have evolved, resulting in the transition from provision of segregated education to integrated education for students with disabilities. However, lot of ground remains to be covered as far as making the complete transition further from integrated education to inclusive education is concerned.
Inclusive education, students with disabilities, education-for-all, right to education
