Educational Institutes - Other Problems?

Today's topic was of vital importance. But, while enough was said about the lack of proper infrastructure and the gaze of "normal" people, I felt enough wasn't said about education. It was just touched upon.

There are several obstacles to receiving education in India. The education system and the quality of education, teachers, and so on is a topic of discussion in itself - regardless of whether you are normal or disabled. But at least normal people have access to it.

We only got to know that disabled people have trouble with receiving admission in a school for normal children. But apart from parental resistance, are there other handicaps that schools, who genuinely want to be inclusive, face? It seems rather improbable that the only reason approximately 30-40 lakh schools across the country do NOT admit disabled kids is because parents of normal kids object.

Does anyone know anything about any other problems that schools face? Apart from the fact that no admissions means no business!

Originally posted by: Chitrashi

In order to cater to disabled students, most schools would have to make large-scale infrastructural changes. Except for private schools, most schools as it is face a huge resource crunch. Then they would have to hire special attendants and teachers for admitting even one disabled student.

It is easy to say that disabled students should be given admission in the same schools as the normal students, but what of hearing impaired? or the visually impaired?

Can you imagine the work involved in explaining a physics or chemistry chapter to a hearing impaired child? Or even getting him to pay attention in class. Easy to say they can lip-read. Should the teachers then hold every class facing only the hearing impaired child and ignore the rest.

How will a visually impaired child keep up with the rest of the class without recourse to special books. How would the teachers know if what is covered in their books is error-free?

Oh!! I could come up with so many examples of why certain children need special schools and the teachers are not wrong to ask the parents that.

The question should've been the need for special schools and the lack thereof.

You're absolutely right and I am totally with you on the point that these kids need special schools that cater to their exclusive needs.

But Amar Jyoti seems to be following some model that seems to be working. What is it that they are doing? How are they managing to educate 250-odd students who are a mix of normal and disabled? Instead of elaborating on that, it was just glossed over. Also glossed over was the last point you raised "The question should've been the need for special schools and the lack thereof."

Originally posted by: Chitrashi

<font color="#0066FF">In order to cater to disabled students, most schools would have to make large-scale infrastructural changes. Except for private schools, most schools as it is face a huge resource crunch. Then they would have to hire special attendants and teachers for admitting even one disabled student.

It is easy to say that disabled students should be given admission in the same schools as the normal students, but what of hearing impaired? or the visually impaired?

Can you imagine the work involved in explaining a physics or chemistry chapter to a hearing impaired child? Or even getting him to pay attention in class. Easy to say they can lip-read. Should the teachers then hold every class facing only the hearing impaired child and ignore the rest.

How will a visually impaired child keep up with the rest of the class without recourse to special books. How would the teachers know if what is covered in their books is error-free?

Oh!! I could come up with so many examples of why certain children need special schools and the teachers are not wrong to ask the parents that.

The question should've been the need for special schools and the lack thereof.

</font>

I'll tell you frankly:

- Aamir side-stepped callousness of teachers and educators themselves. The fact is teachers are already over-worked and underpaid and even unable to give attention to the 50 odd ''abled'' or ''normal'' students in their classes. Something which was touched upon in TZP also.

So the responsibility of a child with special needs is the last thing they need. I know how some years ago, in my school, principal and teachers had harassed a child suffering from cerebral palsy and tried their best to make his parents shift him to a school for the disabled! They would taunt the kid if he needed a writer in exams or any other help. They would openly scold him and insult him for his slowness and lack of ability (compared to others) in front of his class. They would tell his parents repeatedly they couldn't handle him and that their child was ''abnormal'' and they should ''accept that he can't keep up with normal kids'', so better ''pull him out'' of the school!🤢

The parents filed court case, even wrote to CBSE and engaged local media, only then under pressure the principal made allowance for a writer to help him write exams! Their and their child's struggle was arduous. Though he topped in board exams, school people still didn't budge, and told them they get their kid in arts since with his ''condition'' he was ''unfit'' to study science!😡

- Teachers and schools DO NOT wish to spend any time or resources on providing facilities for special kids. They don't even handle the normal lot well, what to talk of those with special needs?

They can spend on getting school painted every year or replacing furniture every year or inviting celeb guests every month, but not on basic things like providing a ramp for wheelchair bound. Sometimes even new editions of books are not bought for library. Accommodating the disabled is far fetched.

- The teachers generally lack sensitivity and many times make comments even on caste or religion - so expecting them to be patient or sensitive to child with special needs is a joke. Our teachers lack basic ethics as educators. And I say that from experience!

- Same teacher teaches 3 different sections for 5 different classes - with each section having over 50 students. Besides handling extra curricular activities and organising all those daily functions or events! Where is the time left to focus on students?

- Teachers (and employees in our country) are reluctant to upgrade their skills or get new training or workshops. They even struggle when NCERT changes its textbook!😆 How do you expect them to learn about pedagogy and best practices related to kids with special needs?🐷

- Pressure from influential (and so-called class conscious people) parents is also a factor. This was reflected how elite DPS refused a Dalit girl admission (despite the fact she got 98% in Class X CBSE boards) simply due to her caste, poor economic background and lack of ''class'' (her English and mannerisms didn't suit their elite culture!). This case created huge furore in media and finally the principal had to relent and give admission to the girl!

School management and PTAs also have this bizarre notions of caste, religion, regional & linguistic biases. Don't think they would welcome inclusion of the disabled - unless it's ''fashionable'' for them!😡

Our problem is our mindset - we don't want to work much. We only want status and salary. And after a point of time we Indians don't even like being educated or learning new things! We lack respect and empathy. Those who attain authority or any position are generally rude. There is no desire to help or genuinely serve. Caste, region, linguistic bias, race, gender, financial status, ''class'' - such superficial factors drive our decisions and actions. We get biased even against normal people if we find they belong to poor family or some lower caste. Forget rights or respect for the disabled!

I hope people take up issues seriously and with sincerity. Not just because it's in media or ''fashionable'''!

Thank you for your replies, everyone.

@annika20: I am truly shocked to hear of teachers insulting kids. We read about this in newspapers almost everyday, but i, personally, am unsure of whether the reports are accurate or exaggerated. About the mindset change, no one can tell how and when that will change. But there are serious issues, which people who are a part of the system have the capacity to change. They know the problems best and will be best equipped to offer solutions.

The ideal way would be to pick any one aspect and set to work on it. Who knows? After a lifetime of work, at least that area would be problem-free. No mean achievement by any standards.

@skydome: I really felt they should have spoken more about Amar Jyoti and the model they are following. It would have been interesting to know how they managed to innovate, adapt, and sustain for the 30 years they have been around. The other teachers and administrators in the audience could have shared their thoughts on whether their institution would be able to replicate the model or not. How easy or difficult would it have been for them? That would have been meaningful and useful.