Principles of Inclusive Education
Inclusive education, embracing all the school attending learners irrespective of their diversities and special needs in the system of a school is found to be guided through a number of principles as discussed below -
1. Principle of acknowledging the right to education
Right to education is becoming a fundamental principle for the education of the children worldwide. In our country, our schools are also under legal compulsion to provide education to the children seeking admission with no discrimination of any kind.
Inclusive education is thus a need of hour as it helps the school for fulfilling its responsibility towards the implementation of right to education act.
2. Principle of acknowledging that all children can learn
All children irrespective of their shortcomings, impairments and disabilities not only have the right to education but are endowed with the capacity to learn in their own way and progress according to their potential and capabilities. Our duty is to help them.
3. Principle of celebrating diversity
Diversity is inherent in the nature in its various forms and dimensions. A progressive society or country always welcomes the diversities of its citizens and tries to provide opportunities for their better adjustment, development and progress.
Inclusive setup of the school also follows the same footprint by welcoming the learners of diverse backgrounds, cultures, abilities, capacities or disabilities and providing them the needed opportunities for meeting out their needs related to education and development.
4. Principle of addressing all aspects of child development
Child welfare lies in his allround growth and development in all the dimensions- physical, intellectual, social, moral, emotional, creative, aesthetic etc. In inclusive education, we not only have to accommodate disabled students in our system of schooling but also care for their utmost well-balanced overall development.
5. Principle of acknowledging individual differences and special needs
Special types of individual differences among the learners generate diversified special needs and it is a challenge for the teachers and school authorities to meet them out and thus they should set its programs and preparation well in tune with meeting this challenge.
6. Principle of due preparation on the bart of school
Friendly and barrier free environment for the disabled.
Environment of positive feelings, attitudes and liking for the disabled.
Properly oriented staff for dealing with the special needs and individual differences of diversified learners.
7. Principle of seeking cooperation from all
The success of the inclusive education program needs a cooperative joint efforts on the part of all the stakeholders, i.e., parents, teachers, students, school authorities, community people and government agencies; by playing their due roles in a cooperative way.
8. Principle of promoting a supportive culture of learning
The disabled children may get a lot of advantages in their adjustment, education and progress from their non-disabled peers; gifted and genious can play the role of peer tutors for their classmates and in turn may get opportunity to refine their own skills and develop their potential.
9. Principle of constant evolution of the system
Inclusive education is a dynamic process as new challenges of meeting special needs of the diverse learners are quite dynamic in nature. Thus there arises a continuous need of adapting the system in tune with the needs and the requirements of the diverse learners. These adaptations maybe in the form of modification in the infrastructure, employment of new methods and devices or the use of the new modern assistive devices and ICT techniques.
Thus, for the success of the inclusive set up, we should always be ready to change.