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RECOMMENDATIONS
Some issues that have
emerged from this study demand attention not only from the Government
but all the people connected with the education of school children.
First and foremost
there is an urgent need for implementation of PWD Act 1995 which
provides right to education for every child. Provision of a right by
mere law does not work. The people concerned need to be educated and
made not only aware of the legal provision but there is also a dire
need to sensitize them towards the disabled and include them in the
mainstream of the society. This can be done at conferences, seminars,
symposiums, debates, workshops etc that are held from time to time
where all the heads of educational institutions as well as educators
come together to discuss various issues. Information on provisions,
rules and regulations pertaining to Inclusive education should be
imparted and literature distributed. Awareness on Inclusive education
should be spread through mass media like T.V., radio, news papers,
bill boards etc among general public.
Some incentives in
form of awards should be introduced for schools which are inclined
towards inclusion and admit number of disabled children to their
schools. The schools can be monitored and evaluated by school
inspectors who visit the schools regularly for inspection. Thus hiring
special staff for this job will become redundant. Part of the funds
allocated by the Government for special schools should be diverted to
such schools for providing resource teacher for such children. Regular
schools then would be more open to the idea of inclusion.
In turn principals and
teachers of regular schools need to be more sensitive and empathetic
towards handicap children. Indifference towards such children often
stems from ignorance about the disability and its consequences on the
life and development of such children. Therefore Ministry of education
and UGC should seriously consider including one separate subject on
various disabilities in all Teachers Training Programs from Diplomas
to Degrees, for pre-primary, primary and secondary level teachers.
The contents of this subject should include the following
1.
Various kinds of disabilities among children.
2.
Warning signals to detect them in classroom situation
where the child’s disability may have gone undetected by parents or
medical professionals
3.
Information on resulting consequences on learning and
how to deal with them in a classroom situation.
4.
Information on legal provisions made by the Govt. for
such children in inclusive educational setup. E.g. exemption from
learning 2nd and 3rd languages, choice of other
subjects. Etc.
Teachers in regular
schools need to sensitize other class children towards the disabled
child. Class teacher could briefly explain to all the children in the
class about the problems and difficulties faced by the child. That
everyone should extend a helping hand whenever there is a need.
An excellent
suggestion by one of the parents reflects this sentiment. Sensitizing
could be done by forming a group of students who are good at a
particular subject. The handicap child would also be a part of that
group. The students in the group should be made responsible for
helping out the handicap child with difficulties. Different groups for
different subjects could be made.
This will not only result in sensitizing the children towards
disabled child but also as they grow in to adulthood their sensitivity
would flow through their lives and would be more willing to help the
disadvantaged population of the society.
All the education
boards controlling school education to name some SSC, ICSC, CBSC
should seriously consider making Social Studies an optional subject.
Social Studies has emerged as the most difficult of all subjects to be
learnt by the hearing impaired child. In turn regular teachers as well
as special educators have found it difficult to teach this subject to
the hearing impaired child.
Many schools insist
and give undue importance to oral work like recitation of poems,
reading aloud, dictation etc. All these skills depend heavily on
listening skills which in turn depends on hearing levels of an
individual child. Hearing impaired child may not be able to perform at
par with other normal children due to his hearing impairment. Teacher
should be more empathetic and considerate towards such a child while
evaluating him.
Need for a counselor
has been felt by regular teachers as well as special teachers. This is
to enable parents to cope with a demanding situation at home as well
as in school related to the child’s education. She could also be a
link between regular teacher and parent and help solve their
grievances arising due to lack of communication. The counselor could
help those hearing impaired children who initially may have problems
adjusting in inclusive setup. Again the Govt. funds diverted from
special schools to regular schools can be utilized towards hiring such
specialists.
To facilitate
inclusive education for hearing impaired children, all the people
concerned with the child’s education must be open and have a
positive attitude towards inclusion. They all need to co-operate and
work in co-ordination with each other. The most important and closely
connected with hearing impaired child’s education are parents,
regular teachers and special educators and/or speech therapists,
followed by resource teachers and counselors to provide support in the
regular schools.
Parents in turn need
to have regular interaction with the school teachers to solve day to
day problems faced by the child as well as the teacher. Parents also
should function as a link between regular teacher and special
educator. When all of these above recommendations are implemented,
there is no reason for inclusive education for hearing impaired
children not to work.
bibliography
·
“The
Deaf Way
”. No.7 August 1998
·
“Ability” ( Success and Ability ) April-June 2003
·
“Project Signpost” March 2000
·
NSSO - “Sarvekshana” 61st issue, Vol.
XVIII, No.2,Oct-Dec 1994
Internet References
*
www.blonnet.com
*
www.unesco.org
*
www.presswire.net
*
www.eenet.org.uk
*
www.worldenable.net
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