STATUS OF THE EDUCATION OF CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES

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STATUS OF THE EDUCATION OF CHILDREN WITH
DISABILITIES

• A SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS REPORT

Sreerupa Mitra, Consulant s.sen.mitra_at_googlemail.c
om
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WHY DO RESEARCH ON INCLUSIVE EDUCATION?

• To assess progress made so far.
• To identify challenges and issues.
• To identify best practices/strategies that
  promote IE.
• To create an evidence base for advocacy and
  lobbying with the Government.
• To assess whether the policies, structures and
  resources are yielding the desired results.

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OBJECTIVES OF THIS STUDY

• To identify issues challenges faced by CWDs in
  accessing education.
• To gather data on current rates of enrolment and
  retention in preschool and elementary school.
• To understand the role of parents community in
  the education of CWDs.
• To assess the impact of inclusive education on
  CWDs.
• To elicit recommendations from the field.

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METHODOLOGY

• GUIDELINE QUESTIONNAIRE
• PART I-QUANTITATIVE DATA
• Preschool-CWDs Identified, Enrolled
• Elementary Education-Identified, Enrolled,
  Drop out and Out of School CWDs
• PART II-QUALITATIVE DATA
• Enrolment
• Challenges and Issues
• Learning Achievements of CWDs
• Role of Parents Community
• Recommendations

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COVERAGE

• 47 PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS OF CBR FORUM-
• South-31
• East-14
• Northeast-2
• Over 7500 CWDs

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Details of Responses Received
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FINDINGS

• PRESCHOOL
• Total No of CWDs Identified- 1225
• Male-702 Female-523
• Total No of CWDs Enrolled- 593
• Male-363 Female-230
• Rate of Enrolment-48
• Male-52 Female-44
• Highest -Low Vision (71)
• Lowest -Cerebral Palsy (30)

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PRESCHOOL EDUCATION

• 53 state that lack of parental interest-
• awareness, fear stigma neglect.
• 59 state that AWWs are not open to enrolling
  CWDs.
• 28 feel that the environment is not
  conducive-stigmatization, absence of positive
  atmosphere.
• 23 state that anganwadis do not provide barrier
  free access.
• 27 cite travel as a problem, especially when
  distances are long, terrain is undulating.

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PRESCHOOL

• Parents display lack of interest, fear neglect.
• Problems of travel, absence of inclusive
  environment, economic necessities.
• Feel responsibility ends with enrolment. Some
  enroll CWDs only to be relieved of them for some
  part of the day.
• Do not monitor the childrens prpgress.
• Parents are helping the child to reach the
  preschool (Kerala and Tamil Nadu).
• Follow up on the knowledge skills taught at
  school.

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ELEMENTARY EDUCATION

• Total No of CWDs Identified- 6452
• Male-3704 Female-2744
• Total No of CWDs Enrolled- 4541
• Male-2644 Female-1913
• Rate of Enrolment-70
• Male-71 Female-72
• Highest -Low Vision (90)
• Lowest -Cerebral Palsy (46)

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ELEMENTARY EDUCATION

• Rate Of Drop Out-13
• Male-13Female-13
• CWDs who had some point been enrolled but dropped
  out-33
• Male-36Female-30
• CWDs who have never been to school-67
• Male-64, Female-70

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ELEMENTARY EDUCATION

• Enrolment-
• South-76 (Male77,Female74)
• East-54 (Male55,Female56)
• Northeast- 35 (Male10,Female67)
• Rate of Drop out-
• South-11
• East-22
• Northeast- 8

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CHALLENGES/ISSUES FACED BY CWDs

• 73 feel that lack of accessibility is a major
  hindrance-lack of accessible classrooms, school
  buildings, toilets, play areas, appropriate
  seating etc.
• 63 state that travel is a major
  issue-inaccessibility inability/unwillingness on
  the part caregivers to accompany CWD.
• 67 state that the general environment is not
  conducive-labeling, impatience, neglect and
  exclusion.

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CHALLENGES/ISSUES

• 72 have referred to the question on teachers.
  Attitude is not always positive. Tend to neglect.
  Emphasize need for training. Lack of teachers
  with knowledge about teaching CWDs.
• With orientation and sensitization,some teachers
  are displaying positive attitudes, adapting
  teaching methods.

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IMPACT OF INCLUSION

• Attained daily living skills.
• Teachers are realizing the abilities of CWDs.
• CWDs are competing with non disabled peers and
  are performing well.
• Socialization communication skills have been
  enhanced.
• CWDs participating in extra curricular
  activities, demonstrate their talents.
• CWDs with sensory disabilities are finding it
  difficult to cope.

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ROLE OF PARENTS

• Parents are increasingly displaying more positive
  attitudes.
• Meet the teachers and try to follow up at home
  what it is taught in schools.
• Some parents even hire tutors to support their
  childrens studies at home.
• However, not all parents are positive, tend to
  think that the education of their children is the
  responsibility of the school.

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ROLE OF THE COMMUNITY

• Community members have played a positive role in
  encouraging CWDs to go to school.
• Contributing more effectively through parents
  groups and VECs.
• Lobbying with the government.
• However, not all respondents share such positive
  views, they feel that the community is passive
  and assumes that the responsibility of the
  education of CWDs lies only with the school.

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RECOMMENDATIONS

• CWDs- intensification of early childhood
  interventions, preparation for school. Provision
  and repair of aids and appliances, Provision of
  itinerant support to CWDs in school.
• Teachers- pre-service and in service training,
  strengthening of linkages between schools and
  resource centers.
• School -Creating an accessible environment,
  provision of appropriate TLM, adaptation of the
  curriculum and evaluation system.

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RECOMMENDATIONS

• Sensitization of peers, parents, community
  members and govt. officials.
• Building the care giving and advocacy skills of
  parents.
• Enlisting the active participation of the
  community to act as a watchdog, to encourage and
  support CWDs, motivate parents.

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LIMITATIONS AND GAPS

• Response Rate
• Responses Not Qualified Enough
• Repetitive Questions Responses
• Ambiguity-different Interpretation Eg. Role of
  parents interpreted as what Parent should
• Gaps-role Of Other Stakeholders (Govt., health
  worker), Quality Of Education, Classroom
  Transactions.
• Error In Quantitative Data

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SCOPE FOR FUTURE RESEARCH ACTION

• Enrolment is not the major issue.
• Retention needs to be looked into.
• Quality of education has to be assessed
• Assessment of classroom transactions
• Documentation of best practices
• Assessment of learning achievements.
• Study and strengthen support of different
  stakeholder groups.

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Thank You
CBR Forum 14, C.K. Garden, Wheeler Road
Extension St. Thomas Town Post, Bangalore Tel
91-80-25497387/ 88 cbrforum_at_blr.vsnl.net.in
or advocacy.cbrforum_at_gmail.com www.cbrforum.in