Inspiring read. Certainly, we should do away with the terminology such as 'special education'.
On 10/26/15, Kotian, H P <[email protected]> wrote: > > Keynote Address > > By Prasanna Kumar Pincha > > > > I am overwhelmingly honoured to associate myself with this important > conference; and, to be delivering this keynote address on a theme of utmost > contemporary relevance, namely, the Right to Education Act and other > educational initiatives -- issues and challenges. Implicit in the theme is > the fact that it is in the context of the blind. > > It goes without saying that education brings empowerment; that education > prepares one for life; and, that education aims at ensuring all-round > development of an individual. At a deeper and, perhaps a more philosophical > level, education must awaken in one an irresistible craving to delve into > the depths and dimensions of life, of existence, of consciousness and above > all, of the cosmos itself. It is therefore, no wonder that the 86th > amendment to the Constitution of India with the consequential insertion of > Article 21A seeks to elevate the right to education to the category of > fundamental right. It is common knowledge that through a subsequent > amendment in the RTE Act, children with disabilities have been explicitly > included in the category of 'Disadvantaged Children' which by all manner of > means, a welcome move. > > On this momentous occasion therefore, I take the opportunity to flag up for > deliberation some of the broad thematic areas together with some > illustrative examples of issues and challenges that continue to stare us in > the face in the fervent belief that collective and critical reflection will > bring in greater clarity of thought, deeper perspicacity of perception, and, > shared understanding in respect of a range of questions, concerns, queries, > and curiosities. > > Quality Education > > To my mind, quality education is non-negotiable. As a blind individual, my > primary concern ought to be to receive quality education on an equal basis > with others regardless of whether that quality education happens to me > through the agency of a blind school or through some other agency including > through the agency of a so-called mainstream/general school. My specific > need/condition coupled with other relevant circumstantial factors will > determine the agency that best serve my educational needs and interests as a > blind person. > > As I take the floor to address this august gathering this afternoon, I am > reminded of a slogan which I had coined so passionately years back and it > reads: "Give me quality education; and, I will ensure my inclusion". > Besides, let us not lose sight of the fact that inclusive education will > remain high on rhetoric and low on substance unless the qualitative > dimension of education for blind students is appropriately addressed. > > Therefore, the larger issue/challenge here is to substantially improve the > qualitative dimension of education for blind students in the mainstream > schools; and, at the same time, to ensure that the blind schools are > managed, maintained, and run on modern and scientific lines. > > Inclusive Education > > The expression 'inclusive education' has been variously and variantly > defined, understood and interpreted by academicians, activists, and > habilitation and rehabilitation professionals across the spectrum. To put it > briefly, the popular understanding of the concept of inclusive education as > distinguished from integrated education envisages a system where students > with disabilities would receive education together with students without > disabilities under a common roof and under a common teacher sharing common > resource room. Unlike integrated education, the concept of inclusive > education completely rules out any separate or exclusive resource teacher. > Without splitting hairs over the nuanced distinction between these two > concepts, I wish to submit that my perspective on the concept of inclusive > education is rights-driven; rather than agency or set-up driven. While > entirely agreeing with the mandate of Article 24 of the UNCRPD which > recognizes 'inclusion' as a 'primary goal', I feel that is somewhere a > process as well. Now, my idea of inclusive education envisages a system, > environment, and institutional and other arrangements which enables persons > with disabilities including persons with blindness to access, use and enjoy > her or his right to education on an equal basis with others, and includes a > range of choices such as, mainstream schools, special schools as they are > called or for that matter, disability-specific schools, etc. > > What I perceive as a formidable challenge for the mainstream/general schools > is the humongous task to ensure that blind students do not feel excluded in > the crowd of sighted students for want of a level playing field which > expression includes dearth or complete non-availability of Braille > textbooks, dearth of aids and appliances including those required for > learning subjects like mathematics, and lack of appropriate alternative > arrangements to make up for the inability to see all that is written on the > blackboard, etc. Clearly, absence of a level playing field will not let a > blind student, howsoever meritorious, keep pace with the rest of the class > which, by all manner of speaking, is a furiously frustrating experience. > > Another issue at hand in this regard is the urgency to ensure inclusion at > various levels of the education/academic processes; such as, at the > infrastructure development level, school management level, pedagogic level, > examination and evaluation level, and also at the curriculum development > level. This, when done, will go a long way in improving the qualitative > dimension of education of students with disabilities including the blind > students. > > > > > Role of special schools > > One of the cardinal principles of the United Nations Convention on the > Rights of Persons with Disabilities is the freedom to make one's own choice. > Therefore, nothing that militates against this cardinal principle should > ever be done. Special schools, or more appropriately, the > disability-specific schools will continue to play a significant role in this > regard. For one thing, I feel it is hightime we do away with the expression > 'special schools', more particularly, in the wake of the said UN Convention > recognizing persons with disabilities as a part of humanity and human > diversity. > > Even at the cost of sounding rhetorical, I feel tempted to say that in order > to appreciate the role of the so-called special schools, we need to > acknowledge that the idea of inclusion excludes 'exclusion'; but it does not > rule out 'exclusivity' or 'exclusiveness'. At a larger level, for example, a > boy has the option to study either in a school meant exclusively for boys; > or alternatively, in a co-ed school. A girl has a similar option. Besides, > there are schools meant exclusively for students belonging to the minority > communities albeit they do very much have the option to study in a > general/mainstream school. Therefore, I see no reason for selective > application of the principle of inclusion to persons with disabilities > including the blind based on an erroneous and utterly misplaced > understanding of the concept of inclusion. > > It has been my settled conviction that the so-called special schools and the > general/mainstream schools are complementary and supplementary to each > other. I will go a step further to assert that the special schools have the > potential to significantly contribute towards improving the qualitative > aspects of education of students with disabilities studying in the > general/mainstream schools. > > Moreover, it would be quite in context for us to remember that none of us > really know as to when, if at all, in the foreseeable future, that dream-day > will arrive where all the general/mainstream schools in the country will > have a complete level playing field for students with disabilities including > for blind students. This explains why I wish to sound a word of caution to > suggest that it is crucial to guard against any possible attempts to phase > out the special schools based on an erroneous and misplaced understanding > and interpretation of the concept of inclusive education. On the contrary, > the state of affairs in the existing special schools should be substantially > improved; and, more and more special schools be set up depending on need. > Let our actions be based on our shared appreciation of the fact that > inclusion does not negate specificities. This fact is amply corroborated by > the mandate enunciated vide Article 24 (2e) and 24 (3c) of the UNCRPD > respectively. > > > The issue that merits attention therefore, is to put in place a well > thought-out plan which will ensure greater synergy, coherence and > coordination between the special schools and the mainstream schools. > > > Govt. Schemes > > The issue with regard to the various schemes implemented by the central and > the state Govts which call for brainstorming is whether and to what extent > they are implemented; and, whether they appropriately cater to the ground > realities. It would be a good idea to deliberate upon - a) modifications if > required in the existing schemes; and, b) the need for launching fresh > initiatives and schemes. > > > Importance of technology > > There is no denying the fact that advancement in the field of science and > technology has thrown open floodgates of knowledge for the blind. Therefore, > every possible effort has to be made to exploit to the optimum the benefits > accruing from advancement in technology. The biggest challenge here is to > address the digital divide between the urban blind and the rural blind. This > brings us to the need of making the assistive devices and assistive > technologies available, affordable, accessible, acceptable and adaptable. It > is exceedingly disturbing to observe that in some quarters, Braille is > pitted against technological advancements; and, the importance of Braille is > shamelessly downplayed. To them, I wish to say that in the first place, > Braille itself could well be considered to be the bi-product of technology. > Secondly, technological advancements have significantly contributed to > improving the speed, output and quality of Braille production; so much so > that today we have what we call paperless Braille. A lover of Braille that I > happen to be, I feel that a sense of intimacy with a book or a document > which Braille ensures is simply incomparable. Apart from a feeling of > connectedness with the book, Braille also ensures better sense of spelling > and punctuation. > > > Relevant international instruments and national legislative framework > > At the national level, specific provisions relating to education of persons > with disabilities including the blind exist in chapter V of the PWD Act, and > also in the RTE Act. The national policy on persons with disabilities, 2006 > also gives some idea of the Govt's perspective. Article 41 of the > Constitution of India under Directive Principles of State Policy also > refers, among others, to 'disablement' in the context of education and > public assistance, etc. Subsequently, since right to education has been made > a fundamental right available to all the citizens of India, it applies to > blind citizens in equal measure. Moreover, the Rights of Persons with > Disabilities Bill, currently pending with Rajya Sabha also contains > elaborate provisions relating to education. > > At the international level, the UNCRPD vide Article 24 seeks to make > elaborate provisions on right to education. At the Asia and Pacific regional > level, the Incheon strategy "To Make the right Real" also contains early > intervention and education as one of the ten goals to be achieved by 2022. > Moreover, while at the national level the amendments brought about in the > Copyright Act is a significant step in the right direction, the adoption of > the Marrakesh treaty by WIPO will have far-reaching impact. Such positive > move goes a long way in ensuring hassle-free reproduction of books that are > already in the public domain in accessible formats without one having to run > from pillar to post to obtain permission of the copyright holder for this > purpose. > > One important issue to be deliberated upon could be identification of areas > of conflict if any, between the provisions of the PWD Act and the RTE Act. > Another aspect worthy of examination is to see if there is any > incompatibility between the provisions of the Rights of Persons with > Disabilities Bill and the corresponding provisions of the UNCRPD. One is > also tempted to ask if there are any inconsistencies between the RTE Act and > the RPD Bill currently pending with the Rajya Sabha? What are the > gaps/deficiencies in the guidelines/instructions issued under the RTEAct in > relation to children with disabilities? > > > Role of AICB in promoting education of the blind > > Ever since the All-India Confederation of the blind saw the light of the > day, education of the blind has been high on its agenda. Over the years, it > has undertaken advocacy and policy influencing work on education of the > blind, has created demonstrable models or for that matter, islands of > excellence both through its institution-oriented programme as well as its > outreach programmes, and also undertaken useful research studies beside > promoting merit and excellence by incentivizing blind students in a number > of ways. I wish to express the confidence that the Confederation will > consolidate its existing interventions and will further expand its work in > the days ahead. > > To my mind, the challenge before the confederation is to work towards > ensuring that the initiatives launched by it are replicated on a large scale > so that the islands of excellence created by it do not just keep floating > around on the ocean of mediocrity. > > > Conclusion > > All said and done, the biggest challenge for all the stakeholders to my > mind, is to reach out to the poorest of the poor amongst the blind. Swami > Vivekananda once said, "so long as the teeming millions of India continue to > reel under abject poverty, I hold every educated man a traitor, who having > been educated at their expense pays not the least heed to them". > > It is also highly crucial that we encourage innovative and imaginative ideas > and out-of-the-box thinking to flow in; but while doing so, we must exercise > caution to ensure that there is no mismatch between passion and pragmatism. > Adopt the approach that serves the best educational needs and interests of > students with blindness. > > Further, we need to work towards ensuring that the professionals and > policy-makers are rightly oriented in a manner that they develop a positive > mindset, shed the age-old clientele and condescending approach and agree to > work with us the blind as partners on equal terms. > > I wish to conclude with some lines which I happened to chance upon when I > was a college going youngster and which have since stayed with me: "The > principal goal of education is to create men who are capable of doing new > things; and not simply of repeating what other generations have done; men > who are creative, inventive and discoverers". So, let us get going > accordingly. Happy deliberations! Thank you. > > > > ************************************************************************************ > > > > > > > ________________________________ > Caution: The Reserve Bank of India never sends mails, SMSs or makes calls > asking for personal information such as your bank account details, > passwords, etc. It never keeps or offers funds to anyone. Please do not > respond in any manner to such offers, however official or attractive they > may look. > > Notice: This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and > intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are > addressed. If you are not the intended recipient, any dissemination, use, > review, distribution, printing or copying of the information contained in > this e-mail message and/or attachments to it are strictly prohibited. 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