India’s NEP (National education Policy) 2020 seeks to empower children with disabilities

through their integration and inclusion within the education system. To that end, the policy
has suggested several measures to ensure barrier-free access to education. Some of the
major steps proposed are:

1. The recruitment of educators with cross-disability training for children with multiple
or severe disabilities,
2. The option of receiving education as per preference, including home-based
education, neighbourhood schools, and special schools,
3. Formulating guidelines regarding assessments to ensure equity and opportunities for
students.

An Inclusive School has a facilitative and responsive environment with activities focussing on
strengths and interest of students and designed to encourage all students to build mutual
respect by learning and participating together. The objective is to cater to the needs of each
student irrespective of her/his individual pace to draw out to maximum potential.
It is important to note that an inclusive school must adopt changes in its overall structure in
such a way that it becomes a part of the school’s culture. These changes are at various level
i.e. infrastructural, curriculum-based, pedagogical, or in classroom management, sports and
cultural events, community-level programmes, and assessment. Let’s have a look at each in
detail:

Barrier Free Adaptation/Accom

Continuous
Environment odation/Modificati Life Skills
Teacher Training
on of Curriculum
and Orientation
and Classroom
Programmes
Management
Health and
Physical Fitness
Vocational Education Use of Assistive
along with Devices
Role of parternship with
Counsellor Inudstries/ Internship

Pedagogical plans
with focus on UDL,
Multimodel Parents as Differentiated
Assessment Partners Instructions

It is the core responsibility of a school leader to build an inclusive culture in school

through:
● Adopting a Zero Refusal Policy – School must categorically announce the number of
seats reserved for CWNS and admit all such children if they approach it for the
admission. Once admitted, each child should be equally welcomed, accepted, valued
and respected.
● Organizing continuous orientation/sensitisation programmes on inclusive practices
for all the stakeholders including conservancy staff.
● Building a culture for inclusion in the school by adopting changes in curriculum,
pedagogy, co-curricular activities and assessment to implement inclusion as a basic
right to each child.
● Create a well-defined age appropriate, child-centred differentiated curriculum at the
primary level for the differently abled learners such that a lot of emphasis is on self-
help skills. The academic goals could be based on how beneficial it would be for the
individuals in future life.
● Providing the least restrictive environment for achieving maximum learning
outcomes by following all infrastructural and pedagogical norms.
● Involving all stakeholders including professionals, social workers and organizations
and parents in the education of their wards.
● It is very important to include the parents at every step of planning as they are the
permanents in the child’s life. Their priorities, strengths and competencies would
determine the success/failure of the plans made for the child.
● Designing well-structured wellness /skill development programmes to prepare each
child for the future. Any skill development programme starts with independence in
self-help skills.
● School should provide the best facilities for ICT so that teachers can make the most
effective use of it in their teaching-learning.
● Continuous training and orientation programmes of teachers will help in developing
sensitivity in teachers and also encourage and educate them towards the plans and
improvements needed in teaching methodologies to cater to the needs of students.