Abstract
This paper presents educational programmes for children with diverse needs and benefitsof inclusive education. The Education Commission of 1966 drew attention to the education of children with disabilities. In 1974, the necessity of integrated education was emphasized under the scheme for Integrated Education for Disabled Children (IEDC). In pursuit of the goal of providing basic education for all, the National Policy on Education (1986) and its follow-up actions have been major landmarks. The World Declaration on Education for All adopted in 1990 gave further boost to the various processes already set in motion in the country. The Rehabilitation Council of India Act 1992 initiated a training programme for the development of professionals to respond to the needs of students with disabilities. The enactment of the People with Disability Act in 1996 provided legislative support. This act makes it mandatory to provide free education to children with disabilities in an appropriate environment until the age of 18 years. In 1999, the government passed the National Trust for Welfare of Persons with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Mental Retardation and Multiple Disabilities Act for the economic rehabilitation of people with disabilities. These acts have been instrumental in bringing about a perceptive change/improvement in the attitude of government, NGOs and people with disabilities. In recent years, two major initiatives have been launched by the government for achieving the goals of universalization of elementary education (UEE): The District Primary Education Programme (DPEP) in 1994 and the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) in 2002 (UNICEF, 2003). Indeed, a historic moment and a path-breaking achievement, Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPWD) Act, 2016 is a game changer for the estimated 70-100 million disabled citizens of India and which will benefit the discourse away from charity to one that is rights-based with provisions to enforce implementation (RPWD Act, 2016) in the field of inclusive education for children with diverse needs.
View more >>