Page 60 - Magazine Department of B.Ed. 2015
P. 60
lusive Education : An Introspection
The entire framework Dr. Swadha Prakash
of education and its
system stands on ideological Assistant Professor
conviction. Education is
a great platform to bring have been reluctant to accept the diversity
revolutions. Every new notion rotting in our own backyard. As a native
finds breather in the field of proverb goes ‘the house with clean backyard
education. Considering its could be well trusted’, it’s high time that we
role as the agency of social change, it harbors must amend our mistakes.
all possible notions of universal care and
co-operation. However, in large scheme of For time immemorial, disability has been
things everything appears ironical. As we see, treated as a stigma in our society. It has
despite having long tradition of education always been the issue of charity. People
and civilization, we are still struggling with with physical impairment has always been
the basic issue of ‘equality with dignity for considered non-functional and a liability
all’. If this stands true that education is the for the society. Being deficient in one or the
only way to ensure harmony and justice to other ability does not imply that they are
somewhat unjust and apathetic world, why entirely non-functional. It only means that
do we still need debates for having inclusive that they will require different means to
education for marginalized sections? Why perform the same task as compared to others.
can’t we just accept them and be with It often renders to the ability of managing
them without creating much fuss over all functions through the unique ways and
their differential abilities (what we refer as capacity of their other abilities. Just because
‘disabilities’)? Is it necessary that we always their one aspect is weak, should the potential
have to keep certain issues alive to maintain of their other aspects be completely ignored?
the tandem of charity?
It makes one laugh when people start
All these questions offend our emotions measuring the capacity of a person with their
as none of us would like ourselves to be physical build. Several parables, anecdotes
categorized as ‘dumb hearted’ professionals. and incidents stand testimony to the fact that
The only argument we see is to out rightly human potential is unbound. It could not be
reject it as an ‘impractical philanthropic estimated like that. Remembering the tales of
proposition’. We never sit back and think, why Gulliver and reflecting over the experience
it is so that we are still alien to our own of Nunez in the ‘Country of Blind’ makes
species? How much we really know about one happily recall that being handicap is a
humanity and its diversity? So long we have social construct, that one feels stranger to
given so much to study diversity across the the prevalent ways and customs of a given
nature and even realized its significance in place or society. Imagine the situation of a
our survival and successful existence. Yet we Japanese knowing neither Hindi nor English
and he forgets his hotel address in India.
Failing with language he will have to find
other ways. We must agree that there are
always other ways, provided we have the will
The only true disability in life is a bad attitude.
43
The entire framework Dr. Swadha Prakash
of education and its
system stands on ideological Assistant Professor
conviction. Education is
a great platform to bring have been reluctant to accept the diversity
revolutions. Every new notion rotting in our own backyard. As a native
finds breather in the field of proverb goes ‘the house with clean backyard
education. Considering its could be well trusted’, it’s high time that we
role as the agency of social change, it harbors must amend our mistakes.
all possible notions of universal care and
co-operation. However, in large scheme of For time immemorial, disability has been
things everything appears ironical. As we see, treated as a stigma in our society. It has
despite having long tradition of education always been the issue of charity. People
and civilization, we are still struggling with with physical impairment has always been
the basic issue of ‘equality with dignity for considered non-functional and a liability
all’. If this stands true that education is the for the society. Being deficient in one or the
only way to ensure harmony and justice to other ability does not imply that they are
somewhat unjust and apathetic world, why entirely non-functional. It only means that
do we still need debates for having inclusive that they will require different means to
education for marginalized sections? Why perform the same task as compared to others.
can’t we just accept them and be with It often renders to the ability of managing
them without creating much fuss over all functions through the unique ways and
their differential abilities (what we refer as capacity of their other abilities. Just because
‘disabilities’)? Is it necessary that we always their one aspect is weak, should the potential
have to keep certain issues alive to maintain of their other aspects be completely ignored?
the tandem of charity?
It makes one laugh when people start
All these questions offend our emotions measuring the capacity of a person with their
as none of us would like ourselves to be physical build. Several parables, anecdotes
categorized as ‘dumb hearted’ professionals. and incidents stand testimony to the fact that
The only argument we see is to out rightly human potential is unbound. It could not be
reject it as an ‘impractical philanthropic estimated like that. Remembering the tales of
proposition’. We never sit back and think, why Gulliver and reflecting over the experience
it is so that we are still alien to our own of Nunez in the ‘Country of Blind’ makes
species? How much we really know about one happily recall that being handicap is a
humanity and its diversity? So long we have social construct, that one feels stranger to
given so much to study diversity across the the prevalent ways and customs of a given
nature and even realized its significance in place or society. Imagine the situation of a
our survival and successful existence. Yet we Japanese knowing neither Hindi nor English
and he forgets his hotel address in India.
Failing with language he will have to find
other ways. We must agree that there are
always other ways, provided we have the will
The only true disability in life is a bad attitude.
43
