Introduction:
In order to develop awareness in the
higher education system and also to provide necessary guidance and counselling
to differently-abled persons, it is expected that the Institutes
·
Facilitate admission of
differently-abled persons in various courses;
·
Provide guidance and
counselling to differently abled individuals
·
Create awareness about the
needs of differently abled persons, and other general issues concerning their
learning
·
Assist differently-abled
graduates to gain successful employment in the public as well as private
sectors.
Role of Government in Higher
Education of Students:
The
Constitution of India ensures equality, freedom, justice and dignity of all
individuals and simplicity mandates inclusive society for all, including
persons with disabilities. The National Policy on Education, 1986 and modified
in 1992 laid special emphasis on education of persons with disabilities. The
persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation)
Act, 1995, had been enacted under Article 253 of the constitution, read with
item No. 13 of the Union List. Under this Act, differently-abled children up to
the age of 18 years receive free education.
Sarva
Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA)
programme ensures that every child in the age group of 6-14 years with
special needs, irrespective of the kind, category and degree of disability, is
provided meaningful and quality education.
SSA provides integrated and inclusive education to all
children with special needs. This include education through schools, open
schools, non formal and alternative schools, distance education and learning
and special schools. Wherever necessary, home based education, remedial
teaching, part time classes, community base rehabilitation (CBR) and vocational
educations also provided.
1) SSA provides financial support up
Rs.3,000/- per child for integration of disabled children, as per specific
proposals, per year.
2) Interventions under SSA for inclusive
education are identification, functional formal assessment, appropriate
educational placement, preparation of Individualized Educational Plan,
provision of aids appliances, teacher training, resource support, removal of
architectural barriers monitoring and evaluation and a special focus on girls
with special needs.
3) Residential bridge courses are also
provided with the main objective of preparing child with special needs for
schools, thereby ensuring better quality inclusion.
4) Home-based education is provided for
children with severe profound disabilities.
In this background, the University Grants Commission (UGC)
vide its policy paper on education in the Ninth five-year plan has stated that
persons with disability should not be ignored in the higher education system.
It has recommended development of special education teacher preparation
programme and also a scheme to provide special assistance to disabled persons
to facilitate better accessibility in higher education to achieve better
results
Under the provision of facilities for the Promotion for Higher Education of Disabled Persons, the Scheme has three components:
Under the provision of facilities for the Promotion for Higher Education of Disabled Persons, the Scheme has three components:
1) Establishment of
Disability Units in University/College.
2) Providing Access to Persons
with Disability.
3) Providing Special Equipment to Augment the Educational
Services for Disabled Persons.
In order to achieve the aims and objectives, the Government
has set aside programmes for teacher training and resource support. Various
NGOs have also been mobilized to reach out to the nooks and corners of the
country.[Ref.: Union Ministry of Human Resource Development, 2010-11]
http://meghalayatimes.info/index.php/cfm/16712-education-for-differently-abled
Differently-Abled
Students in Higher Education:
There is
increase in the enrolment of persons with disability (PwDs) students in higher
education, as per the All India Survey on Higher Education, MHRD.
The
following schemes/facilities have been launched to enhance the representation
of the differently-abled students in Higher Education:-
1. Upgradation
of existing Polytechnics to integrate the Persons with Disabilities
(PwD): The objective of the scheme is to promote education and
training of persons with disabilities by integrating them in the mainstream of
technical and vocational education and skill development programmes through
formal and non-formal programme.
2. Higher
Education for Persons with Special Needs (HEPSN) – The scheme,
implemented by UGC, has the following three components:
i. Establishment
of Enabling Units for PwDs. Resource Units are established in colleges
to facilitate admissions, provide guidance and counseling, to create awareness
about the needs of differently abled persons and to assist PwD graduates to get
the employment.
ii. Providing
Access to PwDs: Under this component, accessibility are addressed by
the college relating to issues as per the stipulations of the Persons with
Disability (PwD) Act, 1995.
iii. Providing
Special Equipment to augment Educational Services for PwDs: The
colleges are provided one time grant upto Rs.1.5 lakh to procure devices to
help PwD students enrolled for Higher Education.
3. Teacher
preparation in Special Education Scheme (TEPSE): The scheme,
implemented by UGC, provides financial assistance to offer B.Ed. and M.Ed.
degree course with specialization in one of the disability areas.
4. Financial
Assistance to Visually Challenges Teachers (FAVCT): The objective of
the scheme, implemented by UGC, is to provide facility to help visually
challenged permanent teachers to achieve self-dependence by using various aids
for teaching, learning and research.
5. UGC
also provide relaxations to PwDs in the National Eligibility Test.
6. Saksham
Scholarship Scheme: The Scheme is implemented by All India Council of
Technical Education the objective of the scheme is to provide
encouragement and support to 1000 differently abled students to pursue
technical education in a year, fulfilling the eligibility criteria mentioned in
the scheme.
7. Reservation
in admissions: UGC has issued instructions to all universities and
colleges for providing 3% reservation (horizontally) in admissions for PwD
students.
8. Facilitating
PwD students under Centrally Sponsored Scheme for Integrating PwDs in the
mainstream of Technical and Vocational Education: The Ministry
of HRD has issued instructions to the Heads of all polytechnics covered under
the above Scheme that no fee of any kind should be charged from the PwD
students. However, the Polytechnics, if required, may charge only examination
fee from these students that too when the students get their Scholarship
amount.
9. The
Ministry has also directed all Centrally Funded Educational
Institutions/Autonomous organizations/attached offices in Ministry to ensure
providing barrier free environment in the buildings, which would include
provisions of ramps, rails, lifts, adaption of toilets for wheel users, brail
signages and auditory signals, tactile flooring etc. to PwDs, as envisaged in
PwD Act.
10. Expert
Committee constituted to identify the courses according to the categories of
disabilities: The HRD Ministry has also constituted an Expert
Committee to identify the courses according to the categories of the
disabilities as identified for the various technical posts and the
recommendations of the committee have been circulated to all the Centrally
funded Institutes/Autonomous organization/attached offices for implementation.
This
information was given by the Union Human Resource Development Minister, Smt.
Smriti Irani in a written reply to the Lok Sabha question.
Disability and Higher
Education in Indian Context:
Policy
and provisions for students with disability take place within different
contexts and different educational structures and systems. Action Plan for
Inclusive Education of Children and Youth with Disabilities (IECYD) 2005
deliberates with the issue of inclusive education for students with
disabilities. This action plan gives equal emphasis on the higher education for
students with disabilities.
The
major provisions in this regard are:
•
Increase in number of young persons with disability accessing secondary
education. Smooth transition for young persons with disability wishing and able
to access secondary and higher education. Consistency in providing for disabled
friendly examination facilities across states and boards.
• Resource support in the form of special
educators and rehabilitation professionals across disabilities available in
adequate numbers to assist mainstream teachers at all levels.
•
Increased enrolment of young persons with disability in mainstream higher
education and vocational courses.
Equal Opportunity Cell:
The
Equal Opportunity Cell was set up by the University of Delhi to address the
issues concerning SC, ST, OBC, Minorities and Persons with disabilities. The
mission statement of Equal Opportunity Cell ensures the following:
•
A barrier free access to all the buildings of Colleges, Departments, Libraries,
Hostels and Offices of the University.
•
Smooth and efficient running of a Resource Centre that specializes in
addressing the needs of the Persons with disabilities in all categories
including Visual, Hearing Orthopedic and Neurological.
• Non-discrimination on grounds of disability
and minority status.
•
Short time courses for imparting employable skills for the disabled and
seminars/workshops for raising awareness about disability
•
Reaching out to the like-minded institutions and organizations dealing with
similar issues
• Affirmative actions concerning Scheduled
Castes ,Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Class
Conclusion:
The
Government has assured that all students have the right to be educated and
trained. According to the Constitution of India, secondary and 194 higher
education are not compulsory, but are available to all under equal conditions,
primary education is compulsory and free for all students.
No doubt, education is certainly regarded as the vehicle of
progress of any political system and society. It may be democracy/socialism,
monarchy/militarism, communism/imperialism, education plays a vital role in
preserving culture and empowering citizens. However, education for the differently
abled is considered as a charitable act. If proper education and training
facility can be provided to the physically challenged persons they can
contribute signifi-cantly for the prosperity of the family and reduce the
burden on their parents.
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