How “Inclusive” Has the Inclusive Education Been?
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33423/jhetp.v24i2.6803Keywords:
higher education, inclusive education, broad definition, narrow definition, strategies, policiesAbstract
The main intent of inclusive education is to include diversity in terms of access to education. Hence, inclusive education is of tremendous significance to a country like Nepal, which has so much diversity. However, the strategies formulated by the inclusive education policies in Nepal still follow a narrow definition of inclusive education, though the policies are progressive. Does inclusive education mean only a scheme for disabled learners? Through a desk review of the policies after 2000 related to inclusive education, this paper argues that the smooth transition to inclusion in education has been challenging. The paper argues that despite policy provisions, Nepal has not been able to actualize inclusion in education because its strategies and actions are not directed toward inclusion. This situation is there mainly because of the lack of uniform understanding of inclusive education, and its present practice will lead towards segregation but not towards integration.
References
Alzahrani, N. (2020). The development of inclusive education practice: A review of the literature. International Journal of Early Childhood Special Education, 12(1), 68–83. doi:10.20489/intjecse.722380
Boyle, C., & Anderson, J. (2020). The justification for inclusive education in Australia. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11125-020-09494-x
Central Bureau of Statistics. (2012). National population census 2011.
Centre for Educational Innovation and Development. (2004). Situation analysis of special needs education for the expansion of inclusive education. Author.
Department of Education. (1996). Special education policy.
Department of Education. (2014). Consolidated equity strategy for the school education sector in Nepal.
Department of Education. (2016). School sector development plan Nepal, 2016-2023.
Department of Education. (2018). Inclusive education facilitation guideline.
Gale, T. (2006). Towards a theory and practice of policy engagement: Higher education research policy. Australian Educational Research. Retrieved from https://search.informit.org/doi/pdf/10.3316/ielapa.200612796?download=true
Haug, P. (2017). Understanding inclusive education: Ideals and reality. Scandinavian Journal of Disability Research, 19(3), 206–217. https://doi.org/10.1080/15017419.2016.1224778
Haug, P. (2020). Inclusion in Norwegian schools: Pupils’ experiences of their learning environment. Education, 48(3), 303–315. DOI: 10.1080/03004279.2019.1664406
International Labour Organization. (1989). Convention on indigenous and minority communities of independent countries. Retrieved from https://www.ilo.org/dyn/normlex/en/f?p=NORMLEXPUB:12100:0::NO::P12100_INSTRUMENT_ID:312314
Kafle, B. (2002). Including the excluded: A critical evaluation of special needs education program in Nepal [Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Banaras Hindu University].
Khanal, B. (2015). The quest for educational inclusion in Nepal: A study of factors limiting the schooling of Dalit children [Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Manchester].
Meiers, M. (2007). Teacher professional learning, teaching practice and student learning outcomes: Important Issues. In Handbook of teacher education (pp. 409–414). Kluwer Academic Publishers. doi: 10.1007/1-4020-4773-8_27
Miles. M., & Singal, N. (2010). The education for all and inclusive education debate: Conflict, contradiction or opportunity? International Journal of Inclusive Education, 14(1), 1–15. DOI:10.1080/13603110802265125
Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology. (2019). National education policy.
Ministry of Education. (1971). National education system plan.
Ministry of Education. (1992). Report of the national education commission, 1992.
Ministry of Education. (2016). Higher education policy 2015.
Ministry of Education. (2016). Inclusive education policy for people with disability.
Nadeera, R. (2016). Amartya Sen’s capability approach and education: Enhancing social justice. Revue LISA/LISA e-journal, 14(1). https://doi.org/10.4000/lisa.8913
National Institute for Research and Training, & American Institute of Research. (2017). Nepal education sector analysis.
National Law Commission. (2017a). An act relating to persons with disabilities 2017.
National Law Commission. (2017b). The eighth amendment to education act 1971.
National Law Commission. (2018). An act relating to children 2018.
National Planning Commission. (2002a). Tenth plan (2002-2007).
National Planning Commission. (2002b). The tenth plan.
National Planning Commission. (2007). The eleventh plan (2007/08 – 2009/10).
National Planning Commission. (2011). The twelfth plan (2011/12 – 2013/14).
National Planning Commission. (2013). Thirteen third-year plans.
National Planning Commission. (2016). The fourteenth plan (the fiscal year 2073/74- 2075/76).
National Planning Commission. (2020). The fifteenth plan 2020 – 2023.
Nepal Law Commission. (1997). Special education policy, 2053.
Nepal Law Commission. (2015). The constitution of Nepal 2015.
Nepal Law Commission. (2017). An act relating to persons with disabilities, 2074(2017).
Nepal Law Commission. (2018). Act related to compulsory and free education (2018).
Norwich, B., & Koutsouris, G. (2017). Addressing the dilemmas and tension in inclusive education. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780190264093.013.154
Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. (1969). International convention on the elimination of all forms of racial discrimination. Retrieved from https://www.ohchr.org/Documents/ProfessionalInterest/icerd.pdf
Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. (1990). Child rights convention. Retrieved from https://www.ohchr.org/Documents/ProfessionalInterest/crc.pdf
Regmi, N.P. (2017). Inclusive education in Nepal: From theory to practice [Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Ludwig-Maximilians-University].
Samuel, J. (2018). Inclusion for all? An analysis of inclusive education strategies for marginalised groups in Nepal [Unpublished master’s thesis, Graduate School of Social Sciences, University of Amsterdam].
Sen, A. (1999). Development as freedom. Oxford University Press.
Sharma, P. (2019). Teachers’ attitude towards inclusive education in Nepal. Interdisciplinary Research in Education, 4(2), 173–189. https://doi.org/10.3126/ire.v4i2.27933
Thapaliya, M. (2018). Moving towards inclusive education: How inclusive education is understood, experienced and enacted in Nepali higher secondary schools [Unpublished doctoral dissertation, The University of Canterbury].
United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation. (1962). Convention against discrimination in education. Retrieved from http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=12949&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html
United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation. (1994). World conference on special needs education: Access and quality, includes Salamanca declaration and framework for action.
United Nations. (1948). Universal declaration of human rights.
United Nations. (2006). Convention on rights of persons with disabilities.
Westhood, P. (2013). Inclusive and adaptive teaching: Meeting the challenge of diversity in the classroom. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203069806
Ydo, Y. (2020). Inclusive education: Global priority, collective responsibility. Prospects, 49, 97–101. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11125-020-09520