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DEFEATING INEQUALITIES IN SCHOOL ACCESS: A CASE OF CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES IN PAKISTAN
Author(s) -
Hameed Abdul,
Manzoor Afaf
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
journal of research in special educational needs
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.543
H-Index - 27
ISSN - 1471-3802
DOI - 10.1111/1471-3802.12158
Subject(s) - allowance (engineering) , inclusion (mineral) , special education , clarity , incentive , mainstreaming , universal design , psychology , inequality , subsistence agriculture , mathematics education , medical education , pedagogy , medicine , geography , social psychology , mathematics , computer science , economics , biochemistry , operations management , chemistry , agriculture , archaeology , mathematical analysis , world wide web , microeconomics
A recent study reveals that average distance from home to special school for children with disabilities in Punjab is about 11 km. A huge and free transport system is established to overcome the distance barrier. Moreover, the incentives such as free uniform, books, assistive devices and hostel facility along with subsistence allowance of Rs.800 per month have failed to increase enrolment beyond 4%. This situation clearly shows that special school is not an appropriate solution if 100% enrolment of children with disabilities is the target. The only way out left is then to improve the existing regular school available at the doorstep of all children through inclusive education. The public image of disability suitable for inclusion, however, has emerged as the most challenging barrier to inclusive education. There seems a consensus that only children with mild disabilities should be included in regular schools for inclusion, whereas the children with severe and profound disabilities should remain in special schools or out of school. There is need to investigate this pseudo consensus to bring about a conceptual clarity in the term inclusive education so that early efforts of inclusive education should take right direction.