Zero Rejection Policy PDF
Zero Rejection Policy PDF
Zero Rejection Policy PDF
BRIEF REPORTS
Zero Rejection Policy in Admission of Children with
Special Needs – Myth or Reality
Bharti Kaushik*
Associate Professor, National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), New Delhi
ABSTRACT
Purpose: To study the difficulties (if any) faced in the admission process of
Children With Special Needs (CWSN) and the reason for these difficulties (if
any) and also to suggest possible solutions for overcoming the difficulties.
Methods: The data was collected from 16 resource teachers working in Delhi.
The anecdotal narratives provided by resource teachers were qualitatively
analyzed via content shifting.
Results: Majority (more than 80%) of the resource teachers faced lot of
difficulties while acting as facilitator for admission of CWSN.
Conclusion: Existing lack of awareness about the zero rejection policy by
the school authorities (principal/head teacher), fear of accidents in the school,
bullying of CWSN by non-CWSN, non-availability of resource teacher and
the required support, were found to be the main challenges in implementation
of zero rejection policy in admission of CWSN. The possible solution lies in
preparing the regular teachers for addressing the needs of CWSN in the inclusive
classroom and in turn making them responsible and accountable for teaching
learning of CWSN, just like they are for children without special needs.
Key Words: CWSN admission, inclusive school, admission policy
INTRODUCTION
The Right to Education (RTE) for every child up to 14 years of age, without
discrimination, is enshrined in the Constitution of India (Government of
India, 1948). The RTE Act (Government of India, 2009) defines many aspects
of education such as the role of the teacher, pupil-teacher ratio, school and its
infrastructure, etc., apart from making free and compulsory education the right
* Corresponding Author: NCERT, India. Email: [email protected]
Court, 2014). Following directives of the Delhi High Court, the Delhi Government
made provision for CWSN to seek admission in any five schools of their choice,
by filling up a common admission form available on the website of the Directorate
of Education.The filled in application forms were to be later transferred online to
the private schools that had been applied to, and to the nodal officer. The school,
after taking the necessary steps, need to convey the result to both the parent and
the Directorate. Non-compliance would lead to stringent action (Sharma, 2015)
In 2009, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) issued a circular to its
affiliated schools to ensure that no child with special needs is denied admission in
the regular schools. In addition, the schools were advised to allow parents, when
they make a request, to provide an aide so that individual attention is possible for
the child and the student is enabled to grow and learn along with other peers in
the class. The schools were cautioned that failing to provide attention to a child
with special needs or denying admission to CWSN due to their disability, will
be liable to stringent action, even to the extent of disaffiliation (Government of
India, 2009).
The Indian Government’s commitment to educate children with special needs
is also evident from schemes like Inclusive Education for Disabled at Secondary
Stage (IEDSS), and by virtue of being a signatory to United Nations Conventions
on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD).
the researcher worked as teacher educator and resource teacher for in-service
teacher training programmes under SSA and found through experience that the
situation was quite different. The number of CWSN enrolled in the schools is still
below the national average of this population of children.
The aim of the present study therefore was to discover the difficulties (if any) faced
by resource/special teachers in the admission process of CWSN and the reason
for these difficulties (if any), as well as suggest possible solutions to overcome
them. This could improve the admission scenario for CWSN in regular schools.
METHOD
Design
The survey mode, with open ended items, was used to gather data.
Sample
Data was collected from 16 resource teachers working under the Sarva Shiksha
Abhiyaan (SSA) scheme in Delhi. The anecdotal narratives provided by these
teachers was qualitatively analysed via content shifting.
Narrative received from special educators = 16
CWSN mentioned in narratives = 26
Principals in the narratives = 22
The narratives of the special teachers were qualitatively analysed and content was
sifted in terms of: identifying the school principal’s initial reaction when parents,
with the support of special teachers, approached the school for admission of
children with special needs;reasons for refusal given by principals; counselling
of parents;nature of undertaking; pressure strategies adopted by special teachers;
and, the supportive principals.The paragraphs and Tables below present the
inferences drawn on each theme.
Counselling of Parents
A few school principals also attempted to discuss the issue with the parents, in
the hope ofconvincing them not toadmit their children with special needs in the
school. The interaction between the principals and the parents revolved around
the following themes, as culled from the narratives:
• The children without disability studying in the school will hit your child, we
will not be able to provide due care, due to other work.
• Please give in writing that you do not want your child to be admitted here.
• This is requested for your own good and benefit to your child.
• If your child doesn’t understand what is being taught or done in the school,
then his/her time spent in the school would be wasted.
• If it were our own child, we would get him/her admitted ina special school.
• Why do you keep coming to school and waste both your time and ours?
• What if the child is physically abused?
When authority- in this case, the school principal - clearly advises against
admission, the economically backward and illiterate parents are hardly in a
position to object. However, thanks to persistent efforts of some special teachers,
a few school principals agreed to give admission, with an undertaking from the
parents.
Frequency
S. No. Strategy adopted by Special Teacher
(out of 16)
1 Involved higher officials like DDE, BRCC, etc. 2
2 Quoted/showed RTE Act 2
3 Written complaint with parents support 2
4 Examples from neighbouring schools 1
5 Referred to SSA circulars 1
6 Threatened to file written complaint 1
Not every special teacher voluntarily adopted these pressure tactics. During the
household survey, many parents refused to give the name of their child as they
had been through bad experiences earlier. They felt this was only eyewash, one
of the routine tasks to be completed by the education system, without actually
having any will to admit the CWSN in the schools. This was also mentioned in
one of the narratives.
When the system is not geared to provide support and the policy or practice
implementation is imposed from above, without proper checks and balances in
place, the implementing officer may become frustrated. This is the situation in
the SSA. The state offices initiate the admission drive for CWSN and involve
the special educators. However, the intermediate authorities, namely the school
principals, attempt to find a way out of implementing the initiatives, and the
special educators end up frustrated.
also shared their knowledge about the provisions for CWSN under SSA and RTE,
with the parents.
Ironically, one school principal who also happened to be a person with disability
was mentioned as one of the non-cooperative principals in the narratives.
Suggestions
The possible solution lies in preparing the regular teachers to address the needs
of these children in the inclusive classroom, and in making them responsible and
accountable for the progress of CWSN, as they are for children without special needs.
• There should be a mechanism to address the grievances of special teachers
and the parents.
• The procedures for obtaining the disability certificate should be simplified.
• Dedicated programmes targeting awareness-building and skills enhancement
for parents.
• Dedicated programmes aiming to enhance sensitivity, leadership and
knowledge for principals and other educational administrators.
• Situation-based, focussed attempts to build positive attitudes among teachers,
educational administrators and peers of CWSN.
• Attempt should be made to reestablish the faith of parents in the system.
• The field functionaries like special teachers should be provided hand-
holding and a support mechanism to perform their expected duties without
fear, anxiety and frustration.
• The skills of regular teachers should be enhanced to address the teaching-
learning needs of all, including CWSN in inclusive settings.
• The prime responsibility for teaching-learning of CWSN should devolve on
the regular teachers, and they should be accountable just like they are for
teaching-learning of children without disabilities.
• Roles and responsibilities of regular and special teachers should be clearly
spelt out and conveyed to them.
CONCLUSION
At present, the educational administrators like the principals of regular schools,
require sensitisation and awareness-training to facilitate admission of CWSN in
neighbourhood schools. The objections raised resulted from lack of awareness by
the school authorities (principal/head teacher)about the zero rejection policy, fear
of accidents in the school, bullying of children with special needs by their peers,
non-availability of resource teachers and the required support, etc. The regular
teachers should be empowered to address the learning needs of CWSN in inclusive
settings, and should be made accountable and responsible for their progress.
REFERENCES
Central Board of Secondary Education (2009). Children with special needs - integration.
Available from: http://cbse.nic.in/circulars/cir65-2009.pdf. [Accessed on November 2016]
Directorate of Education Delhi (2014). Order Hon’ble High Court. Available from: http://
edudel.nic.in/upload_2015_16/26424_26427_dt_12012015.pdf. [Accessed on November 2016]
Government of India (1948). Constitution of India.
Government of India (1995). Persons With Disabilities Act - 1995. Available from http://www.
disabilityaffairs.gov.in/upload/uploadfiles/files/PWD_Act.pdf. [Accessed on November 2016]
Government of India (2009). Right to Education Act. Available from: http://mhrd.gov.in/sites/
upload_files/mhrd/files/upload_document/rte.pdf. [Accessed on November 2016]
Government of India (2011). Census of India C Series Table 20. Available from: http://
censusindia.gov.in/Tables_Published/C-Series/c_series_tables_2001.html. [Accessed on
November 2016]
Haryana School Education (2015). Guidelines regarding admission and examination - evaluation
of CWSN under Inclusive Education. Available , from: http://www.schooleducationharyana.
gov.in/downloads_pdf/IEDSS/Guidelinesregardingadmission02072015.pdf . [Accessed on
November 2016]
Madhya Pradesh Education Portal (n.d.). About children with special needs – Module (online).
Available from: http://www.educationportal.mp.gov.in/CWSN/public/CWSN_Main.aspx.
[Accessed on November 2016]
National University Educational Planning and Administration (2014). Education For All -
Towards quality with equity India. Available from: http://mhrd.gov.in/sites/upload_files/
mhrd/files/upload_document/EFA-Review-Report-final.pdf. [Accessed on November 2016]
Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan Karnataka (2013). Draft policy on education of children with
special needs. Available from: http://ssakarnataka.gov.in/pdfs/int_inclusiveedu/
CWSNDraftPolicy2013.pdf. [Accessed on November 2016]
Sharma Shikha (2015). Admission made easy for special children. The Indian Express.
Available from: http://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/admission-made-easy-for-
special-children/. [Accessed on November 2016]