Four Day International Conference on ‘Inclusive Education’

The North South Dialogue on Inclusive Education was a four day international conference which took place at the NRCI-I (National Research Centre for Inclusion-India), Mumbai from 28th February to 3rd March 2001.

It was an exploration of models of inclusion in education – a policy and practice which is increasingly gaining currency throughout the world. Inclusion is a vast concept concerning the education of not only children with disabilities but also other marginalized groups who have got left like the girl child, children in the work force, extremely poor children, not to mention the large number of dropouts.

NGOs have been responsible for setting up centres of excellent services for children with disabilities in India but recent doctoral research by Dr. Mithu Alur found that these services could be availed of by only two percent of the population with disabilities. The Spastics Society Of India, one of the largest NGOs dealing with disability in India, dismayed with this massive exclusion, has redefined and reoriented its activities with the aim to move towards desegregation of specialized schools. The NRCI-I was established with the help of the Reoher Institute of Canada to promote inclusion within a Human Rights framework of education for all.

The conference was planned to build bridges and network with others in the field, to exchange ideology and to foster mutual support in inclusive Education. The Conference brought together activists, policy makers, parents and teachers, medical and paramedical professionals, donor aid agencies and NGOs from different countries of the Northern and the Southern hemisphere. They included Sweden, the UK, Europe, South Africa, Brazil, Bangladesh and HongKong.

One of the objectives of this momentous event was to provide opportunities to share information, to form a network of friendship and close relationships and ultimately to become ‘The Voice’ for change. Judging from the large and varied participant turnout, their interaction with each other and the dedicated zeal with which the NRCI-I staff organized it, the goal had been reached.

Inclusion the Journey has crossed yet another milestone.

Source: Success & Ability
Issue: Jan-Mar, 2001