Millions of disabled children do not have access to normal education in the country due to failures in government policy and the attitude of the school authorities, said disability rights activists.
Only the moderately disabled children are provided inclusive education, they said, when this kind of education should be provided to all disabled children as their birthright.
They urged the government to take necessary steps to ensure inclusive education in line with the Disability Welfare Act 2001.
The Act requires that the co-ordination committee, a body set up under the Act, should take steps ‘to create opportunities for integration of students with disabilities in the usual class set-up of regular schools wherever possible.’
Mosharraf Hossain, the country director of Action on Disability and Development, told New Age, ‘There may be a law, but it is not being enforced.’
The problem is not just with the government’s inaction since the schools themselves can be serious obstacles.
Mohammad Iftekhar Mahmud, head of programme of Bangladesh Visually Impaired People’s Society, told New Age, ‘A few months back a college authority in Narsingdi refused to admit a disabled student to the Higher Secondary Certificate level. Even after the after receiving the directive of the education ministry to admit that student, the principal said, ‘You cannot do anything if I do not provide education to the student properly.’
Most of time the disabled children face difficulties in getting admission to schools and colleges, he said.
‘The attitude of the governing bodies of the educational institutions must be changed,’ he added.
According to Access Bangladesh Foundation, around 1.6 million disabled children are completely
deprived of any education in the country.
A survey carried out by the Directorate of Primary Education in 2002 showed that only four per cent of children with disabilities got access to schools.
Access Bangladesh Foundation’s executive director, Albert Mollah, pointed out that the education ministry should be responsible for educating disabled children, not the social welfare ministry
‘At the same time the primary schoolteachers must be given special training to handle these children,’ he added.
Mosharraf Hossain agreed that involvement of the education ministry was crucial in ensuring that disabled children receive a proper education. He also emphasised that the government must provide any special equipment or materials that disabled children need for their education.
Education minister Nurul Islam Nahid told New Age that the government is working to ensure education for all the children with disabilities.
‘We should ensure creation of an environment that is conducive for the disabled children in the schools. The government is working on that,’ he said. ‘For visually impaired children, we will supply Braille books.’
Sharmin Haq, professor of the department of Special Education of the Institute of Education and Research at the University of Dhaka, said that if the disabled children can be included in the mainstream education system, the children will be able to adjust to society.
‘These children will then grow up normally just like everyone else,’ she added.
She also called on the school authorities to show flexibility in dealing with these children. For example, she said, they should hold lessons on the ground-floor for wheelchair-bound or other physically challenged children so that they can access the class.
Sharmin Haq emphasised the need to train teachers to enable them to change the mindset of the school authorities and handle disabled children effectively.
