EDUCATION MUST BE INCLUSIVE IN ALL ITS SHAPES AND FORMS

All of us belong to a particular social group driven by our race, gender, nationality, colour, religion, caste, socio-political, socio-economical sects. Although I am not an expert to decide the pros and cons of it, I am neither concluding it to be a bad thing. However, as an educationalist, I believe everything about social structure means nothing at all when it comes to providing education.

I have always been an advocate of “Education for all” since the very beginning. I fail to understand any other forms of education that divide students and deprive them of education. That to me personally is blasphemous and I am in no support of it.

Inclusive education is very important in a potently diversified country like India. Our preamble begins with WE, THE PEOPLE OF INDIA – which means anyone born in the holy soil of Mother India is an Indian first then sorted into different social sections. We are secular by the moment we are born in this holy land. 

This, hypothetically and morally makes me believe that despite the diversity of this country, education should embrace secularism in all its shapes and forms. Moreover, let me not fail to address that education is a basic human right and under Article 21A, we do have a provision for Right to Education. 

However, despite this, India as a country is starving for quality education. No doubt, that we have been producing many talented and brilliant engineers, doctors and professionals from various fields throughout, but the truth is that not everyone has the access to inclusive and quality education. 

Ever since I was a little boy, I had made a strict principle that I wished to implement throughout my life. The principle was that – “All children can learn, attend regular classroom to receive age-appropriate educational courses, get access to co-curricular activities, benefit the country with their knowledge and lead a holistic life”. Nevertheless, when I became an Educationalist, I realized my principles does not fit well with the diversity and the socio-economical conditions of this country.

This is why World Education Mission has always been a true advocate about creating an inclusive classroom where students from different social sects come together to study for a course. World Education Mission has been offering countless Scholarships to the marginalized sections of the country, especially focused in the North East. We also established Arunachal University of Studies that truly goes by the vision of “Education to all irrespective of caste, creed, colour, race, linguistic, gender, religion etc.”

What I have learnt so far by an inclusive education at AUS is that students learn a lot about each other’s communities by developing a sense of gratitude for one another. An inclusive classroom always encourages the involvement of fresh opportunities and thoughts to face challenges. Lastly, it fosters a student to leave their ideologies aside and embrace individual differences with respect and integrity. Inclusive education is a value-based education driven by the elixir of friendship – and it is divinely beautiful. Therefore, anyone who advocates inclusive education is truly a visionary with a noble heart and a cause. 

–        Dr Ashwani Lochan