For an effective implementation of any program, the key stakeholders need to be identified, their expectations outlined and their roles highlighted. Parents, teachers and the school management form the major stakeholders in inclusive education. Without any of them, inclusive education will always suffer from shortcomings and loopholes.

The Parents
Parents can be divided into two groups: One group consists of aware parents who have accepted that their child needs additional support and are seeking ways to support him/her. The other group consists of parents who are in a state of denial and rather believe in some superstition or myth than accept that their child needs additional support. The latter group of parents is less likely to know about inclusive education and thus dealing with them is difficult. They are likely to blame the schools and other external factors instead of focusing on providing adequate support to their child. These parents do not want their child to have any specific learning aid. They keep comparing their child to other children of the same age in their extended families. Educational achievement of the child is the most important concern for these parents and you find them ignoring the child’s developing needs.

Parents, who are aware about inclusive education, need only to be told the challenges their child is facing and how they can be provided with additional support. These parents are accepting and tolerant towards the shortcomings of their child and know that given the right support, he/she will cope up eventually.

Administration
It is unfortunate but children who require additional support are likely to be admitted to schools that have recently been opened rather than the ones that are well established and have a good standing. The new schools are likely to have more time to devote to these students and are less likely to be worried about putting in extra effort. The well established schools are likely to already have full classrooms and are more concerned about grades and board positions then keeping providing inclusive education as one of their objectives.

Since there is little guidance or professional advice available in the country on inclusive education, the children requiring such education are often found doing much less in the classroom than they actually can. The main reason for this is the school administration’s lack of training and expertise in this field.

Teachers
Most teachers have their performance evaluated on the basis of syllabus completed during the academic year or the grades their students have achieved in an examination.
They are offered little information about inclusive education, let alone any sort of training for this purpose. They may give extra time and attention to such children but that would be due to the demand of the parents. The extra time might not mean quality teaching since they would not have any of the adaptive materials required for this purpose.

Educationists claim that implementing inclusive education is expensive. It certainly requires additional resources. Teachers need to undergo specialized training to teach an inclusive class. The syllabus needs to be modified to suit everyone which requires extra time and effort. Some schools may also need to her counselors to help children in an emotionally difficult time. Aides and tools need to be bought such as a wheel chair, hearing aids etc.

The biggest improvement that can take place in providing the inclusive education does not take place in the classroom, rather it happens in the way the school management looks at the education in general. Education is all about the holistic development of students. Improving emotional IQ is an important part of the teaching learning process. Emotional IQ improves when students learn to empathize rather than sympathize. Another important part of formal education is communication. People with better communication skills are more successful in their professional careers when compared with those who lack such skills.

Inclusive education provides the rest of the students of the class with an opportunity to develop both of these abilities. Children understand the learning difficulties of a child sent to their class for inclusive education. Very soon they acquire an understanding of the things their new classmate can and can’t do. They learn to help in every way: Academics, colouring, games, getting in the school van etc.

It is always a treat to ask children about what kind of help their new friend needs just a week after the child is admitted to their classroom. They will give you a detail list of support that is required for such a student. Even greater pleasure is to find out that the rest of the students know exactly when they need to stay back and let their friend make an effort rather than depending on them.

Once the school administration has the benefits of inclusive education rooted deep within their minds and souls comes the step of developing the same belief among the teaching faculty and the students. The head of the institution needs to highlight the benefits of having an additional support need child to the faculty and students one after another with conviction and eloquence. It often takes teachers a longer time to come to terms with having a child with additional support needs in their classroom as they usually translate it to be ‘extra work’. That’s where some type of training is always beneficial. Once the teachers learn how to handle the additional support needs they become more confident and then tend to enjoy their new responsibility.

A note of caution: Some of the parents of the children with whom the additional support needs children are to study might need a briefing as well. The misconceptions about children with special needs are common. Some of which are: “Our children will waste a lot of time because of these children,” or “Why should my child be helping another child climb the stairs?” or sometimes even such preposterous questions like “Is it contagious?”

Parents of children with additional support needs must know the learning targets of their child. They should be trained on how to provide special help at home and then they might need to get involved in the development of adaptive tools or learning aids for their child.
Inclusive education is a sign of a healthy and robust community; A community where people with learning difficulties are given a chance to perform to the best of their abilities. A good inclusive program reflects the patience and broadmindedness of the community at large - the two things we desperately need to develop within our ranks!