“Ensuring Every Child’s Access to Quality Education and Lifelong Learning”

“Inclusive education promotes giving all children a fair chance to go to school, learn and develop their skills.” – Pavani Kelam, Special Instruction In-charge, Oakridge International School, Visakhapatnam

Every child is unique, and it requires a trained eye to identify their diverse needs. Inclusive education has gained a lot of prominence in recent years in order to meet the growing needs of society and the world.  

UNICEF defines inclusive education as all children in the same classrooms, in the same schools. It means real learning opportunities for groups who have traditionally been excluded – not only children with disabilities, but speakers of minority languages too.

Inclusive education lays down the importance of quality education and learning for every child – which includes children with learning gaps, learning difficulties, and disabilities. It’s quite common to find students with learning disabilities having ambitious dreams and innate talents which would contribute to their future. It’s equally important for education leaders and policymakers to not overlook their needs and dreams, despite supporting and providing them with equal opportunities to develop their skills and understand their potential.  

To make inclusive education a reality in every school we need to do the following:

ensure that educators have the training, flexibility, and resources to teach students with diverse needs and learning styles

empower parents to assert their children’s right to education in inclusive settings

enable the entire community—including mainstream and special educators, social workers, parents, and students—to work together and participate in the design, delivery, and monitoring of education, thereby reframing inclusive education as a shared responsibility

A teacher plays a crucial role in identifying the needs of the children and guiding them to achieve their endeavours. Being a trained special educator, I have had the privilege of dealing with students with special needs and learning difficulties. Professional development is the key factor that aids the teacher in delivering quality education and meeting the needs of all the children. I owe it to Oakridge International School for entrusting me and giving me an opportunity to look at the world from a different perspective. I’m happy and content to see the development of those students moving forward step by step in their journey of learning and wish more schools would step up their efforts to nurture our children, thus helping to create a just society.

Pavani Kelam

Special Instruction In-charge