Goa pioneered inclusive edu, say activists rebuking Cabral’s ‘impractical’ remark

Panaji: The Disability Rights Association of Goa has condemned PWD minister Nilesh Cabral’s statement that the New Education Policy’s emphasis on inclusive education for children with special needs is an “impractical” idea. The association said that persons with disabilities in Goa have studied at inclusive schools and colleges and have gone on to become successful professionals even before the Persons with Disabilities Act, 1995, came into force.
“Even today, persons with 75-100% disability have earned degrees such as master of arts, law and business administration. This is a result of inclusive education and not special education,” said the president of the association, Avelino de Sa. “Goa has been a pioneer in the field of inclusive education since 2005.”
A member of the state advisory board on disability, Prakash Kamat, said the cabinet minister’s statement is a setback to the inclusive education movement. He said that it is not right for Cabral to loosely comment on the inclusive education policy because parents of children without disabilities often pressure schools to not admit children with special needs.
“Moreover, many schools are reluctant to provide resource centres and facilities for inclusive education,” Kamat said. “If inclusive schools shirk from giving proper resource rooms and infrastructure, the inclusive education policy is not at fault.”
If inclusive education is not working in some cases, it is only because of the lack of support and understanding from the government, de Sa said. “Today ministers are saying inclusive education is not practical, tomorrow they will say inclusive employment is not possible,” he said. “Inclusive education and employment are the rights of every person with disability as mandated under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016.”
De Sa appealed to ministers not to negate the work done by those in the field of disability rights over the years.
Kamat said inclusive education fosters not only academic advancement but also teaches children how to grow with empathy and in the spirit of inclusivity with children with disabilities. “It is also for parents to understand about the need for inclusion of such children and parents and families of such children,” he said.