NATIONAL

INITIATIVES

Dr. Geeta Rani,

Gaur Brahman College of Education,
Rohtak.
THE INDIAN EDUCATION COMMISSION
(1964-66)
 The Indian Education Commission was the first statutory
body to suggest that the education of handicapped
children has to be organized not merely on humanitarian
grounds, but also on grounds of utility. The Commission
also emphasized that the education of children with
disabilities should be “an inseparable part of the general
education system”.
 Atthe times when the Commission made its
recommendations there were less than 250 special
schools in India.

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 The Commission felt that services for children
with disabilities were extremely inadequate and
recommended the adoption of a dual approach,
namely, the provisions of special as well as
integrated education to improve the situation.
 The Commission also specifically emphasized the
importance of integrated education in developing
mutual understanding between children with and
without disabilities.
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KOTHARI COMMISSION:-

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The first educational commission in India (Kothari
Commission, 1964-66) addressed issues of access and
participation by all. It stressed a common school
system open to all children irrespective of caste,
creed, community, religion, economic condition and
social status.

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CONTD...

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 In 1968, the National Education Policy followed the
commission’s recommendations and suggested the
expansion of educational facilities for physically and
mentally handicapped children, and the development
of an ‘integrated programme’ enabling handicapped
children to study in regular schools.

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CONTD…

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 In 1968, the National Education Policy followed the
commission’s recommendations and suggested the
expansion of educational facilities for physically and
mentally handicapped children, and the development
of an ‘integrated programme’ enabling handicapped
children to study in regular schools.

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2. NATIONAL POLICY ON
EDUCATION (NPE, 1968):

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 In 1968, the Indian Government formulated the
National Policy on Education for all government
schools and articulated a need to integrate students
with disabilities.
 It emphasized that whenever feasible, the education
of children with motor handicaps and other mild
disabilities should be provided in regular schools.

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3. INTEGRATED EDUCATION FOR
DISABLED CHILDREN (IEDC, 1974):
 In 1974, the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment,
Government of India, initiated the IEDC program to promote
the integration of students with mild to moderate disabilities
into regular schools.
 The state governments were provided 50 percent financial
assistance to implement this program in regular schools.
However, the program met with little success.

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 Due to the failure of the IEDC scheme, it was revised in
1992. Until 1990, the scheme was implemented in 14 states.
Kerala is the only state that has shown remarkable

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progress in implementing this scheme.
 In Kerala, the scheme has been implemented in 4,487
schools and 12,961 children have been served under this
scheme
 By 1979-80, only 1,881 children from 81 schools all over
the country had benefited from this program.

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 4. NATIONAL POLICY ON EDUCATION
(NPE) (1986):-
 Two decades later, the National Policy on Education (NPE)

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(1986) stressed the ‘removal of disparities’ in education, while
attending to the specific needs of those who had been denied
equality so far (MHRD, 1986).
 It stated ‘the objective should be to integrate the physically
and mentally handicapped with the general community as
equal partners, to prepare them for normal growth, and to
enable them to face life with courage and confidence’.

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CONTD…

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 In 1987, to fulfill the provisions for disabled children
in the NPE, the government launched the Project for
Integrated Education Development (PIED). It states
‘wherever feasible, the education of children with
motor handicaps and other mild handicaps will be in
common with that of others’.

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CONTD…

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According to the NPE, ‘the indicators of integration
are that handicapped people enjoy the same rights as
the rest, have opportunities for growth and
development in environmental conditions available to
the rest, have access to the quality of life like any
other citizen, and are treated as equal in the
community’.

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CONTD…

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 The programme of action outlined measures to
implement the policy including massive in-service
training programmes for teachers; an orientation
programme for administers; the development of
supervisory expertise in resource institutions for
school education at the district and block level; and
provision of incentives such as supply of aids,
appliances, textbooks and school uniforms.

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THANK YOU.
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