ROLE OF TEACHERS, PARENTS, PEERS, ADMINISTRATORS,

COMMUNITY, NGOs, GOVERNMENT AND PRIVATE

ORGANIZATIONS FOR CREATING INCLUSIVE SCHOOL
Prepared and compiled by Mikael L Chuaungo, Research Associate, Faculty Development Centre, Mizoram University. For
use as study material only

Role of Teachers:

Teachers play a pivotal role for bringing about inclusion. The literature on inclusive
education is undisputed about no matter how excellent the educational infrastructure might be,
how well articulated the educational policy might be, how well resourced a program might be,
effective inclusion does not take place until regular classroom teachers deliver relevant and
meaningful instruction to all learners irrespective of differences or disability. Child development
research also confirms the centrality of the teacher’s role to ensure inclusion and create an
environment rich with opportunities to learn for all. The key role responsibilities of a teacher for
creating inclusive school are highlighted in the following points:

1.Developing Positive Attitude: Inclusion takes place as a result of the leadership role that the
teacher plays to create a learning environment that ensures positive attitudes from both the
teacher and learners towards inclusion. The teacher himself/herself must develop positive
attitudes towards the process of inclusion and set an example to encourage the learners to adopt
the kind of attitude that the teacher possesses. This will develop a healthy learning environment
where the need of every individual is given importance and in the meantime ensure cooperation
to create inclusive classrooms and school.

2.Modification of Curriculum: Most teachers who teach in an inclusive classroom modify their
curricula to meet the needs of their special education students. Curriculum modifications can
include the provision of an audio-taped text, shortened assignments and summarized chapters of
the textbook as well as tools such as graphic organizers and color-coded chapters to enhance a
student's level of comprehension. Teachers also employ different methods and strategies to fit
the learning styles and pace of all learners. Therefore, the individualized instruction system is
practiced to make the classroom more inclusive.

3.Communication: It is important for inclusion teachers to advocate the needs of their students
by ensuring that resources such as peer tutoring, instructional assistants, team teaching and staff
development opportunities are available along with consistent policies that assess the individual
student's progress. Teachers also should communicate regularly with the principal to make sure
that she is aware of the specific learning needs of the special education students and the academic
resources that are necessary for them to experience success in the inclusive classroom setting.
4.Continuous Professional Development: Many inclusion teachers attend in-service training or
professional development sessions to hone their skills in curriculum modification, instructional
techniques and collaborative teaching strategies that allow special education teachers, specialists
and mainstream teachers to team teach. Teachers also gets acquainted with the latest trends and
innovations in the field of inclusive education, which in overall drives the process of creating an
inclusive school.

5.Collaborative Teaching: Collaboration is the process of merging the knowledge, experience

and skills of all partners to meet common goals. Collaboration occurs among all educational
partners, ranging from instructional resource teachers and classroom/subject teachers to parents.
This can happen both formally, such as a scheduled meeting, and informally, such as a work
room conversation. Such collaboration may involve:
a) Problem solving around program planning, choice of instructional strategies, interpretation
of assessment data to inform instruction.
b) Participation on service delivery teams, program planning teams.
c) Preparation and/or follow up regarding parent-teacher conferences.
d) Sharing resources.
e) Common planning such as grade level or department meetings.

6.Cooperative-Teaching: Co-teaching can occur between two classroom/subject teachers or other

education professionals. In this context, it refers to a classroom/subject teacher and special
educator. Co teaching for inclusion may take place in different ways:
a) Working collaboratively in the same physical space
b) Collaborating on the delivery, assessment and evaluation of outcomes
c) Devoting time for planning, reflection and /or problem solving

7.Coordinating Provisions for Support Services: The teacher is responsible for carrying out the
ground work for all support services that are available for children with special needs. All the
support services that are available from the government, communities, family etc are coordinated
by the teacher to suit the needs of the learners. This requires identification and organization and
implementation on the part of the teacher

8.Liasoning with Different Agencies: The inclusive teacher keeps in continuous contact with
special educators in regard to the education of child with special needs and to update and share
information and knowledge regarding their education. Moreover, the teacher is expected to keep
constant liasoning with different NGOs and private organizations working in this field for aiding
support services for children with special needs.

Role of Parents:
 Various researchers have posited parental participation in education figures as one of the
most important aspects of current educational reforms and also as fundamental principles of
contemporary concept of inclusive education. The findings of numerous studies indicate that
parental involvement in various school programs has significantly contributed to the success of
inclusive school program. Here are how parents play an important role to create inclusive schools;

1. Encouraging Positive Attitude and Engagement: Parents of both the differently-abled as

well as normal children have the responsibility to develop a positive attitude and wider
perspective towards others and the essence of inclusion. Parents of normal children can
inculcate acceptance towards the differently-abled kids and parents of the differently abled
can develop a positive attitude in their children to be a part of the general school environment.
Further, the differently-abled kids can be encouraged to participate in activities, develop
friendships and engage themselves in the educative process.

2. Awareness of Rights: Parents should be fully aware of the rights of their child to have an
inclusive education. Sometimes schools may not support a family’s desire for inclusion, in
such cases, the parents can influence the policy making as well as decision making process
by informing about the Rights of the child to receive education in an inclusive school.

3. Advising Curriculum Adaptations and Teaching Methods: Families of differently-abled

children can often provide useful advice for curriculum adaptation and teaching methods, as
they often know best the functional limitations as well as strength of their children. Moreover,
by giving parents a say in this and taking into account their priorities for instruction, it is more
likely that skills learned at school are also applied at home. At the same time, some curriculum
adaptations will be beneficial to children who, despite not having a disability, might have
some special educational needs. This is why it is always better for parent aides to be
considered as available teacher support rather than assigned to individual students.

4. Providing Resources: In many cases, the school is not financially equipped to provide all the
necessary resources and equipment to foster inclusion of all children. Parents can often play
a significant role by providing the needs of their children with special need to a great extent.
For instance, parents of a hearing impaired child, if possible, can provide hearing aid to the
child and save the school the trouble of going beyond their limits to bring about inclusion.

5. Supporting Inclusion Beyond Schools: Very often we see that despite the inclusion initiative
taken at by the school for differently-abled children, they are still not fully included due to the
exclusive environments that exist outside the school life. The fact that these students are not
invited to their non-disabled peer birthday parties, play dates etc hinders the process of
inclusion in the school as well. It thus, falls in the hands of parents to take initiative in
 supporting the cause of inclusion outside the school which will further enhance inclusion in
the school environment. The family along with the school can ensure the spread of desirable
practices to address stigma and prejudice.
Role of Peers:

The role of peers in inclusive schools can never be stressed enough. The interaction that
takes place among peer groups has a great impact on the emotional, social and academic progress.
When the child has good experience with peers, it creates excitement and develops attachments
to school life especially for those that are differently-abled. Years of research on inclusive
practices indicate the strong positive impacts of peer supports. It can contribute to the smooth
functioning of inclusive schools in the following ways;

1. Academic Support: Students are often more willing to accept help from peers than teachers.
So, many times the more advanced peers act as supplementary teachers in inclusive
classrooms. The strive for inclusion requires strategic peer support interventions. The
following are the innovative ways in which peer support can be used to meet the instructional
needs of students who are differently abled.
a) Collaborative Learning
Collaborative learning is an educational approach that involves groups of students
working together to solve a problem, complete a task, or create a product. It is a strategy
that is used to reinforce skills taught by the teacher which allows time for practice,
review and opportunities to use higher level thinking skills.
b) Cross-Age Peer Support
This is another strategy that assists with learning in the general educational setting. It
typically involves older students, usually high school age, who provide instructional
support for elementary or lower class students.

2. Emotional Support: There is a clear emotional benefit of positive social interaction on every
learner. Every child wants to feel accepted and be a part of peer groups. It can create a sense
of belonging inside an inclusive classroom. When children who are differently-abled feels
the acceptance from their peers at school, they tend to exhibit certain level of motivation and
the urge to be engaged in the educative process. Even the students without disabilities require
such emotional support. Thus, the peer interaction in the classrooms and schools played a
crucial role in realizing the core essence of inclusive education.

3. Social Support: Peer group is the basic agent through which children develop their social
skills. Often the differently-abled children have poor social skills due to the stigmatization
of such students leading to segregation. It is in this aspect that the peer groups and
interactions among peers become crucial to achieve the goal of social inclusion in schools.
 There is a certain strategy that is employed formally by schools to enhance social peer
support called Peer Modelling. Peer modeling is a strategy that provides children with the
opportunity to learn social skills from typically developing peers through games and
activities. Lessons are designed so that children learn while they play and observe the proper
behavior of others. Through structured play sessions, children are able to practice and acquire
social skills pertaining to pragmatic language, friendship, self-esteem, and overall socio-
economic development.

4. Physical Support: Physically impaired students often face problems in maneuvering in and
around the classrooms and schools. Help in such area can be provided by peers as the students
tend to be more willing to accept help than the teachers. For example, a child in wheelchairs
may have no problem being strolled by a peer than by a teacher. Moreover, the physical
support can result in the easier engagement of those having difficulties in various activities
within the school, thereby enhancing the inclusion process.
Peer support are however, usually conceptualized as a typical student helping a differently-
abled student, but it can be so much more. It is important to recognize that peer supports are
not just uni-directional and that each member of the supportive community benefits when we
all help each other out

Role of Administrators

There are three themes that revolve around the role of administrators which share the
common goal of uniting members of the school community in some form or fashion, while
still recognizing and respecting individual differences.

1. Building bridges: The most important role played by the administrator is to bring people
together and set a common inclusive direction between persons who might have different
perspectives and interests. This could be within staffs, or alternately between staffs and
students or even a parent group and community as well. How this might be accomplished
varies across administrators but, it typically involves creating opportunity for sharing and
listening, as well as developing and sharing of a school’s vision.

2. Support: The school administrator is considered as a support system for staff, offering any
form of assistance that circumstances call for. Without adequate support, teachers may find
themselves teaching in a bubble and isolated in their efforts to achieve the goals of inclusive
education and address the day-to-day challenges presented to them. Providing whatever
form of support is required, to assist teachers in facilitating the success of every student is
a crucial role of inclusive administrators, and this goes a long way in the creation of
inclusive schools.
3. Setting Direction (Visioning): A leader sets agendas and goals, set discussions and brings
things to the table and also creates conditions so that the staff can do what they have to do.
But in the end, the administrator is someone who helps to share people’s visions and builds
understandings without building them for them. Inclusive administrators must identify
themselves as being instrumental in facilitating the process of generating a shared vision
than to simply develop a vision and imposing it upon others.

Role of Community:

Schools cannot exist in isolation from the community. Education is a social initiative;
therefore, the community plays a crucial role in the creation of inclusive school. The
community in which the school is situated, community of the students and teachers etc. all
contributed towards the creation of an inclusive school.

1. Promoting sensitization and awareness: The community can help in eliminating negative
attitudes, prejudice, assumptions and stereotypes which are the common barriers to create
an inclusive school. The negative attitudes of students, parents, teachers etc. are often
influenced by their own background and community. Thus, initiatives taken by the
communities in promoting sensitization and awareness towards inclusion develop positive
attitudes which are of crucial importance in creating an inclusive school. Elimination of
discrimination and stigmatization due to disabilities or diseases like HIV/AIDS within the
society channels down to the school and helps in bringing about inclusion.

2. Assistance to marginalized and under-privileged students: The support of parents and

school alone is almost never enough to ensure the inclusion of marginalized and under-
privileged students. There are certain needs that the school has no control over and
limitations in how that the school can provide, this is where the assistance of community
comes into place. For instance, the assistance provided by the community in terms of
controlling illness and hunger etc. among marginalized and under-privileged students
ensure the smooth implementation of inclusion in the school.

3. Providing human resources: The community can provide human resources to meet the
needs of inclusive schools to embrace diversity and cherish differences, maybe in the form
of guest teachers and resource persons to teach local stories, poems, folklore and materials
to represent the diverse culture and language of communities to which the learners belong.
This can build a sense of recognition among the children and enable them to relate the
instruction given in such classes.
 4. Building awareness to the Rights of Children with Disabilities: Communities can also
help in spreading awareness towards the Rights of Children with Disabilities by conducting
sensitization programs with active participation of people with disabilities.
It is also of crucial importance that the community monitor the realization of child’s
Rights by the school and be on the lookout for violation of these Rights. This can help in
ensuring that such children enjoy their Right in the school which in turn is the driving force
behind the creation of inclusive schools.

Role of NGOs:

Non-governmental organizations are groups that are entirely or largely independent of

governments and have primarily humanitarian objectives, within which provisions of
services for people with disabilities is one of the common objectives of many NGOs. The
various roles played by NGOs for creating inclusive school are highlighted in the following
points;

1. Identifying children in need and ensuring their placement: Many NGOs especially in
India have been working relentlessly to identify children in need of education. After
identifying these children, they ensure their placement in an age appropriate class in nearby
schools as per the provisions of the Right to Education Act 2009. This service is an
enhancement of the notion, bringing education to the child. The initiative of NGOs helps
in ensuring that the general schools are inclusive and catering to the needs of all types of
children.

2. Keeping track of the identified children: The NGOs after identifying and ensuring
placement, keep track of these children using their own network of NGOs and other
supporting organizations. Whenever a family is migrating, the grass root NGOs takes
details of their new location and inform another NGO working in the same area who would
eventually take the responsibility of taking care of the educational needs in the new area.

3. Providing resources: Many NGOs are also providing resources to educational institutions
and to individuals to foster the process of inclusion. In the case of children with disabilities,
the concerned NGOs often provide equipment that they need like hearing aids, wheelchairs
etc. to schools or to individuals to make the school an inclusive one.

4. Introducing innovative practices through research: There are several NGOs who are
engaged in conducting studies and research in the field of inclusive education and often
come up with innovative practices and strategies that can be implemented in schools to
ensure inclusion.
 In India, for example, the Spastic Societies in Bombay, Tamil Nadu, Bangalore, Calcutta and
Delhi have made significant contributions by developing innovative approaches to provide
access to services for a number of children with disabilities. Many other NGOs also have
contributed towards inclusive schooling by coming up with new ideas and practices that
include teacher training programs and learning materials etc.

Role of Government:

The role of government for creating inclusive school can be briefly explained in the
following;

1. Providing legal action and legislation: The government is responsible to provide legal
action and legislations to foster inclusive education and schooling. This implies that the
educational policies must take a rights based approach, supported by appropriate
legislations. The government of India, for example, has shaped educational policies that is
embedded with the essence of inclusion based on the Right to Education (RTE) Act and
the persons with disabilities (PWD) Acts etc. the government also sets up agencies like the
Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI) which all ensure the smooth implementation of
inclusive education throughout the country.

2. Provisions to Provide Educational Resources: The government also makes provisions

and is the single most crucial agency to provide educational resources through funds and
also in kind, for creating inclusive schools. The resources provided range from trained
teachers, special educators, infrastructure, equipment and devices, all necessary to make
schools become inclusive.

3. Initiatives in curriculum design: The initiatives taken by the government in designing

curriculum that fits all students and ensure equal access to all levels of education and all
types of schools is an important factor in creative inclusive schools. The government of
India through agencies like the NCERT develops a curriculum framework i.e. NCF which
embodies the basic essence of inclusion. The school curriculums followed throughout the
countries are then designed in the light of the NCF, thus, the essence of inclusion trickles
down to every level of schooling.

4. Cooperating with different organizations: The government works together with various
organizations such as NGOs with educational objectives towards implementing various
governmental programs and also in exchanging resources and information in the field of
inclusion. The government can, and has been cooperating with international organizations
like UNESCO, UNICEF, World Bank etc to promote the exchange of best practices and
assistance to implement the policies of inclusive education in schools.
5. Developing and implementing schemes: The government is also responsible in
developing and implementing schemes to promote universal access, attention and retention
in education. In India, a number of schemes like SSA, RMSA etc have been implemented
and these schemes enhanced the development of inclusive schooling all over the country.
Apart from these, the government launch scholarship schemes for all as well as separately
for girls, backward classes etc to make sure, as far as possible that financial matters does
not hamper the process of inclusion.

Role of Private Organizations

There has been a growing trend in education becoming a private endeavor all around the
world. The role of private organizations for creating inclusive schools can be explained
briefly;

1. Establishing private inclusive school: Private organizations have been on the inroad of
providing access to education and schooling. Traditionally, schools were established and
run by the state, but it is encouraging to see education motives moving away from a very
traditional approach to schooling both in terms of establishment and the nature of schools,
becoming inclusive even in the private sector.
Private schools, today, have taken initiatives to ensure inclusion as per the
provisions laid down by the government in countries like India. The RTE Act has provided
guidelines and norms for inclusion even in private schools and the UEE and USE are also
being implemented in private schools all over India.

2. Sharing knowledge and skills: Private organizations have been vital in the process of
sharing knowledge and skills in the field of inclusive education. Areas such as leadership
management and teachers training, capacity development and organizational and
leadership skills, necessary for improving the quality of education has fallen to a great
extent, under the purview of private organizations ranging from multinationals to the basic
private schools.

3. Adoption of schools: The concept and practice of school adoption is on the rise lately. The
primary objective of school adoption is to transform schools that are lacking behind into
model schools, so that they are on the same level as the best schools in terms of quality,
facilities, infrastructure and performance. Private schools, with good track record can also
adopt at least one school and help in transfer of knowledge and skills as well.