Seeking Practice Informed Policy for Inclusive Education in India

The sustainable development Goals and directives including the Salamanca Statement have encouraged debate and policy development for the promotion of inclusive education. In India, initiatives introduced to support increased access to learning for children from disadvantaged groups, provide evidence of endeavour to challenge exclusion and create opportunities for all learners. The Right of children to Free and Compulsory Education Act reiterated the intention to ensure the provision of universal education. However, policy initiatives alone cannot achieve sustainable change. The adoption of western models of inclusion will have limited impact, and there is a need to understand practices that support inclusion in Indian schools. A systematic review of the literature, considered the need to develop an understanding of measures that are being adopted to promote inclusive education in India. It is suggested that whilst there is a significant corpus of literature that discusses inclusion as a concept, there is a limited empirical base from which to gain an understanding of those actions being taken to promote access to learning. The author recommends that research into pedagogical practice and a methodical approach to dissemination are essential to gain confidence in developing inclusive classrooms.