“Dream is not that which you see while sleeping, it is something that does not let you sleep.” Late Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, Former President of India. Blessings received at VVIP lounge at Ahmedabad Domestic Airport. “Father Girish, I am also a Jesuit product. We are proud of your noble mission. Continue to serve and ignite the minds of all.” About the Author Rev. Dr. Girish Santiago, SJ, the author of this book, is a Jesuit of the Gujarat Province. He is a co-missionary in preserving and developing the Church’s Mission in North Gujarat since 1984. His writings, presentations and interventions in the national and international workshops and symposiums reveal his local rootedness and the global frontier outlook. He is a friend of the differently- abled persons of all categories and all types. ENABLE THE DISABLED is his passionate motto within the vision – mission of the New Evangelization. To strengthen this motto, with his contextual involvements, he has completed his Doctorate in Sociology in Hemchandracharya North Gujarat University, Patan, India. Surabhi Publications Publishers & Distributors 516, 5th Floor, Virani Chambers, Opp. Taskent Petrol Pump, Sardar Gunj, Anand – 388 001. e-mail: [email protected] M.: 09737931777, 09998246541 ` 395.00 Paper Back: Rs. 395.00 Hard Bound : Rs. 1395.00 PROMOTE AND IMPLEMENT INCLUSIVE EDUCATION PROMOTE AND IMPLEMENT INCLUSIVE EDUCATION A Sociological Investigation of the Role of Christian Organizations of Gujarat for the Disabled Children Dr. Girish Santiago, SJ Surabhi Publications i PROMOTE AND IMPLEMENT INCLUSIVE EDUCATION Imprimatur: + Thomas Macwan Archbishop of Gandhinagar © 2016 Surabhi Publications All Rights Reserved Surabhi Publications 516, 5th Floor, Virani Chambers Opp. Taskent Petrol Pump, Sardar Gunj, Anand – 388 001 e-mail: [email protected] M.: 09429252719, 09426583589 ISBN: 978-93-85099-83-0 Printed by Anthony Pitchai Vedam, SJ, Anand Press, Anand – 388 001, Gujarat, India Published & Distributed by Abhishek Dahulia for Surabhi Publications, Anand ii PROMOTE AND IMPLEMENT INCLUSIVE EDUCATION FOREWORD INCLUDE THE EXCLUDED DISABLED CHILDREN In today’s scenario everyone speaks of inclusion as opposed to exclusion. Inclusive life for an inclusive growth in all spheres of life! Be it social, political, economical or spiritual, everyone finally intents to move from such a stinking stagnant exclusive situations to a vibrant stream of inclusive life. Inclusion necessarily calls for and invites everyone for an integrated self leading to a healthy universal joyful living and acting. It is a call to move from a narrow, closed, cloistered mentality to a broad, open, dynamic movement to incorporate all in a community in order to own a healthy future by being becoming human communities. Today, all of us are aware that there have been efforts internationally to include children with disabilities in the educational mainstream. In fact inclusive education entails increasing the participation of students in, and reducing their exclusion from, the cultures, curricula and communities of local schools. In this context, we must understand that an inclusive education is complex and there are several interrelated factors which affect the process which we all must be aware of locally and internationally. As an ongoing process of acquiring knowledge, the passionate disabled- friendly author, Fr. Girish Santiago, SJ, has done an extensive study through our Hemchandracharya North Gujarat University (HNGU), Patan, with an appropriate guidance of Prof. Dr. Jayeshbhai N. Barot, on an Inclusive Education as a hope of the disabled children for a meaningful human integrated life and mission by promoting and implementing through the educational centres of the four Catholic iii PROMOTE AND IMPLEMENT INCLUSIVE EDUCATION dioceses of Gujarat. His analysis indeed appeals the educational centres to have a paradigm shift to include the excluded disabled children in all the educational centres of the Christian organizations. According to me, this call is a timely call from such a committed grass-root catholic missionary not only for their Christian educational centres of Gujarat, for he senses certain discrepancy in the policies and practices within their centres, it is a prophetic call to self check seriously one’s individual and collective conscience as humans and organizations the policies of all the educational centres of all religions and government run schools, colleges and universities of our India and to have a concrete shift from exclusive to inclusive way of life in every rural and urban communities. If we have to “Make in India” creatively a reality then we are gently and gracefully invited by the author to reflect and respond at once by promoting and implementing inclusion of disabled children in all educational centres. Indeed it is a challenging call to all for the noble cause of the challenged persons! Prof. Dr. R. L. Godara, Vice-Chancellor, HNGU, Patan, Gujarat, India. iv PROMOTE AND IMPLEMENT INCLUSIVE EDUCATION ACKNOWLEDGEMENT This research is a product of my lifelong diligence and commitment towards the education of children with disabilities and the community based rehabilitation of persons with disabilities. My initial thanks go to the Lord Almighty who has provided me the strength and bestowed me with His grace to carry this out to the best of my ability. Sincerely, His GRACE is enough for me! At this moment I thank – • my guide Prof. Dr. Jayeshbhai N. Barot for his expert guidance and the HNGU for their cooperation, suggestions and directions. • my friends of Stichting Liliane Fonds Ms. Florie Ladrero (from Netherlands) and Ms. Meena Karimi (from Secunderabad, South India) for their inspirational insights! • my IEDC Cell, GCERT, Gandhinagar office Staff and the Special Olympics Bharat – Gujarat for their ongoing accompaniment in our search and research. • my maternal uncle Rev. Dr. Sebastian Periannan, the former Rector of St. Peter’s Pontifical Seminary, Bangalore, for his book on Research Methodology as an extended inspirational source. • my former (Fr. Jose Changanacherry, SJ) and the present (Fr. Francis Parmar, SJ) Provincial Superiors of the Gujarat Jesuit Province for their encouraging permission and support in confirming the service for and with the disabled persons as one of the present day frontier missions of the Jesuits! v PROMOTE AND IMPLEMENT INCLUSIVE EDUCATION • my respondents from the four Gujarat Catholic Dioceses’ educational centres - school principals, teachers, children with disabilities, their parents and peers for their sincere opened hearts and minds! • my Jesuit, Religious and Diocesan friends for their understanding, support and encouragement to finish my work within the stipulated time. • my teaching and non-teaching Staff of Unteshwari Mata Maria Trust for their dedicated and committed collaboration in God’s Mission. • my motivational Frater Intercontinental of Persons with Disabilities, a Pontifical approved international Faith Based Organization, for her invitation to be one of their advisors and companions from Asia - India in their Core Committee during my research process. • my Spain based foreign benefactors Mr. Rafael Hormigos and Mr. Luis Angel Paisan and the local benefactors for their generous financial and spiritual support to build God’s kingdom here on earth. • my Doctor & Nurse friends and well wishers for their encouraging words to become an academic Doctor in order to serve MORE the humanity with a difference! • my departed Parents, brothers and sisters for nurturing and strengthening my faith and actions! • my kulmata, ancestral Mother Mary of Jesus, locally known as Unteshwari Mata, for her ongoing intercessions to her son Jesus to make me a worthy instrument in revealing the unconditional merciful love of God in and through the inclusive socio-pastoral involvements from the hilltop of the Unteshwari Shrine in order to make truly the local church as an inclusive church! vi PROMOTE AND IMPLEMENT INCLUSIVE EDUCATION List of Acronyms AAMR American Association on Mental Retardation AD Anno Domini, means “in the year of our Lord” ADL Activities of Daily Living AICEP All India Catholic Education Policy AIDS Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome BC Before Christ BEd Bachelor of Education BPA Blind People’s Association BPL Below Poverty Line CBCI Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India CBR Community Based Rehabilitation CCBI Conference of Catholic Bishops’ of India CE Christian Era CNI Church of North India CP Cerebral Palsy CSI Church of South India CWSN Children with Special Needs DD Deaf & Dumb DDA Disability Discrimination Act DESA Department of Economic and Social Affairs DIET District Institute of Education and Training vii PROMOTE AND IMPLEMENT INCLUSIVE EDUCATION DPEP District Primary Education Program DPO Disabled People’s Organisation ECT Electro‐Convulsive Therapy EFA Education for all FBO Faith Based Organization GCERT Gujarat Council for Educational Research and Training GO Government Organization GRIMCO Gujarat Rural Industries and Marketing Corporation HI Hearing Impairment HIV Human Immunodeficiency Virus HL Hearing Loss ICDS Integrated Child Development Scheme ICF International Classification of Functioning IDEA Individuals with Disabilities Education Act IE Inclusive Education IEDC Integrated Education for Disabled Children IEDSS Inclusive Education of Disabled at Secondary Stage IEP Individual Education Plan IGNDPS Indira Gandhi National Disability Pension Scheme IPU Inter-Parliamentary Union IQ Intelligence Quotient JNNURM Jawaharlal