SDG 2030 – Inclusive Education – A Pipe-Dream
Inclusive education is about every school going child, children going to a school to
learn about the world that surrounds them, much that we are ignorant
about and, to learn about children different from us. To understand and be
sensitive to the issues and facts relating to people who are different from us and
giving expression to differing capabilities and creativity.
Inclusive education is about inclusion of all those children who have not been able to
go to school mainly because of financial reasons, or other society related problems of
being backward, of being stigmatised for any number of reasons or on account of a
disability or being, differently abled.
ASJ has through the years expressed grave concern for those children we have left
behind, barred from schools because of a disability problem or the inability to keep-
up with other children of a common age-group.
The ‘Right’ to education is a ‘Fundamental Right’ accorded to every child.
Children as human beings are born unique, each with her/his unique abilities and
requirements. Inclusive Education must take into consideration the learning and
physical abilities of children and ensure the educational curriculum more diverse,
progressive and inclusive. How can any education thrive if it excludes more than 10%
of its target population and, creative talent?
Definition Of Vulnerability
Vulnerability is the susceptibility to physical or emotional injury or attack. It also
means to have one’s guard down, open to censure or criticism. Vulnerability refers to
a person’s state of being liable to succumb to manipulation, persuasion or
temptation. Vulnerability research covers development and poverty studies, public
health, ecology and risk management.
A sub-category of vulnerability research is social vulnerability, where
researchers are increasingly addressing some of the problems of complex human
interactions, vulnerability of specific groups of people, natural disasters, climate
change, and other disruptions.
Psychological Manipulation
Psychological manipulation indicates imposition of a social influence with
the objective of changing the behaviour or perceptions through underhand, deceptive
and abusive tactics for advancing the interests and intentions of the manipulator, in
most cases detrimental to and at the cost of the abused. Such coercive methods are
termed and accepted to be exploitative, abusive, devious and deceptive.
Abuse
Abuse is defined as any activity, physical or verbal, that is harmful,
injurious, or offensive. Abuse also includes excessive and wrongful
misuse of any individual, person, place or thing. Abuse can be perpetrated
through physical abuse, sexual abuse (whether child or adult),
physical/financial/emotional abuse of the elderly, substance abuse and other related
offensive activity with the objective to intimidate, degrade, debase, humiliate, to strip
them of their clothing, cause harm and injury by burning or use of any sharp
instrument besides physical assault on the person of the child.
Physical abuse of a child is the infliction of injury by any other person. The injuries
can include punching, kicking, biting, burning, beating, or pulling the victim’s hair.
The physical abuse inflicted on a child can result in bruises, burns, poisoning, broken
bones and internal hemorrhages.
Physical assault against an adult primarily occurs with women, usually in the form of
domestic violence. It is estimated that a majority of children have been
witness to/exposed to domestic violence in one form or other in their
childhood, adolescence and teens and some even after achieving
adulthood.
Sexual abuse can also take the form of rape. The legal definition of rape
includes only slight penile penetration in the victim’s outer vulva area. Complete
erection and ejaculation are not necessary. Rape is the perpetration of an act of
sexual threats, injury, intimidation and intercourse whether
The victim is overcome by force or fear (from threats or by use of drugs).
Mental impairment/mentally retarded, vision impaired, renders the victim
incapable and a victim unable to express or declare with clarity what
happened in the presence of collaborators.
The age/age of consent of the victim is of no relevance since the individual is
ever at the mercy of her/his care-givers and open to abuse always without any
reprieve or redress and issues relating to consent do not arise.
Comprehending “violence” against women with disabilities
Violence against disabled women is a silent act because in a majority of cases women
fail to realise they are victims, or fail to communicate the act of violence. Even if it is
communicated, seldom does it inspire belief. In most cases the perpetrators are not
brought to book. There is also the fear that reporting the abuse could snap bonds
with the caretakers.
Sensitizing Government and Media – Advocacy Programmes
This is a rather sensitive topic for all legislative, administrative and media barons.
The fact remains that there are 38 million children with disability deprived of
schooling or any educational or skill enabling facility in South Asia alone. According
to UNICEF estimates, 70% of these children can attend regular schools provided the
environment is made accessible to the challenged and schools sensitised to develop
systems and environments to include them. The most vulnerable, deprived and
underserved segment in this 38 million are girls.
The need of the hour is for media, politicians, educationists, administrators and
other stake holders to openly discuss this specifically underserved segment and give
it the importance it commands. This segment needs to be seen, heard and
represented which, is never the case.
ASJ Objectives in the immediate future
i. to extend full support to all ‘Mother & Child Care’ programmes and
initiatives
ii. People in the rural belts and those at the grass root level would have
‘Community Based’ access to health and medical professionals and
facilities including captive community transportation facilities for
emergencies.
iii. All expenses would be funded by the ASJ Trust funds generated by
supportive, like-minded individuals and communities.
iv. ‘ASJ Resource Centers’ would be manned by career professionals
both men and women above the age of 60 from our ‘Information Bank of
Senior Citizens’ to cover any deficiency in service/services and access to an
alternate facility.
v. These ‘ASJ Community Resource Centers’ would also function
as ‘Information & Facilitation Centers’ for government subsidies and
social welfare programmes. Full guidance and support would be readily
available for the local communities to access these welfare programmes.
vi. The ‘Information Bank of Senior Citizens’, doctors, teachers,
legal professionals, technocrats, social workers and community educators
would evolve a pattern of life-centered, life-supporting services and work
openings/options for every member of society.
vii. Advocacy and ‘Lobby’ to institute/establish legislation to protect
the ‘Fundamental Rights’ of senior citizens and local and indigenous
communities to health, shelter, education, employment and old-age care.
viii. Access to housing, primary health-care centers, hospitals, schools
Empower and Mainstream the Vulnerable Women & Children
Security – Capacity Building – Awareness Building – Behaviour change
To Empower
Justice: social, economic, academic & political;
Liberty: of thought, expression, belief, faith & worship;
Equality: of political representation, intellectual expression, employment
opportunities, professional & social status
With the destruction of homes, family unity and the social fabric are
destroyed
women and children bear the brunt of being homeless, and
are not listed as such for redress or relief in government development
programmes.
The special needs of women are not a government priority but viewed
as a concession, a favour.
Empower Women NOW
EMPOWER
A social condition where men and women can take control of their lives, define their
own priorities, gain skills, gain recognition for their expertise and skills, increased
self-confidence, evolve solutions to challenges that confront them and, enjoy the
freedom to experience and act according to their will.
Women represent 70% of the world’s poor – in India (South-east Asia), 70% of this
population resides in India
a. more than 1.2 billion still subsist on less than $1 per day – for India the figure
is around 560 million. ASJ is dedicated to provide skill enhancement
programmes of the future alongwith placement options to ensure positive and
long-term mainstreaming.
b. At least 6 out of 10 women are beaten, coerced into sex or otherwise abused by
an intimate partner in the course of their lifetime. For India the figures are at
100%; a country without any social security except for the most affluent how
can any woman protest on issues of ill-treatment at home and the fear of
being kicked, beaten, bruised and battered out of what she has been made to
believe, is her home, only to become a victim of predaters on the streets and
prostituted at every turn totally unprotected by the State. Counselling,
support services and legal redress must be a continuous on-going activity.
i. A married woman regrdless of her age can be turned out of her house in the
middle of the night and her Rights/ Claims would take around a life-time
to establish, if at all.
ii. It is estimated that, worldwide, 3 in 5 women have experienced assault,
attempt to rape or, is a victim of rape in her life time – which is true for India
iii. Women experience sexual harassment throughout their lives.
iv. Homelessness is an experience causing loss of self-esteem, confidence and
identity
v. Homeless mothers raising their children on the streets who in turn, will be
homeless and parent babies who will remain homeless.
vi. Employment helps homeless women trying to get back on their feet to at least
HOPE, to aspire for something higher for herself and her children.
vii. In 2021, 31.9% women were moderately or, severely food insecure as
compared to 27.6%of men.
viii. Gender Gap – 2.4 billion women of working age lack equal working
opportunity.
(GenderData from UN Women January 2025)
UN(ECLAC – OH CHR)
Disclaimer: Reporting in ASJ is first person always. We also support our views with
those of other organisations of standing in this particular area of study and we do our
very best to give information and credit lines to their work to ensure that people in need
may refer back to them if they should feel the need without coming back to us.
We request all stake-holders to bear with us in the event of any error or deficiency in the
credit line and will be corrected the moment we receive such information. aurobindo
aurobindo
Curator
