We are delighted to welcome Dr Renu Yadav (Central University Haryana), Dr Nidhi Sabharwal (NIEPA), and Ms Sharmila Rathee (University of Delhi) to discuss their research in a seminar on ‘Challenges to Inclusion in Indian Education’ 

This seminar will be chaired by Dr Alison Struthers.

A buffet lunch will be served.

Abstracts

The present research aimed to explore the challenges and opportunities for girls in higher education in India. For the study two states Kashmir and Haryana were selected (however, due to unfavorable conditions in Kashmir in 2016, Jammu was selected). In the first phase of survey in Jammu for ensuring quality higher education for girls ‘Saksham guidelines’ of University Grant Commission (2014) was taken as criteria. Focus group interviews with the girls were also conducted to explore experiences of girls in higher education. The findings of Jammu district suggest that around 50 per cent of the colleges in the sample had complaints regarding safety, public transport to/from the institution, lighting on the campuses, and overall dissatisfaction with toilet facilities, accommodation, health facilities and counselling services for women students. Most of the participants of the government colleges complained about the unhygienic condition of washrooms in college. The second phase of the study will be conducted in colleges and Universities of Haryana.

The higher education system in India has witnessed a rapid growth over the last few decades, and has seen a shift from elite stage of development to a stage of massification. Progressive state policies of affirmative action have played an influencing role in the distribution of higher education opportunities in India and in creating a diverse student body. Diversity in student composition is reflected in terms of their caste, ethnic, class, linguistic, regional, and religious backgrounds. This presentation will share empirical evidence from a large scale mixed-method study on dynamics of emerging phenomenon of student diversity in higher education campuses in India. The empirical evidence from the study showed that the best way to analyse student diversity is by categorising the phenomenon into distinct, but, related stages which not only helps in understanding the issue of diversity, but also provides institutions a framework for action to develop inclusive campuses. These stages are at the level of entry (Stage I), at the level of academic integration after the entry (Stage II), and at the level of interactions and engagements outside the academic activities, that is, in non-academic space, which entails a condition of equality and social inclusion (Stage III). The findings suggest that higher education system in the country has made commendable improvement in achieving social diversity though new forms of inequalities have emerged in the form of institutional and disciplinary segregations. Furthermore, students from the socially disadvantaged background experience low degree of integration in the academic realms in the classrooms, low levels of social interactions and participation in out-of classroom activities. As a result of insensitive and unresponsive institutional culture which also reproduces dominant norms and ideologies, mechanisms of managing experiences in academic and social spheres are mostly ineffective and students remain unsupported. Strengthening of existing institutional mechanisms that address academic and social concerns of diverse students and sensitivity from the higher education institutional managers is essential to promote an inclusive campus environment.

Concepts and practices around inclusion in education has been an area of regular interest among practitioners, policy makers and researchers. However, in Indian context, some social groups have received more attention than others in terms of policy initiatives as well as research focus. For example, Inclusion in terms of disability, schedule castes, scheduled tribes, religious minorities and girls have received comparatively better attention than linguistic minorities, cultural minorities and economically weaker sections. Reflections on current Indian education system clearly present economy based disparities in terms of access to schooling. A clear trend can be seen in terms of class based school choices with upper and middle class families choosing high-fee private schools and lower economic classes going to government schools. In the light of aspirations, there has been a remarkable shift in lower middle classes choosing low-fee private schools over government schools; however there have been little evidences for the quality offered by these schools to meet the aspirations of targeted population (Nambissan, 2012). This scenario resulted in a gap of the accessibility of considered quality of education, which has been one of the main concerns in contemporary education system. To trounce the disparity in terms of school choices due to economic constraints, RtE act has provided provision of 25% reservation for the children belonging to economic weaker and socially disadvantaged groups.

Clause 12 under this Act directs all private schools to admit children belonging to weaker sections and disadvantaged groups from the neighborhood on at least 25% of the total seats of the entry class (pre-school or class I whichever is the case) and provide free education to admitted students till elementary level. Under this provision, private schools were given responsibility to promote social inclusion, recognition and respect for diversity and helping disadvantaged groups to achieve an equal status in society (Sujatha & Sucharita, 2016). While, Right to Education (2009) act has been significant in providing several provisions related to inclusion and covers a vast range of social groups in conceptualizing inclusive education; Present paper specifically focuses on inclusion vis-à-vis social class. Based on an ethnographic study in an elite private school in Delhi, an attempt has been made to explore and understand the practices at school level (micro level practices) in context of this provision to make sense of how different agents at school negotiates with the social and cultural distinctions in such settings.