School curriculum for children with disabilities

More than half the children with disabilities in Bangladesh do not receive any formal education, according to a report conducted by Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) with technical support from UNICEF. There are reportedly only 20 schools in the country, which have the capacity to teach differently abled children. There is no fixed curriculum for these children. As the children remain uneducated and untrained, they fail to find work and earn a dignified living. Many disabled children lag behind when they are admitted to regular schools since there is no separate curriculum for differently abled children. Their assessment process is also the same as other children. Besides, there is no proper infrastructure for children with disabilities.
Inclusion of differently-abled children to education can become a life-changing step for them. There should be a separate curriculum for children with disabilities and it should be prepared to incorporate their needs. The teachers also need more training to teach children with disabilities. We should provide differently-abled children an opportunity to integrate them into mainstream education and the workforce. We need to create an inclusive environment where they can thrive. If educators, policymakers and other stakeholders collaborate in this task, these children can change their lives for the better.

Afroza Sheikh,
Dania, Dhaka,
ilcbd2008@gmail.com