Embracing ‘special’ students

A child has special educational needs if he is developmentally ‘delayed’ or diagnosed with a learning disability such as dyslexia or dysgraphia. This means that the child is either mentally, physically, socially or emotionally not able to meet to the requirements of the traditional classroom environment. They may have difficulty in communicating with teachers and peers, or have trouble coping with schoolwork. In such a situation, children are enlisted in special educational programs that cater their specific needs which help them adapt in society.

Unfortunately, special education in Pakistan has severely deteriorated over the past many years as neither teachers nor parents are eager to give these children the best possible learning experience. Moreover, special education is only restricted to the primary or Montessori level and, as of yet, no initiatives have been taken to extent such programmes to higher education. In light of the situation, President Arif Alvi recently announced that the HEC is preparing a policy under which fees of special students attending post-graduation classes are to be waived off. While the initiative may provide differently-abled students who are financially weak with an opportunity to progress at a higher level, the initiative alone does not address the issue at a broader level.

Apart from hefty fees that some private institutions may take for special education, the stigma around learning disability has also hampered progress in this area. In many cases, parents are not ready to except the fact that their child is “special” and hence force them into an environment they are not comfortable with. Pakistan has long struggled with the problem of inclusivity — we find it easier to shun those that are different rather than help them incorporate in society. This is because existing systems only cater to those that have exceptional expertise, which was laid from a scientific perspective. Instead of fostering a competitive environment of first and last, educational systems and criteria’s need to be reworked to embrace diversity and difference.