From Special to Inclusive Education in India

Chapter 2

The Indian School System: Policy and Reality

This chapter analyses Indian policy on school education, policy with regard to children regarded as having special educational needs, and how the policy stands in terms of reality. It begins with a brief description of the governance and structure of the school system in India, and then moves on to discuss the policies in regard to school education with a focus on the universalisation of elementary education (UEE) meaning ‘free and compulsory education’ for all children aged 6–14 years. The children in the case study schools were chosen from the age group of 6–14 to keep the research linked to the larger national goal of the UEE. The policy analysis is set within questions of equality of ...