Vyas, Siddhi
(2014)
Of educational rights and
teaching challenges:
to include and how to include.
Learning Curve (23).
pp. 80-83.
Abstract
Effecting inclusion involves an attitude of
acceptance. The diversity of faiths, customs,
languages, and ethnicities in India places us in
professional, social, personal situations where we
are presented with opportunities to practice
inclusion-- and for acceptance of the differences. In
many ways then we have been practicing aspects of
inclusion-exclusion in our routines of work, social
and personal practices. Given the diversities within
our context inclusion as a concept is thus not new to
Indian society or to its ancient and/or traditional
practices. To note a few examples, the state and
society’s responsibilities towards those in the
community unable to care for themselves was
outlined by Kautilya (c.320 BC) in his presentation
on Formation of Villages, Duties of Government
Superintendents (Shamasastry, 1956). Records also
indicate the socially inclusive approaches to
education observed through madarsah education
during the reign (1556-1605) of Akbar (Choudhary,
2008). In a related example a beloved historical
collection of fables and morals, Panchatantra,
provides an illustration of attending to differences
and adapting teaching to learning needs.
A pre-colonial, possibly the first known text on
pedagogy, Panchatantra relied on dialogue and
connecting learning goals to examples from the
animal kingdom; it was inspired out of the need to
teach ‘ discourteous ’ princes (Shastri, 1967, p.2)
who were ‘ unteachable ’ and ‘ hostile ’ to education ’
(Ryder, 1949 p.12).
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