(i) National Education Policy, 2020 inter alia recognizes learning disabilities among a set of students. This policy is in complete consonance with the provisions of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act (RPWD), 2016. As per the RPWD Act, 2016, children with benchmark disabilities have the choice of regular or special schooling. Resource centres and special educators will support the rehabilitation and educational needs of learners with severe or multiple disabilities, as well as assist parents in achieving high-quality home schooling and skilling.
(ii) In the context of equitable and inclusive education, NEP states that the issues of Socio-Economically Disadvantaged Groups (SEDGs) are common and analogous in school and higher education. Broad categories of SEDGs as defined in NEP 2020 includes children with disabilities (including learning disabilities). Accordingly, the issues which are relevant to school education is also relevant for higher education. Furthermore, there must be continuity across the stages to ensure sustainable reform.
(iii) In order to address the issue, it is essential that the teachers must be aware of teaching student with specific disabilities, including learning disabilities, and should be sensitized towards all underrepresented groups to reverse their underrepresentation as the new education policy aims to provide a quality education system for all students, regardless of their residence, with a particular focus on historically marginalized, disadvantaged, and underrepresented groups.
(iv) To achieve the objectives of National Education Policy 2020 and to overcome with the issue of learning disabilities among students, it is essential that regular capacity building programme on Learning Disabilities should be conducted by engaging resource persons / experts dealing with the various kinds of learning disabilities.
(v) It is proposed that this component will be anchored through NIEPA, which is one of the MMTTP Center and also having expertise in the Educational Planning and Administration.
