Indore (Madhya Pradesh): For seamless integration of persons with disabilities, the University Grants Commission (UGC) citing provisions of National Education Policy (NEP)-2020 has released guidelines covering credit system, learning styles and inclusive pedagogy.
The guidelines for credit-based courses on pedagogical aspects for teaching Divyangjans direct higher education institutions to provide effective support required for identifying the specific needs of a student with disability.
UGC chairman Prof M Jadgesh Kumar said that these guidelines will play a very significant role in making teaching and learning inclusive in higher education.
These guidelines have been prepared as per the provisions given in NEP-2020, emphasising equity and inclusion as the cornerstone of all educational decisions to ensure that all students can thrive in the education system. The guidelines emphasise on providing support for different learning styles – visual, auditory, tactile and kinesthetic.
As per the National Higher Education Qualifications Framework (NHEQF), divyang students will be provided flexibility in the selection of core, elective, and skill-based courses to bring them to par with their peers.
The guidelines further direct the adoption of evaluation by attaching credits to components such as course load, learning outcomes, and contact hours for teaching and learning depending on the specific disability of a student.
The guidelines suggest additional tests, assignments, projects or a multi-stage evaluation as per the requirements of students. The higher education regulator has also directed educational institutions to introduce recent technology and pedagogy for enhancing accessibility of students with disabilities.
