The Status of Academic Achievement of Children with Special Needs (CWSN) and The Attitudes of Secondary School Teachers Towards Inclusion in Tura, Meghalaya

Abstract

Inclusive education is the best approach to ensure that every child has an equal opportunity to attend school, learn, and acquire the skills necessary for success. The academic achievement of children with special needs is influenced by a combination of inclusive educational practices, parental involvement, teacher competencies, and the accessibility of resources. By fostering a supportive and inclusive educational environment, stakeholders can significantly enhance the academic outcomes for CWSN. The teachers’ favourable attitude towards inclusive education is paramount important for the academic achievement of any student and more particularly for CWSN. Hence, the present study is justifiable to study the status of academic achievement of CWSN and the attitude of the Secondary School teachers towards inclusion. For this purpose, five secondary schools where the Children with Special Needs read at Tura Township, West Garo Hills District, Megahlaya, were selected. From this study, it was found that the teachers possess favourable attitudes, among them, the female teachers show more positive attitude than the male teachers. Though, the CWSN perform well in their academic studies, it was found that they lack behind the non CWSN and the female CWSN reasonably better than the male CWSN.