PRE-SERVICE TEACHERS’ (B.ED. STUDENTS) PERSPECTIVES ON INCLUSIVE EDUCATION: A CASE STUDY OF TEACHER EDUCATION COLLEGES IN CHAPRA (BIHAR)

Abstract

Education is widely recognised as a fundamental human right and a powerful driver of social change. Inclusive education – the practice of educating students of all abilities and backgrounds together in mainstream classrooms – has gained significant importance in recent decades as societies strive for equity and “Education for All.” According to the Salamanca Statement (1994), schools should “accommodate all children regardless of their physical, intellectual, social, emotional, linguistic or other conditions”, reaffirming the right of every child to education within a single, inclusive system. This vision of inclusion reflects a global consensus that educational systems must adapt to students’ diverse needs rather than expect learners to fit rigid structures. International frameworks such as the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) further cement the principle that children with disabilities should learn alongside peers without disabilities in regular schools, with appropriate support. In essence, inclusive education is about restructuring school cultures, policies, and practices so that they respond to the variability of all learners.