Title: Desktop Analysis of Special Education Policies and Legislations in Pakistan

Abstract :

Title: Desk Top Analysis of Special Education Policies and Legislative Covers in Pakistan:
A Qualitative Probe

Muhammad Ajmal Khan, PhD Scholar, Institute of Special Education, University of the Punjab,
Lahore; [Link]@[Link]

Dr. HinaFazil, Assistant Professor, Institute of Special Education, University of the Punjab;
Lahore; [Link]@[Link]

Rameen Tahir, PhD Scholar, Institute of Special Education, University of the Punjab, Lahore;
parizainab786@[Link]

Abstract:

The study is a qualitative probe to analyze special education policies and related legislative
covers between 1972 and 2020 to jot down objectives of special education policies, identify
lacunas in special education field, give recommendations for improving the status of special
education, and develop a novel learning theory for special students in Pakistan. The study
employed qualitative content analysis as a research tool. Special education staff and special
education policy documents constituted the population. Sample of the study constituted 15
statutory drafts and 14 special education personnel from Sargodha division of Punjab.
Theoretical sampling technique was utilized. Triangulation was ensured for data collection using
Grounded Theory, Focus Groups, Face-to-Face Unstructured Interviews and Document Reviews.
Constant comparative method of analysis was employed to generate codes, categories and
themes. The qualitative research at hand revealed education and rehabilitation of PWDs as key
objectives, educational deficits, bad governance and conservatism as lacunas and increasing
access and acceptance of PWDs as ways to improve status of special education in Pakistan.
Researchers developed DIL-Theory (Digital Inclusion Learning Theory) for effective learning
and teaching of CWDs.

Key Words: Special education policies; Triangulation; Grounded Theory; Interviews; Focus
Groups; Theoretical sampling ;Persons with Disabilities(PWDs);Children with
Disabilities(CWDs); Digital Inclusive Learning Theory(DIL-Theory)

Introduction:

International discourse, today, revolves around education of children .Pakistan is signatory to

both UNICEF and UNESCO for the providing children with services including but not limited to
education. UNESCO and UNICEF, as organs of UN, are actively mobilizing governmental
agencies of developing states to improve the educational access of students of all types. Global
Annual Results Report 2021 stressed the theme: Every Child Learns. According to UNICEF
Annual report 2021, as many as 42.1 million children including 18.1 million in emergencies
received learning materials, 48.6 million children comprising 50 percent girls accessed education
out of which 31.7 million children were in emergencies. The said report declared that 43 percent
countries worldwide have equitable education systems in place for access. The total educational
expenses incurred on education by UNICEF in 2021 accounted to 19 percent of its total
expenditures. All the findings announced by UNICEF emphasize one point unanimously: All
Children have a basic right to Education in all Conditions and all agencies, both public and
private, are attempting to realize this fact.

As a basic right ,access to education must be given to all children (Potamousi,2021).Such access
must be provided to all children with and without disability(Madani,2019).Global communities
recognize provision of quality education to all children including those suffering from
disabilities(Miles &Singal,2010).Newham,2020 also considered education for all(EFA) as a
basic human right for all and stressed that this right can’t be ensured without facilitating disable
population of a state. Despite pronounced claims, this basic right has not been provided in true
letter and spirit in countries like Pakistan (Gul, 2020).

The Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan enshrines basic fundamental human rights of
all people regardless of their caste, color, creed, age, sexual orientation ,ethnic origin,
language ,disability (Barkat [Link]., 2021). Article 38(d) aims at provision of basic necessities for
all such citizens who are by one way or other unable to earn livelihood by dint of any
impairment, infirmity or unemployment. Article 25(A) of the same constitution bounds State of
Pakistan to provide all children of age five to sixteen with free and compulsory education in such
a manner as might be determined by law.

Unluckily, not all children are getting equal education on account of many factors. Despite the
fact that students are unique and different, they have a moral right to equal and equitable
opportunities of education (Jari et. Al., 2022).

Literature Review

Pakistan has, according to recent estimates, more than 3.2 million people with one or other
disability (PBS, 2019a).Having signed UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
in 2008, Pakistan is working for provision of free, compulsory and quality education to students
with disabilities. For this purpose special education centers, schools, colleges and In-service
training institutes are working to ensure education and rehabilitation of students with disabilities.

All special education facilities in Pakistan are being governed by Ministry of Special Education
at national level and by Directorates of Special Education at provincial level .These regulatory
institutes not only provide resources, but also recruit different personnel and professionals
including special education teachers to educate and rehabilitate students with disabilities through
coordination of multiple arrangements, facilities and services. Majority of disable students of
Pakistan don’t find enough facilities for education and rehabilitation (Harvard, 2016).

Special education institutes require and are being governed by special education legislations and
policies. Out of 3.2 million disable population of Pakistan, two thirds live in rural areas,
neglected to great extent (PBS,2019b).Though govt. of Pakistan reserved quotas of jobs for
disable population but only 2 percent parents of disable population and disable students are
satisfied with the way they are being taught in special education sector in Pakistan
(Khaton,2003).People consider incentives for special students in Pakistan to be
insufficient(Singal [Link]., 2019).

A significant stock of literature related to special education in Pakistan affirms that disable
population is not being motivated and empowered for their contribution to the society they
belong to (Hammad& Singal, 2015). Apart from dissatisfaction of disable students, Special
education teachers have been found informed regarding inequitable learning experiences in
schools (Hameed et. al., 2021).

Dissatisfaction of stakeholders regarding special education services call for a review of special
education policies and related legislative covers .Furthermore, it underscores the need to listen to
the voice of stakeholders of special education in a pursuit to unfold the potential lacunas and
ways to improve the status of special education in Pakistan. It urged the researches of the study
at hand to initiate this journey of desktop review of special education policies and legislative
covers in Pakistan.

Objectives of the Study:

The qualitative study at hand pursue following objectives:

1. To determine the objectives of Special education policies and respective legislative

covers in Pakistan.
2. To identify the lacunas in special education field of Pakistan.
3. To recommend the ways to uplift the status of special education services in Pakistan.
4. To build a novel theory of learning for special students of Pakistan

Research Questions:

The researchers of the study tried to answer following questions:

1. What are the objectives of formulation of special education policies and related
legislative covers in Pakistan?
2. What are the existing lacunas in special education field of Pakistan?
3. How special education field in Pakistan can be improved?
4. How do review of special education policies and qualitative research in this vein can help
develop a novel learning theory specifically aimed for differently-abled students?
Research Methodology:

Primarily, this is a qualitative study of descriptive nature .Qualitative Content Analysis

method was employed to examine special education policy drafts and related legislative
covers .Special education staff and special education policy documents and related
legislative drafts constituted the population. Sample of the study constituted 15 statutory
drafts and 14 special education personnel from Sargodha division of Punjab, Pakistan.
Triangulation was ensured in data collection methods. Focus group discussions and semi-
structured interviews paved the way for cyclic, flexible, and self-correcting approach of
grounded theory with no pre-conceived assumptions and hypotheses on the end of
researchers. Theoretical Sampling technique was employed in the study. Four focus
groups (each containing 6 members) discussions helped to identify key areas of concern
(codes) for special education staff members. To highlight further substantive areas of
concern for special education staff vis-à-vis special Education Policies and Legislations,
fourteen semi-structured interviews were conducted with various personnel of special
education (five special education teachers, one speech therapist, one psychologist, one
vocational teacher, one music teacher, one audiologist, one clerk, two parents of special
students and one class-4 employee). Having identified numerous codes, similar codes
were grouped together to identify core categories. Different patterns and themes emerged
as a result of an on-going process of comparing and contrasting data with the help of
manual informal clustering and mind mapping. Resulting themes were utilized to desk
review as many as fifteen statutory documents (policy drafts, acts and ordinances) related
to special education in Pakistan. Using triangulation, member checking, representative
quotations and peer debriefing helped to achieve credibility, dependability and
conformability, ultimately lending this research study with validity and reliability.
Themes identified by using grounded theory approach were utilized by researchers to
develop a novel Learning Theory specially tailored for learning and teaching of special
students in Pakistan.

Data Collection and Analysis:

Data collection and Data Analysis went hand-in-hand as does happen in grounded theory
approach .Without preconceived assumptions and hypotheses, researchers, after seeking
informed consent, recruited four focus groups for discussions .Each focus group
contained 6 members: 4 special education teachers including one teacher of Hearing
impaired children; one teacher of visually impaired children; one teacher of physically
handicapped children; one teacher of mentally challenging children; one psychologist;
and one headmaster/headmistress). With open minds, focus group discussions helped to
identify key concepts to explore data regarding special education policies .Researchers
ensured directed discussions around research questions. As concepts/codes started to
emerge around research questions, researchers started taking field notes .Further data
around codes was obtained with the help of 14 semi-structured interviews. Memo writing
 by researchers continued throughout data collection and analysis. Co-grouping similar
codes helped in generation of core categories. Key codes and categories helped to
conduct desk-review of policy documents and legislative drafts for exploring further data
around research questions. Glaser and Strauss method of Constant Comparative Analysis
(1967) was employed for explicit coding and analytic procedures. Interviews were
recorded to be transcribed later. Manifest as well as Latent Analysis methods were
utilized to amass surface level data and for interpreting underlying meanings. Data was
compared and contrasted with data to generate codes, categories and themes. Writing
memos, as an essential part of grounded theory approach, continued throughout data
collection and data analysis. Writing memos helped in audit trail later in study. Taking
field notes helped to keep track record of codes and categories of data. To avert coding
process from becoming biased by personal preconceptions, inter-rater checking and
member-checking were used during data collection and data analysis. Focus group
discussions, interviews and desk-review of policy documents and related legislative
covers continued till the point of saturation.

Findings and Discussion:

Researchers of the study at hand ensured recruitment of experts in Four Focus groups, after
seeking informed consent from constituting members. It provided researchers with insightful
discussions in exploring key concepts for the generation of codes about 1) objectives of
formulation of special education policies &related legislations in Pakistan; 2) existing
shortcomings in special education field of Pakistan ; 3) how special education field in Pakistan
can be improved ; 4) how can review of special education policies and qualitative research in
this regard help in the development of a new learning theory especially for special students?

Concepts or codes generated through four focus group discussions helped explore further codes
in fourteen semi-structured interviews. To further explore data around research questions, desk-
review of 15 special education policy drafts and legislative covers was conducted .Data
collection through Triangulation helped creation of core categories to come up with themes
answering research questions ultimately.

Objectives of formulation of special education policies & related legislative covers:

Focus groups discussions, semi-structured interviews and review of special education policies
and related legislative covers helped to identify key objectives of formulation of special
education policies through creation of multiple codes, categories and themes.

Education for PWDs:

Education of special students involve factors including but not limited to establishment of
schools, provision of books and teaching material, pedagogy, instructional designs, induction of
teachers ,their trainings, early identification of special students ,their enrollment, assessments
and evaluation .

A psychologist, during his interview response, expressed: If we are not putting efforts to identify
PWDs at earlier stages, and assess them during schooling, we are not doing justice with our jobs
as psychologists. A teacher of hearing impaired students answered to the question what is the
main challenge of your duty: We are supposed to educate CWDs, discourage already enrolled
CWDs and identify new entrants in the community for special schools. Majority of members of
focus group constituted at a govt. special education center opined: Admission, assessment,
keeping students enrolled and bringing every early identified CWD into special school are duties
of special education staff members. Main purposes of special education as outlined in National
Education Policy 1979 are education, treatment and rehabilitation of PWDs.

Providing equal educational opportunities to all citizens in the light of Quran and Sunnah, for
socio-economic growth and scientific and technological advancement….(National Education
Policy ,1979)
Going through legislative documents, it became clear that National Education Policy 1972
comprised of plans to open new institutions for PWDs. Apart from this, National Plan of Action
for Persons with Disabilities, 2006 pointed out as many as 17 critical areas of intervention from
assessment of the magnitude of problem to provide service delivery systems.
Short term objectives of NPA 2006 included but not limited to early detection, institutional
interventions, escalating medical rehabilitation services and promoting inclusive education.
Similarly, Act of 2018 in Pakistan exclusively aimed at education of PWDs:
The government shall provide free primary to higher education to PWDs (Rights of Persons with
Disabilities, ICT Rights of Persons with Disability Act, 2018)

Furthermore, Section 3 of Punjab Special Education Policy 2020 was also found vocal in this
regard: The objectives which will help Special education department in achieving its vision,
mission and core values include but not limited to improved access to education for children
with special education needs and disabilities.

Facilities for Special persons:

Parents, during their interviews, stressed the services for their children with disabilities. One
father of a physically handicapped girl said: I wish my daughter could get basic know how of
Islam, Quran …..I say Alhamdulillah on having to pay no charges for pick and drop of my
daughter .School pays Rs.800 to my daughter every month. I wish, government would also
provide my daughter with electric wheel chair through school. A father of hearing impaired
student expressed during his interview: I prefer to send my HIC to special education school as he
gets discipline and suitable atmosphere to grow, learn and acquire moral lessons from teachers.
The same reflected in National Education Policy of 1972, presented by Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto. The
said policy revolved around taking initiatives for education of Special Communities, plans to
open new institutes for PWDs .There was focus on Strengthening Existing Institutes for PWDs.
In nutshell, the policy was aimed at making PWDs independent and productive citizens of
Pakistan.
Equalizing Access to education through provision of special facilities for women, under-
privileged groups and mentally-retarded and physically-handicapped children and adults in all
areas in general and backward areas in particular(Pakistan Education Policy 1972).
Special Citizens Act 2008 included many provisions to provide PWDs with facilities of access of
wheel chairs in all buildings, allocation of seats for special citizens in public transport vehicles
and facility on footpaths. The said act also necessitated providing PWDs with assistive devices.
Reviewing National Plan of Action 2006, it became crystal clear that its long term objectives
focused on creation of barrier free physical environment in all public, private and commercial
buildings and public places for PWDs.
Employability, Empowerment & Rehabilitation through Support Services:
A Teacher of visually impaired students complained during a focus group discussion: If
government is not aimed at empowering VICs through vocational trainings, government is, I am
sorry, only providing books to hungry blind persons who are asking for breads A teacher of
hearing impaired expressed his experience in focus group discussion: Hearing impaired students,
if will not be provided with sports, will resort to showing anger, boredom and sluggish
behavior .I think sports, if arranged regularly, help in rehabilitation of CWDs. A mother of
Blind son opined: Vocational Training, if properly ensured, will help PWDs in getting jobs. A
vocational teacher opined: There is the dire need to focus on physical activities of CWDs like
sports, knitting work, stitching, beautician work and handicrafts to make these students
independent as these activities will help them getting jobs in market after and during study.
Review of policy documents revealed that Rehabilitation of PWDs was aimed for in national
educational policy of 1979.
Providing equal educational opportunities to all citizens in the light of Quran and Sunnah, for
socio-economic growth and scientific and technological advancement (National Education
Policy, 1979)
As a first constitutional effort, Disabled Persons Ordinance, 1981 also aimed at provision of
services like employment, rehabilitation and welfare of disabled population after conducting a
detailed survey.
…to formulate policy for employment, rehabilitation and welfare of disabled persons was a
function of National Council (Disabled Persons’ Ordinance, 1981.
Areas of focus for PWDs in National Special Education Policy 2002 were sports, recreation and
vocational trainings.
Provide access to facilities which may lead to their integration and mainstreaming in all
spheres of life (Aims of National Education Policy 2002).
Ensure that they have equal opportunities and access to medical, education, social,
psychological, vocational training, employment and rehabilitation, without any discrimination
(Objectives of National Education Policy, 2002).
Pakistan also enacted Accessibility Code of 2006, proposed to provide PWDs with convenience
and safety at all public areas. Furthermore, infirm and elderly were the very subjects the said
code proposed to make independent in all possible walk of life.
Chapter 4 of Accessibility Code, 2006 outlined: …..mandatory requirements and design
guidelines to provide an accessible physical environment meeting the needs of PWDs for their
independence, convenience and safety in all public buildings and areas (Accessibility Code of
Pakistan, 2006)
Existing shortcomings in Special Education Policies and related Legislative Covers:

Focus groups discussions, semi-structured interviews and review of special education policies
and related legislative covers helped to identify existing shortcomings in special education field
of Pakistan through creation of multiple codes, categories and themes.

Educational Deficits:

Educational deficits of PWDs include concepts like admission constraints, barriers in the way of
education, insufficient professionals, access issues and missing priority areas while educating
children with disabilities.

Members of one focus group held in a public special education center pointed out:

Special educations institutes are few in number, cannot identify and enroll all CWDs, witness
frequent drop-outs, don’t assess children with special needs sufficiently and appropriately, have
few free-of-cost buses and don’t conduct disability surveys, resulting into educational deficits for
persons with disabilities.

A psychologist reported during interview: How can a single psychologist assess 150 plus special
students with multiple disabilities while he/she is getting inappropriate and insufficient In-
Service trainings? This is the main problem which results into under-identification, lack of
psychological assessments, poor admission criteria, few enrollments and resultantly academic
losses in educational landscape of special education. Although National Education Policy of
2017 was aimed at providing special education staff with In-service Training .Views of
psychologist through interview lamented the insufficiency of in-service training resulting into
educational deficits.

A music teacher ironically said during his interview: Our job is to unlock unexplored potential of
visually impaired students through teaching music to them but department is facing the music on
account of having recruited few music teachers for thousand students. After all, students are at
loss educationally.
Aqsa Ramzan, a junior special education teacher, lamented during her interview: Policies of
special education appear good only in drafts. Reality suggests otherwise. Directorate does not
bother to provide required books timely despite our repeated requests. Student-teacher ratio is
nerve-breaking for special education teachers. Curriculum Adaptations are scarce. Special
students are not being provided with assistive devices. Monthly stipends for children with
disabilities are too low to be incentive tokens for parents of special students. All these factors
compound educational losses of differently-Abled students. Special Citizens Act 2008 although
necessitated the provision of assistive devices, views of Aqsa Ramzan are indicative of non-
implementation of Special Citizens Act 2008,resulting into educational losses for special
students.

A visually-impaired teacher of visually-impaired students criticized referencing National Policy

of Special Education 1999: Though, the policy highlighted the need for variation in public
attitudes towards persons with disabilities, I am still humiliated by people around me while they
call me Andha (Blind) despite the fact that I enable my special students to read in-between-the-
lines. I am not called at parties by fellows. I face discriminatory attitude of public against
persons with disabilities. I don’t find real legislative supports and actual financial concessions
which were envisaged in special education policy of 1999. Such sorry state of affairs is
indicative of losses for societies we live in especially in terms of education.

The National Policy for Special Education 1999 highlighted the need for variation in public
attitudes towards PWDs and financial concessions for PWDs. But, reality suggests otherwise.

Inefficiencies through bad Governance and Conservatism:

Rehana Bashir, a Bhakkar based teacher of physically disabled students complained about
scarcity of professionals, teachers and supporting staff in special education centers, pointing out
few signs of bad governance pronounced in special education field of Pakistan. She narrated:
Insufficient number of speech therapists, psychologists, vocational teachers, drivers, conductors
and other supporting staff cause few enrollments, poor educational outcomes, no rehabilitation,
least to no empowerment and lack of employability of children with disability.

Physically handicapped by disability, Samra Arshad is a special education teacher of hearing

impaired students. She has many reservations about special education system of Pakistan as is
evident in her words: Low budget impedes in the way of educating special students.
Transportation issues are unresolved. Poor special students of far-flung areas can’t reach
special education schools. In special education, there is no focus on sports, financial inclusion,
skills-up gradation, extra-curricular activities, entertainment and rehabilitation to ensure job
placements despite objectives and provisions set in various acts, ordinances and policies of
special education in Pakistan. All these factors are due to inefficient management in Special
Education in Pakistan. National Educational Policy of 2017 stressed the need to allocate 5
percent budget for education of special students, this budget seems insufficient and not sufficient
to overcome inefficiencies of the system.

Sajjad Hussain, a teacher of intellectually disabled students, declared demotivating factors as

reasons for educational losses of special students. He opined: How can we expect special
students’ empowerment when their teachers are not yet empowered? Teachers have to travel
hundreds of kilometers daily to reach to special schools. Special schools don’t provide free of
cost residential quarters for out-station teachers. Teachers have not voices in policy making
circles. Teachers are not being sufficiently trained. Teachers’ service structure affords slow
promotions. All these factors make special education teachers less-empowered and demotivated.
Such demotivation on the part of teachers reflects in conservative teaching practices of teachers
of students with special needs.

Allah Wasaya, a senior clerk, declared loopholes in administration liable for poor educational
outcomes of special students. He voiced: Loose accountability, poor monitoring system, no
checks on attendance of teachers, and corruption in spending of educational budgets are
shortcomings which hamper the service delivery and efficient administration and management of
human as well as technical resources of special education departments in Pakistan, Members of
a focus group extended their observations in following words:

Special students are not reaping fruits on account of absence of collaboration between
stakeholders in the field of special education in Pakistan. There is lack of intergovernmental
coordination in special education; no MOUs with TEVTA, no contracts with local, regional and
national industrial units, insignificant parental involvement in educational decision making:
least collaboration with NGOs and INGOs and lack of cultural exchange program scholarships
with the rest of the world for special students in Pakistan. Intergovernmental coordination was
envisaged in National Policy for Persons with Disabilities, [Link] of coordination and
collaboration between stakeholders is causing bad governance and inefficient implementation of
policies in special education in Pakistan.

Section 2 of Punjab Special Education Policy 2020 outlined mission, vision and core values to
develop special education department:

Innovation backed by research and development to provide a high-quality educational

experience for children with special education needs and disabilities (Section 2, Punjab Special
Education Policy, 2020)

However, this mission is yet to be achieved on account of inefficient management, bad

governance and poor implementation of policies in Special Education of Pakistan. sAn
audiologist, during his interview response, endorsed this stance: Lack of technological
interventions in special education schools, absence of online mode of schooling and lack of e-
learning applications for special students manifest conservatism, lack of innovation and research
initiatives. This is resulting into bad governance and lowering of efficiency in special education
field of Pakistan.

Ways to improve Special Education Policies and Legislations:

Focus groups discussions, semi-structured interviews and review of special education policies
and related legislative covers helped to suggest ways to improve status of special education in
Pakistan through creation of multiple codes, categories and themes.

Increasing Access:

Increasing Access for students with special needs is of utmost significance to improve special
education field in Pakistan .Increasing Access, in this qualitative probe includes concepts like
inputs from multi-stakeholders, Incentivizing special education staff and special students, basic
interventions, expansion of education, checks and balances.

In National Educational Policy of 2009, stress was laid at gender equity, inclusive education,
equal access to education for marginalized groups.

Section 3 of Punjab Special Education Policy 2020 contains Policy Objectives, Commitments
and Scope. 1st Policy objective stipulates: Improved Access to Education for Children with
Special education needs and disabilities.

Focus group discussion held in a public school concluded with the inputs: Media in Pakistan
must play a productive role in creating awareness about rights of special persons .Public sector
of special education in Pakistan must establish its own media cell for advertising its services and
achievements of students with special needs. Parents must be included by special education set-
ups for improving schooling of special students. Special education must sign memorandum of
understanding with NGOs and INGOs for placement of learned special students. There is a dire
need of public private partnerships in special education field to enrich the services for students
with special needs. All these factors, as per focus group members’ opinions, will help to increase
enrollments of special students in special education set-ups for education, allowing them more
access. This will improve the status of special education in Pakistan, in long run.

Scope of the Punjab Special Education Policy 2020 endorses that multi-stakeholders take part in
special education service Delivery. The policy will apply to Development Partners, Community
Based Organizations, Non-Governmental Organizations and Civil Society Organizations.

During interview, Asia Gul, a junior special education teacher, stressed on incentivizing special
education staff and special students as a tool of increasing access of special education services to
special persons .She opined: Increasing emoluments matters. Incentivizing will increase the
morale and motivation of special education staff that will put more concerted efforts to widen the
access of special education services for persons with special needs. Incentivizing special
education staff might include providing them with free public transport facilities; free residential
quarters close to special education facilities and increasing their emoluments. Special students
can be provided with free accommodation facilities and increasing their monthly stipends .This
will increase their educational access to special education facilities.

Another focus group held at a public special education centre pointed out: Increasing number of
special education centers, introducing more free of cost transportation facilities, enhancing
budget for special education centre’s, discouraging drop0outs and introducing zero-tolerance
policy in admission of special students ,all will help in increasing enrollments of special students
in special education service facilities. Presented by Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, National Education
Policy of 1972 made plans to open new institutes for PWDs. There was focus on Strengthening
Existing Institutes for PWDs. The said policy was aimed at increasing access of children with
special needs to special education services and thus making PWDs independent and productive
citizens.
Equalizing Access to education through provision of special facilities for women, under-
privileged groups and mentally-retarded and physically-handicapped children and adults in all
areas in general and backward areas in particular(Pakistan Education Policy 1972)
Irfan Baloch,a senior clerk, during his interview ,came up with inputs about the way we can
increase the access of special students in special education facilities. He expressed: Introducing
stringent measures of accountability. Ensuring monitoring and inspection, putting in place audit
and evaluation of teaching and non-teaching staff will go a long way in ensuring more
admissions, discouraging drop-outs and increasing enrollments of special students.

Rana Iqbal,a headmaster of high special education school came up with another input to reach
yet unreached special students. He opined: Existing facilities of special education centers,
schools and colleges are lacking in treatments, assessments and early identification. Resultantly,
parents of special students are reluctant to send their students to special education facility
points. Hence, ensuring basic interventions at special education centers will help to attract more
special students towards special education service points.

Rehabilitation of Persons with Special Needs:

Rehabilitation of persons with special needs and disabilities is the ultimate aim of special
education services in Pakistan. Focusing on rehabilitative measures, incorporating curriculum
adaptations, digitizing special education schooling, restructuring learning spaces and
introduction of disability-friendly interventions are the ways to improve the status of special
education services in Pakistan which will ultimately help in ensuring education-cum-
rehabilitation of persons with disabilities. Disabled Persons (Employment and Rehabilitation)
Ordinance 1981 revolves around survey, employment, welfare and rehabilitation of Persons with
Disabilities.

…to formulate policy for employment, rehabilitation and welfare of disabled persons was a
function of National Council (Disabled Persons’ Ordinance, [Link] Bill 2018 is also a
continuation of the same threads of services.
Part 2 of ICT Rights of Persons with Disability, Bill 2018 outlined Rights of Persons with
disabilities. The rights included: Equity in Education, Equity in Employment, Equity in Health
and Medical Rehabilitation Services, Participation in Sports, Cultural and Recreational
Activities.

Special Citizens Act 2009 emphasized on fare concessions for PWDs in railways and airways.
Import duty on cars for PWDs has been reduced considerably to provide them with better
accessibility. Majority of interviewees considered reduction in import duty tariffs as a positive
initiative to help PWDs in accessing public spaces.
The Act seeks half fare charges for disabled people in railway and other public transport in
Pakistan (Special Citizens Act, 2009.
Majority of members of focus groups were of the view that such policies are instrumental for
ensuring an easy life for PWDs, turning them independent through rehabilitation.

Focus Group discussions held in a public school reached at a unanimous agenda for improving
the status of special education in Pakistan. The members of the focus group were of the views:
The need of hour is to upgrade skills of persons with disabilities, providing them with assistive
devices, working on their vocational training, focusing on mainstreaming them through
including them in extra-curricular activities, working on their financial inclusion and increasing
their job quotas. All these initiatives will help to rehabilitate persons with disabilities. The
similar themes emerged in Act of 2018.

The government shall provide free primary to higher education to PWDs….No person,
institution, organization or entity, whether public or private, shall discriminate against a person
on ground of disability in the matter of employment, promotion, career development and
enjoying fruits of his employment (Rights of Persons with Disabilities: ICT Rights of Persons
with Disability Act, 2018)

Shazia Anjum, a senior special education teacher of deaf students, stressed on providing special
students with quality education through curriculum adaptations and vocational training. She
opined: Curriculum adaptations along with multi-media based education through technological
integration in special education schooling and vocational trainings are necessary for quality
special education and long term rehabilitation of persons with disabilities. This will ensure ease
in educating students with special needs aimed at their rehabilitation. It is a fact that National
Policy for Persons with Disabilities 2002 stressed on curriculum adaptations and providing
vocational Training to special students. But poor implementation of the said policy is not getting
desired results. National Education Policy and Implementation Program 1979 also placed
considerable emphasis on rehabilitation of PWDs as a moral obligation of the state.

Ahsan Latif, a psychologist, during his interview, stressed on disability-friendly interventions as

fundamental ways to improve the status of special education in Pakistan. He opined: There is a
dire need to increase ease for special students through introducing disability-friendly
transportation and disability-friendly buildings of special education schools. It will help in their
rehabilitation in long run. Special Citizens Act 2008 also revolved around accessibility of PWDs
in Transportation Systems and Access of PWDs at public points. Special Citizens Bill, 2015 also
placed emphasis on accessibility to disabled persons at public spaces and allocation of seats for
PWDs in public transportations.

Facilitating special education process hinges on technological interventions, opined Abdul

Qayum, a headmaster of special education centre in Bhakkar. He expressed: Educating students
online, assessing them through online modes. Improving special education centers through
technological up gradation like installing projectors and providing special education teachers
and their students with latest technological gadgets like laptops are concrete measures through
which we can digitize special education field in Pakistan for improving service delivery. It will,
in long run, help to rehabilitate students with special needs. Technological Interventions in
teaching and learning of special students were also stressed in National Educational Policy of
2017.

Digital-Inclusive Learning Theory:

There are multiple learning theories in vogue. Academicians, educationists, researchers, policy
makers and school administrators take insights from them in multiple ways i.e. for knowing the
way learners learn, the way teachers cater to the needs of students, the way curriculum
developers develop the curriculum, the the way assessments are undertaken keeping in view the
level of learning expected from learners and the educational policy makers unfolding the
educational outcomes as a result of implementation of educational policies. Famous educational
policies in place work only for normal category students in general.

Special education is a different field from general education in terms of complicated and
demanding roles of teachers of students with disabilities, needs of curriculum adaptations, needs
of variation in instructional designs, necessities of modified pedagogical techniques,
differentiated learning needs of learners, unique infrastructural adjustments and diversified ways
of assessments and evaluations to ascertain the performance appraisal and feedback seeking.

On the basis of qualitative study undertaken, researchers of the study have developed a novel
Learning Theory.

The assumptions of the Theory:

The assumptions of DIL-Theory (Digital-Inclusive Learning Theory) are as under:

Needs of special students are unique and subject to variations with respect to time and place; no
single strategy works for all special students alike; different disabilities require different
curriculum; Differentiated curriculum instead of universal curriculum is always needed;
modifications and adjustments in infrastructures work like catalysts in learning process; there is
always need of different modes of assessments and evaluations for different students with
different disabilities; all students are unique in terms of language acquisition; learning difficulties
impact the learning process and academic performance of special students; performance of
special students is sum total of their academic and non-academic performance ;innovation serves
as a value-addition inputs; education is mainly aimed at rehabilitation; Inclusivity adds meanings
to education ,increases morale ,progress and confidence of students with special needs;
Segregation results into stigmatization and exclusion ,lowering morale ,productivity and
confidence of students with special needs; technology integration in learning and teaching
enhances engagement ,boosts attention span and improves academic and non-academic
performance of students with special needs.

Digital Learning:

On the basis of qualitative study at hand, researchers have found that:

1. Use of Technology is special education is a necessary teaching and learning aid.

2. Technology integration facilitates learning and teaching process.
3. Technological adoption in teaching methodology adds visuals, symbols and stimulations
for learners with special needs which expedite learning process.
4. Technological integration helps teachers of special students in captivating attention of
their students..
5. Technology serves as a facilitator of education process.
6. Use of required technological interventions is different for students with different
disabilities.

Inclusive Learning:

On the basis of qualitative study at hand, researchers have found that:

1. Special students’ motivation improves in inclusive educational settings.

2. In exclusive educational settings, special students have less learning opportunities than
inclusive educational setting.
3. Inclusiveness promotes morale of special students.
4. Inclusivity encourages confidence of students with special needs.’
5. Inclusiveness promotes socialization of students with special needs.
6. Students with special needs, for equity education, fall in need of inclusive schools as a
necessary classroom arrangement.
Hence, to promote learning of students with special needs and disabilities, learning
module must have both digitization and inclusivity as necessary ingredients. Absence or
weakness in one or both component is bound to make learning of students with special
needs deficient, ineffective, incomplete, inconclusive, purposeless, faulty and weak.
References:

National Education Policy 1972

National Education Policy and Implementation Programme 1979

Disabled Persons (Employment & Rehabilitation ) Ordinance ,1981

National Policy for Rehabilitation of the Disabled 1986

The National Policy for Special Education 1999

National Policy for Persons with Disabilities 2002

National Plan of Action for Persons with Disabilities 2006

Accessibility Code of Pakistan 2006

Special Citizens Act 2008

Special Citizens (Right to Concessions in Movement) Act 2009

National Education Policy 2009

Special Citizens Bill ,2015

National Education Policy 2017

ICT Rights of Persons with Disability Act, 2018

Punjab Special Education Policy 2020