Inclusionary Education: Counselling and Guidance

Abstract

Education, regarded as a fundamental human right and a key driver of individual, community, and national development, serves the purpose of equipping young individuals with accurate information, fostering positive attitudes, and cultivating skills to navigate real-life situations responsibly. Additionally, education aims to instill awareness and positive attitudes toward population and development issues, fostering responsible behavior among students and the broader community (UNICEF, 2010). According to the National Curriculum Framework (NCF, 2005), guidance and counselling are essential components of the school curriculum that support children’s personal, social, and professional development in a stress-free learning environment. The suggestions of the Kothari Education Commission and the Mudaliar Secondary Education Commission are where guidance and counselling services in India first emerged. The report points out current limitations in inclusive education, such as a lack of skilled mentors and a lack of awareness among school officials. The study clarifies practical concerns with inclusive education despite the growing focus on its significance by using Padang city as a case study. The research highlights the critical function that counselors do in fostering a friendly and inclusive learning environment. However, it also highlights the deficiency of mentors in inclusive schools, which impedes the academic progress of children with special needs. The goals encompass elucidating the notion of education, deliberating about counselling and advice, characterizing guidance within the framework of inclusive education, analysing educational data, and distinguishing between the two. The study concludes by highlighting the critical role that involvement and guidance play in developing an inclusive education system and suggesting a quantitative exploratory approach to determine the proportion of kids in a given school that do not have special needs. The results are intended to serve as a starting point for additional research on issues related to inclusive education.