How can private schools in India work towards providing inclusive education to disadvantaged and marginalized children?

本项目旨在调查在印度的私立学校环境中如何实践和体验包容性。近年来，全球南方的私立学校经历了快速增长，特别是在印度，据估计，大约三分之一的6 - 10岁儿童就读于收费的私立学校，在城市地区这一比例上升到一半（Kingdon， 2020年，Day-Ashley等人，2020年）。这导致了公立和私立双重教育体系（Srivastava和Walford, 2006； Day-Ashley等人，2020）。与此同时，2009年通过了《儿童免费义务教育法》（RTE法），从而规定了所有6-14岁儿童接受免费义务教育的权利，无论是公立还是私立（Day-Ashley等人，2020年）。然而，对于印度的弱势和边缘化儿童如何进入、体验和学习私立学校，人们知之甚少。作为回应，国际非政府组织“拯救儿童”（Save the Children）制定了一份关于教育和私立学校用户收费的全球政策立场（2016年），其中规定了在公平、质量和学习以及对教育系统的影响等问题上分析不同教育模式的标准（同上，2020年）。研究问题本项目旨在通过探索以下研究问题来调查私立学校如何尝试在RTE法案下纳入弱势儿童：-印度的私立学校如何在州、国家和全球层面上提供包容性教育？-私立学校如何尝试接纳弱势和边缘儿童？-孩子们在私立学校的日常融入经历是什么？-在私立学校提供全纳教育的主要限制和障碍是什么？-需要什么支援才能让私立学校提供更全面及更有效的全纳教育？-在目前情况下，私立学校的主要参与者如何“努力”提供更具包容性的教育？研究将分为三个阶段：第一阶段：回顾文献中的关键主题，以确定和评估支持全球、国家和州各级全纳教育的“要素”，如法律框架、模式、政策、指导、问责机制、课程、学习材料和培训机会。第二阶段：在印度的一个邦，对参与RTE法案的几所私立学校的包容性实践进行研究，这些学校位于不同的地点（农村、城市周边和城市）和收费水平（低、中、高）。包括参与观察、定性访谈、焦点小组讨论和学校文件分析等方法的结合。第三阶段：参与式行动研究技术将通过研讨会与主要参与者一起检查案例研究中出现的分析，并为参与者提供空间，以借鉴包容性原则起草、共同创建、发展和扩展学校包容性政策。除博士论文外，该项目还将支持救助儿童会关于印度全纳教育倡议的政策和宣传工作，同时为制定与各种模式影响相关的新政策提供潜力，以支持弱势和边缘化儿童的在校学习。此外，该项目有可能为救助儿童会在更广泛的非印度背景下开展宣传工作提供信息，即与世界其他地区的其他政府和合作伙伴一起制定包容性教育政策和倡议。

OverviewThis project aims to investigate how inclusion is practised and experienced in private school settings within the Indian context. Private schools in the Global South have experienced rapid growth in recent years, and in India in particular it is estimated that approximately a third of 6 - 10-year-old children attend fee-charging private schools, rising to a half in urban areas (Kingdon, 2020 in Day-Ashley et al, 2020). This has led to a dual public and private education system (Srivastava and Walford, 2006 in Day-Ashley et al, 2020).Alongside this development, in 2009 the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act (RTE Act) was passed, thereby enshrining the right of all children aged 6-14 years to free and compulsory education, whether public or private (Day-Ashley et al, 2020). However, little is yet known about how disadvantaged and marginalised children access, experience and learn in private schools in India. In response, international NGO Save the Children developed a Global Policy Position on User Fees in Education and Private Schools (2016), which sets out criteria for analysing different models of education in terms of issues such as equity, quality and learning, and impact on the education system (ibid, 2020). Research QuestionsThis project seeks to investigate how private schools attempt to include disadvantaged children under the RTE Act by exploring the following research questions:- How are private schools in India supported in providing inclusive education at state, national and global levels? - How do private schools attempt to include disadvantaged and marginalized children? - What are children's everyday experiences of inclusion within private schools? - What are the key limitations and barriers to providing inclusive education in private schools?- What support is needed to enable private schools to provide fuller and more effective inclusive education? - How can key actors in private schools 'work towards' providing more inclusive education under current conditions?Methodology The research will comprise three phases: Phase 1: A review of key themes in the literature to identify and evaluate 'elements' supporting inclusive education at global, national and state levels e.g. legal frameworks, models, policies, guidance, accountability mechanisms, curricula, learning materials and training opportunities.Phase 2: Research examining inclusion practices in several private schools participating in the RTE Act in a single Indian state across different locations (rural, periurban and urban) and fee-levels (low, mid and high). A combination of methods including participant observation, qualitative interviews, focus group discussions and analysis of school documents.Phase 3: Participatory action research techniques will be used to check emerging analyses from case study research with key participants through workshops and provide space for participants to draw on principles of inclusion to draft, co-create, develop and expand on school inclusion policies.Anticipated OutcomesAlong with the PhD thesis, the project will also support Save the Children's policy and advocacy work regarding inclusive education initiatives in India, while providing the potential for developing new policies related to the impact of various models to support disadvantaged and marginalised children's learning at school. Furthermore, the project has the potential of informing Save the Children's advocacy work in wider, non-Indian contexts, i.e. developing inclusive education policies and initiatives with other governments and partners based in other parts of the world.