Law and Inclusion : Stakeholders' View of Special Needs in Bangladesh

Abstract

The study was carried out in Dhaka, Bangladesh from July to December 2011.The objective was to investigate the stakeholders’ awareness about the educational laws of special needs children, describe the findings and to recommend some future plans for the government of Bangladesh. Bangladesh is extremely enthusiastic about signing the national and international treaty and resolution. As a result, the researcher wanted to find out how much stakeholders know about these laws in a real-life situation. The study followed a case study with a qualitative approach with the design of an open ended informal interview. Due to the objectives, the study is descriptive in nature. The sample comprises eight of the stakeholders from different walks of life whom are directly or indirectly related to the education sector and special education in Bangladesh. The results show that apart from specific matters in specific situation, almost all of the stakeholders feel the need for the special law for the education of children with special needs. Some important findings are that some of the stakeholders are not at all aware about the existing laws for the children with special needs. Some of the stakeholders do not support the inclusion of the children with special needs but agreed to have separate schools for them. The findings will give the readers an idea about the stakeholders view about the laws and education of the children with special needs. Recommendation for suggesting the policy makers to think, adopt or make new laws for the children with special needs.