Parents’ Experiences of Inclusive Education for Their Children with Disability: A Phenomenological Study from Dimapur,Nagaland

Abstract

Despite dissatisfaction with the quality of education that children with disabilities receive in mainstream inclusive schools, a dearth of viable alternatives compels parents to remain silent and continue within the system. This article engages with the experiences of inclusive education as reported by parents of children with disabilities in Dimapur, Nagaland. Using a social constructivist framework, a phenomenological inquiry was conducted with 12 parents of children with disabilities. Interview data were thematically analysed. The findings show that parents perceive their children to benefit academically, socially and emotionally from inclusive education. This is attributed to a few members of the teaching community who demonstrate patience, empathy and use pedagogy that supports their children’s learning needs. Parents also report negative experiences stemming from social stigma and detrimental attitudes of the larger school community. Moreover, parents exhibit persistent anxiety around their child’s potential expulsion from the inclusive school. The article concludes by arguing for inclusive education to transcend mere compliance with regulations and emphasises addressing aspects of social stigmatisation and negative attitudes of the larger school community to make inclusive education integral to the school’s ethos.