ABSTRACT
This book grew out of an International Conference on ‘Educational and Social Inclusion’ held in Patna, Bihar, India, in November, 2011. The broad rationale of the Conference was to provide a platform for educational and social thinkers and practitioners from different parts of the world to come together and share/debate/ examine their thoughts, understanding and experience as to how we can tackle the evils of educational and social exclusion of children and young people which exists in most developed and developing societies in some form or another. Given the context, the Conference specifically focused on two major challenges
facing democratic countries in particular: firstly, that certain sections of society’s citizens are not able to participate in educational and social spheres, and secondly, that marginalised children and young people include those who are forced to exist on the outer fringes of society and as a result do not have access to education. Roma and Traveller children in Europe, street children in large urban cities in Latin America, Dalit and untouchable children in India, children and young people in war refugee camps, particularly in Africa, are just a few examples. Educational and social inclusion has become an international movement in the
twenty-first century. The Conference covered themes for presentation, discussion and debate which are relevant for the new social movement in a fast-changing technological world: learning difficulties, health education, gender issues, teacher education, home-school partnership, curriculum, disability, equality and quality in determining the possibility of inclusiveness. During it there was an opportunity for educational researchers, practitioners, social reformers and policymakers to present their views and compare experiences in developing and promoting strategies to prevent children from being marginalised on the basis of race, gender, culture, caste or disability. All children including physically challenged ones have the right to have their educational, social and psychological needs met by society. Education is the birthright of all.
