Early Childhood Inclusive Education

You may have seen the recent movie, Slumdog Millionaire. It was shot in Mumbai (formerly Bombay), India. The movie begins with shots of a section of Mumbai called Dharavi. Dharavi is known as the largest slum in Asia, and it home to some 700,000 people. The conditions in Dharavi are tragic for many of its inhabitants, particularly the children, most of whom have little to look forward to in life.

I know Dharavi because I have worked with the National Resource Centre for Inclusion (NRCI) in Mumbai. Under the leadership of Dr. Mithu Alur, NRCI is giving many young children in Dharavi a chance for a better life. Dr. Alur and her colleagues have begun an inclusive early childhood program (Ugam) in Dharavi.

The Dharavi Ugam program is the most exciting program in inclusive education I have seen anywhere. I have been privileged to visit the program frequently as a consultant, and, working with the Marsha Forest Centre of Toronto, to provide financial support.

Today, some 16 individual preschool centres (Anganwadis) have been set up in Dharavi. A morning and an afternoon program runs in each, with about 50 children each half day. At present, if my figures are correct (and the figures are changing as the program continues to expand), up to 1600 children of the slum are being educated through the Ugam program each year.

The first step in setting up the program was to approach the Street Bosses in Dharavi. Street Bosses are people who control parts of  the slum. Without their agreement, it is very difficult to begin any new program in Dharavi and to have it safe from problems. The Street Bosses see value for the children in the Ugam program and have been very supportive of its initiation and expansion.

The teachers in the Anganwadis are not typical teachers. They are mothers who receive some pedagogical training from NRCI. They are supported by a number of NRCI staff who visit regularly. Continuing professional development ensures that the mother-teachers extend their skills.

The Ugam program runs on a shoe-string. The Anganwadis are very limited in space. You would not see so many children being educated in such small rooms in Canada. The children write on small, old-fashioned slates. Books and paper, even pencils and crayons, are far too expensive. Only a few rudimentary teaching supplies are available. The mother-teachers do their best to create teaching aids from whatever materials they can access.

As I write this, it sounds very bleak. However, a visit to an Anganwadi denies this view. They are happy places, full of confident learners. The children's faces beam as they go about their lessons and as they receive visitors. They love to show off what they have learned. They dress their best on their birthdays and the holy days of their various religions. Wearing their finery gives then another opportunity to shine.

Each Anganwadi is attended by a diversity of children. All are from the Dharavi slum and are what we would call "of low socio-economic status", in other words "poor". The "girl child" is a focus, as many girls in India, and particularly those in slum environments, do not have access to education. Another focus is children with disabilities. It is estimated that 98 % of people with disabillities in India do not attend school. A variety of religions are represented. The program is inclusive in many ways.

Children learn from four different curricula. They study an early childhood curriculum based on the English model. They study locally developed nutrition and personal hygiene curricula. As you might expect, nutrition and hygiene are major concerns in a slum environment. Lastly, they study English. A degree of competency in English opens up many opportunities and can be a way out of the slums.

The children do not miss their classes if at all possible. Their parents know that an education can be a passport out of the slum. Having their children go to an Anganwadi is a sacrifice for families. Children, no matter how young, are part of the workforce of Dharavi. The families are sacrificing part of their incomes by sending their children to the Ugam program.

Slumdog Millionaire portrayed the dark side of the Dharavi slum. And it is a daunting and challenging environment. But the early childhood program started by Mithu Alur and her colleagues shows another side of Dharavi. There is personal striving for improvement and willingness for the individual, no matter how young, to work hard and sacrifice in a search for a better life.

Why is it that so many Canadian educators believe that inclusion of all learners, including those with disabilities, is impossible? Many of our educators point to a lack of funding, lack of teacher education, negative impact on othe children and other dynamics as barriers to inclusion in Canada. The Ugam program in Dharavi proves that nothing is impossible when there is vision, sound leadership, and the belief that no child should be segregated from her or his typical peers. Perhaps our Canadian educators who are hesitating to move to inclusion, should be less concerned by barriers that can be solved, and more concerned with exhibiting the leadership and excitement needed to move forward.