UGC Releases Guidelines For Differently-abled Students, to Offer Flexible Learning Styles

The University Grants Commission (UGC) has rolled out draft guidelines on pedagogical aspects for teaching Divyangjans and students, with some specific learning disabilities (SLDs). The objective is to provide guidelines for credit-based courses to facilitate suitable physical, psychological, social and specific needs of students with disabilities at higher education, the commission said.

“With the flexibility in selection of subjects and courses, an Inclusive Pedagogy characterised by the use of multiple modes of delivery, addressing multiple learning styles and learning needs of Divyangjans and students with specific learning disabilities (SLDs), needs to be promoted at all levels of education,” UGC added.

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It also aims to provide flexibility in selection of core, elective and skill-based courses as well as guidelines for curriculum transaction in accessible manner and format so that the specially-abled students can learn as per their needs and abilities. “To introduce recent technology and pedagogy for enhancing accessibility of students with disabilities in Higher Education Institutions and to provide Guidelines for evaluating students with diverse learning needs at higher educational institutions,” UGC said.

Stakeholders have been asked by the commission to send their feedback and suggestions till October 25, 2022. The comments and suggestions have to be sent in through University Activity Monitoring Portal (UAMP) of UGC on uamp.ugc.ac.in. The guidelines have been made considering the significant recommendations of National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 towards teaching the divyangjans and SLDs. The draft guidelines can be viewed on the UGC website.

The commission also reiterated that NEP 2020 emphasizes on equity and inclusion as the cornerstone of all educational decisions to ensure that all students are able to thrive in the education system. Further UGC said that the guidelines signify the inevitability of redefining the curriculum, keeping pace with liberalisation and globalisation in education. UGC believes that it will only allow students irrespective of any diversity including students with disabilities with an easy mode of mobility to various educational institutions with the facility of credit transfer.

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