A SOCIOLOGICAL ANALYSIS ON THE EFFECTS OF INSTITUTIONALIZED EDUCATION TOWARDS CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES: A CASE STUDY

Abstract

When considering about the imperative fields of children with disabilities, one of most significant area is their education. Regarding to education of those children one of significant social issue which we can see is institutionalization. Therefore, ‘What would be the nature of effects of institutionalization towards the education of children with disabilities?’ is a field that needed to be addressed more effectively. The objective of this study was to identify the extent of effects of institutionalization towards the education of children with disabilities. A school which teaches children with disabilities separately has been selected as the research field. In some instances different experiences, students have been experiencing in school while schooling by living in own homes and schooling by staying in institutions would lead to create conflicts between those groups of students. The students who have been studying while living in institutions have lack of motivation towards education than the other students group. As the point of views of majority of teachers, purposely children with disabilities have been marginalized and excluded by their own family members, by giving responsibilities of their own children to the freely facilitated facilities. Contrary to that parents/guardians have been mentioned that inadequacy of money, both parents have been engaged with livelihood activities, distance from the home and responsibilities of other children of the family etc. as reasons for the inadequate attention towards education of their children with disabilities. For some families having a child with disabilities has become a social stigma. Majority of students who have been studying institutionally claimed that, they do not like to act according to an institutional timetable also after the school timetable. Secondary level needs of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs couldn’t be fulfilled adequately because of institutionalization. According to that hierarchy specially, students who have been studying by being institutionalized was lack of belongingness. Even though parents and teachers were having contrary point of views, outcome of being institutionalized has been made negative effects to children with disabilities such as being distant from family relationships, reduce the motivation by the family and those children could be marginalized within the family as well as within the school.