LEARNING CHALLENGES OF SPECIAL NEEDS STUDENTS AT PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES IN BANGLADESH

DOI: http://doi.org/10.55706/ijbssr11106
URL: http://www.ijbssr.com/10.55706/ijbssr11106
It is undeniably true
that each and every educational institution wants to offer ‘quality education’
whereas the students with special needs (SN) are often misunderstood and left
behind from education in Bangladesh, like other developing countries. Focusing
on this point, this study intends to investigate the learning challenges,
specifically for students with SN at the tertiary level. The area
and sample of the study were purposefully selected during the period of October
2020 to July 2021. In-depth data has been collected from eight teachers and
sixteen students from four public universities in Bangladesh as part of this
qualitative study. Primary data was elicited from SN students and their
teachers through interviews and observation. The findings reveal that the SN
students face learning challenges in university despite the positive attitudes
of teachers and students. The lack of learning material, an unplanned
curriculum, untrained teachers, acceptance and accessibility problems, and
transportation problems are the most common challenges that create barriers to
quality education for SN students. The findings may initiate policy
discussion about what and how to respond to the call for quality education
under SDG 4 at the tertiary level of education. It also helps UGC and GoB
establish an inclusion policy in tertiary education to keep their commitment to
the UNCRPD and ensure the implementation of the Persons with Disabilities
Rights and Protection Act.