Aditi Soham

High School Runner-Up, Grade 11
Cumming, GA

Bridging India’s Inclusive Education Divide

Every Sunday afternoon, my virtual classroom is a chaotic mix of loops, rhythmic sounds, and a geometric writing system. I’m challenged with the soulful yet complex task of teaching Kannada, my mother tongue, to elementary students. And every Sunday, I realize time and time again that learning is never a clear-cut journey.

While one child can master the pronunciation just seconds after seeing a new word, another may need repetitive, rhythmic approaches in order to comprehend the lesson to its fullest. I learnt early on that teaching effectively is not only about helping your students improve. It means understanding that each mind operates at a different frequency, and ensuring that every student has the chance to expand their potential. Yet, the differences in learning methods repeatedly reminded me of a larger underlying issue. In the United States, students that present difficulties with learning are treated with structured frameworks and accommodative plans to reach higher levels, be it at their own pace. Moving slower is not seen as a point of failure; it is only a redirection towards growth.

But what happens when a student with the same intellect, curiosity, and learning pace is forced to navigate the hyper-competitive educational environment in India, where there is not always a safety net to support minds that work differently?

There is no doubt that India is a growing intellectual powerhouse. Some of history’s brightest minds were shaped in the subcontinent, giving rise to numerous global innovations. But, one of India’s most relevant, unresolved developmental crises has been silently hurting the country's progress: the lack of resources for neurodivergent and differently abled youth in the education system.

The reality of the picture is bleak. India’s education system is infamous for competitive intensity, with families encouraging children to pursue intensive professions —such as medicine and engineering– for successful careers. But, the intensity comes from standardized testing and learning that forces children to fit into one mold. Success and growth arise almost exclusively from exam performance, which makes the situation for students with neurodevelopmental disorders, including ADHD, dyslexia, and autism infinitely harder. Under India’s Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act of 2016, ADHD is not explicitly defined as a standalone disability, which creates a major systemic gap. Because it is not outlined by law, schools are not obligated to enforce testing accommodations or interventions with students with ADHD, creating a competitive disadvantage in the grand scheme of the academic race.

A UNESCO report focused on Indian education highlighted how children with disabilities and neurodevelopmental disorders continue to face astronomically high dropout rates (UNESCO, 2019). Because of Indian society’s fixation on perfect marks, these issues are often marginalized, causing thousands of students to simply be written off as “lazy” or “difficult”, when the true difficulty is the lack of clinical and cognitive support.

Finding solutions to this issue is not only difficult because of the social stigmas disabled students face, but also due to massive geographic and wealth gaps. The handful of institutions in India that currently incorporate developmental therapy and inclusive classrooms are located in the wealthy areas of major urban cities such as Bengaluru and Mumbai. For families situated in rural areas or low-income neighborhoods, finding mental health specialists or special educators often becomes a financial hurdle they can’t overcome (World Bank, 2021). Right now, a population of India’s younger generation is being ruled out of opportunities for meaningful education, hindering both their success and the country’s collective potential.

The responsibility to fix these issues shouldn’t stop at Indian borders, and being part of the Indian diaspora growing up in the US, many of us see both sides of the coin. We’ve witnessed the incredible impact optimized learning plans have in our schools, but we savor the deep connection towards our own roots. That is exactly what makes it easier for us than ever before to make learning a more inclusive experience.

In terms of leveling out the playing field, technology can prove to be one of the most useful assets. As American students, we can help create and distribute open-source, culturally sensitive tools to Indian students. These can include free or low-cost digital resources that help students track cognitive focus, plan daily routines, or make learning experiences more interactive and engaging. We can aim to translate these platforms into regional languages as well, such as Marathi, Tamil, or Kannada, accounting for those that grew up with education taught in different language mediums. Neurodivergent children can immensely benefit from technologically adaptive systems that help them optimize their learning regardless of location or financial status. Also, if these tools are expanded across government schools and teachers, we can reach even larger populations and eliminate the need for expensive assistance plans.

However, making the biggest difference includes showing up for these students personally. By using the resources available to us, we can host virtual volunteering programs to advocate for inclusive educational plans and run peer-to-peer tutoring sessions for support. Running online campaigns can help foster equity and recognize early signs of learning differences.

When I teach Kannada, my progress is never measured from top scores; it’s measured by how I approached the kids who learnt differently. A child’s neurodiversity shouldn’t jeopardize their future. By building bridges and taking action, we can help establish an educational landscape where every unique mind is allowed to be celebrated rather than left behind.