World over, education systems are having to grapple with new realities and a world filled

with conflict, international migration and dissolving of borders. Alongside this are the new

realities of the economic crisis, of the growing distance between the poor and the rich and the

learning crisis that students face in systems that have not been equipped to deal with change.

The year 2020 has been cited as the biggest disaster/crisis since World War II. The Covid 19

humanitarian disaster has brought both the world and education systems to a standstill for

over a year now. Facing their biggest challenge ever, education systems across the world and

in India are having to re-invent themselves. More than 1 billion1 children are said to be out of

school.

Amongst these are the most vulnerable of children, children with disabilities, children who

are homeless on the streets, children living in difficult circumstances all over the world. As

the hunger and medical crisis deepened, many more children have become vulnerable. One

such category of children is those who have lost both or one primary caregiver and are now

orphaned.

At times like this, an ‘inclusive education’ system that takes every child along, assumes great

significance. It must be the yardstick that we apply to any rebuilding and re-envisioning in

education.