Trends in Inclusive Education: Gross Enrolment of Children with Special Needs in Bihar, India (2019–2025)

MD Ehtisham; Mohd Shahzad

doi:10.63960/sp.2026.aesip.1.1.12

##article.authors##

MD Ehtisham Department of Education, Government of Bihar, Purnia Bihar, India Author

##author.competingInterests##

Not competing Interest.
Mohd Shahzad Department of Teacher Training And Non Formal Education Jamia Millia Islamia, Delhi, India Author

##author.competingInterests##

Not competing interest.

https://doi.org/10.63960/sp.2026.aesip.1.1.12

##semicolon##

Children with Special Needs, Inclusive Education, UDISE+, Gross Enrolment, Educational Participation, Gender Parity, Educational Transition, Trend Analysis

##article.abstract##

This study ensuring equitable access to education for Children with Special Needs (CWSN) remains a key objective of inclusive education in India, yet evidence on long-term state-level enrolment trends is limited. This study analyzed CWSN enrolment trends in Bihar from 2019–20 to 2024–25 using UDISE+ administrative data. A quantitative descriptive trend analysis examined enrolment across educational stages, gender, and educational transitions using descriptive statistics, Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR), Gender Parity Index (GPI), and transition rates. Total enrolment declined from 150,616 in 2019–20 to 141,067 in 2020–21 during the COVID-19 period, recovered to 177,727 in 2021–22, and reached 180,358 in 2024–25, representing an overall increase of 19.75% (CAGR = 3.67%). Growth was minimal at the primary stage but substantially higher at the upper primary, secondary, and higher secondary stages. Gender parity improved over time, although considerable losses persisted during the transition from upper primary to secondary education. The findings highlight the need to strengthen early identification, educational continuity, transition support, and data-driven planning to advance inclusive education.

##submission.authorBiographies##

##submission.authorWithAffiliation##

MD Ehtisham Special Educator (High School) working in Government of Bihar M.A. Education (Pursuing) Centre for Distance and Online Education (CDOE), Jamia Millia Islamia University, New Delhi, India. His Research Interests in Inclusive Education, Special Education, Curriculum Studies, Accessibility, Educational Policy, Universal Design for Learning (UDL). MD Ehtisham is a Special Educator and emerging education researcher committed to advancing inclusive, equitable, accessible, and learner-centred education. His academic and professional interests focus on developing evidence-based educational practices, innovative pedagogies, accessibility frameworks, and inclusive learning environments that respond to diverse learner needs.
##submission.authorWithAffiliation##

Mohd Shahzad is a Doctoral Research Scholar in Special Education at the Institute of Advanced Studies in Education (IASE), Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI), New Delhi, India. His research interests include visual impairment, inclusive education, assistive technology, orientation and mobility, tactile graphics literacy, accessibility, digital inclusion, and artificial intelligence in education. His work aims to promote accessible, equitable, and evidence-based educational practices that enhance learning outcomes for visually impaired learners.

##submission.citations## ▼

Ahalya, V., & C., S. (2025). Bringing inclusive education through the ‘White Board project’: A study of online education during COVID-19 among the special educators in Kerala, India. Education and Information Technologies, 30, 13191–13212. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-025-13354-6

Aruldas, K., Banks, L. M., Nagarajan, G., Roshan, R., Johnson, J., Musendo, D., ... & Shakespeare, T. (2023). “If he has education, there will not be any problem”: Factors affecting access to education for children with disabilities in Tamil Nadu, India. PLoS ONE, 18(8), e0290016. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0290016

Bakhytzhamal, S., Dinara, Y., & Gao, C. (2026). Social and pedagogical support for children with special educational needs: A systematic review of inclusive practices, instructional strategies and support measures in mainstream schools. European Journal of Education, 61(1). https://doi.org/10.1111/ejed.70429

Department of School Education and Literacy. (2022). Samagra Shiksha: Framework for implementation (Updated framework aligned with National Education Policy 2020). Ministry of Education, Government of India. https://samagra.education.gov.in/docs/ss_implementation.pdf

Dongre, A., Sarin, A., & Singhal, K. (2022). Barriers in translating mandate for inclusion in practice: Evidence from India’s Right to Education Act. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 28(12), 2921–2939. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603116.2022.2135781

Government of India. (2020). National Education Policy 2020. Ministry of Education. https://www.education.gov.in/sites/upload_files/mhrd/files/NEP_Final_English_0.pdf

Guo, L., & Keles, S. (2026). In-service general education teachers’ competence for inclusive education: A systematic scoping review and evidence-gap map. European Journal of Special Needs Education. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/08856257.2026.2614662

Gupta, V. (2016). Educational planning: Dropout of CWSN and SLD children in India. IAFOR Journal of the Social Sciences, 2(2). https://doi.org/10.22492/ijss.2.2.05

Hay, S., & Beamish, W. (2026). Inclusive education for students with special educational needs: A 30-year synthesis of the review-level literature (1994–2023). Education Sciences, 16(5), 794. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci16050794

Hunt, X., Saran, A., White, H., & Kuper, H. (2025). Effectiveness of interventions for improving educational outcomes for people with disabilities in low- and middle-income countries: A systematic review. Campbell Systematic Reviews, 21(1), e70016. https://doi.org/10.1002/cl2.70016

Liasidou, A., Mavrou, K., & Mouka, M. (2026). An integrative review of (intersectional) inclusive pedagogies for students with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). British Journal of Special Education. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8578.70095

Narayan, J. (2026). A place for all: Trends in special and inclusive education in India. Support for Learning, 41(2). https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9604.70035

Parasuram, K. (2006). Variables that affect teachers’ attitudes towards disability and inclusive education in Mumbai, India. Disability & Society, 21(3), 231–242. https://doi.org/10.1080/09687590600617352

Patra, J., Panda, I., Gupta, T., Barman, P., Naskar, M., & Pal, D. (2026). Educational equity for children with disabilities in the Global South: Special reference to India. International Journal of Special Education, 41(1s), 504–522. https://www.internationalsped.com/index.php/ijse/article/view/2532

Sedláčková, D., Kantor, J., Belkin, L., Marečková, J., Smrčková, A., Du, J., Li, J., Svobodová, Z., & Munn, Z. (2025). The experiences of students with physical disabilities in inclusive education: A qualitative systematic review. Educational Research Review, 49, Article 100715. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2025.100715

Singal, N. (2019). Challenges and opportunities in efforts towards inclusive education: Reflections from India. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 23(2), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603116.2019.1624845

Tiwari, H., Yadav, P., Tripathi, S., & Bharne, S. (2025). Education opens doors, but can they enter: Investigating the enrolment of children with special needs in higher secondary education across India. International Journal of Inclusive Education. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603116.2025.2553215

UNESCO. (2020). Global education monitoring report 2020: Inclusion and education: All means all. https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000373724

UNICEF. (2021). Seen, counted, included: Using data to shed light on the well-being of children with disabilities. https://data.unicef.org/resources/children-with-disabilities-report-2021/

United Nations. (2006). Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Article 24 – Education. Department of Economic and Social Affairs Social Inclusion. https://social.desa.un.org/issues/disability/crpd/article-24-education

Trends in Inclusive Education: Gross Enrolment of Children with Special Needs in Bihar, India (2019–2025)

##article.authors##

##semicolon##

##article.abstract##

##submission.authorBiographies##

##submission.citations## ▼

##submission.downloads##

##submissions.published##

##submission.dataAvailability##

Crossref Metrics

Recently Cited By:

View your Article in Google Scholar

Dimension (Article) Metrics

Plu.mx (Article) Metrics

##issue.issue##

##section.section##

##submission.license##

##submission.howToCite##

##plugins.generic.shariff.share##

##plugins.generic.recommendByAuthor.heading##

##plugins.generic.recommendBySimilarity.heading##

ISSN

مضمون جمع کروائیں

زبان

Payment System

کلیدی الفاظ

Quick Access

Visitors

##plugins.block.navigation.articles##

##plugins.generic.shariff.share##

##plugins.generic.webfeed.blockTitle##

##plugins.block.browse##

##plugins.block.information.link##