Challenges Parents Face in Inclusive Education of Their Children in Mountainous Region of Pakistan

Abstract

Inclusive Education is an important human right. Inclusion is a concept that views children with disability as true full-time participants and members of their neighbourhood schools and communities. In Gilgit-Baltistan, a mountainous region in the North of Pakistan, the landscape of exclusion is physical, societal, institutional, and encoded in the very architecture of belief, that mark disability as misfortune. The barriers are not just concrete but cognitive and stigma replaces support. How parents view disability matters, if disability is not seen as a different way of learning but as a full stop. This study explores the challenges parents face in the schooling process of their children with disabilities and investigates the grip of social stigma on educational exclusion. Total participants were 40, including teachers, parents, and community members from diverse backgrounds across Gilgit-Baltistan. Data collected through self-structured, semi-structured interview guides and FGD protocols. Checklists to assess teaching and learning in classrooms and school settings for accessibility through structured observations were also developed and applied. Thematic analysis was conducted. Results show that for many children with disabilities, simply being present in school is an achievement. Their presence in classrooms is passive, with less peer interactions. Certain parents praised educators who exceeded expectations, while others perceived that their children were completely overlooked by the schools. Negative perceptions of disability within their communities were among the biggest barriers to education. Cultural traditions and beliefs significantly impact the development of perceptions. Awareness programs run by NGOs and schools transformed community attitudes. The study also revealed how gender norms intersect with disability, creating double discrimination for girls. The study concluded that understanding how participants perceive inclusive education helps explain why implementation is so uneven across Gilgit-Baltistan. The systemic, social, and infrastructural challenges prevent children with disabilities from fully participating in schools. educing stigma is essential in promoting inclusion. Community elders, NGOs and faith leaders be asked to work together with schools to normalize disability, reduce stigma, and promote girls’ inclusion.