Dilemma of Parental Aspiration for Children with Special Needs in Early Childhood Education (ECE) Settings: The Case of Bangladesh

This study explores parental aspiration for children with special needs in Early Childhood Education (ECE) settings in Bangladesh. A social justice theoretical approach framed the design of the research, and data were collected in two locales namely rural and urban areas in Rajshahi Division, Bangladesh. This study followed the case study methods, and findings suggest that there were differences among the rural and urban areas and in parental aspiration, beliefs and practices in ECE in Bangladesh. This article explores how parental aspiration varies for access and enrolment of children with special needs in ECE by exploring parental perspectives in Bangladesh. Many parents with astronomical anticipations for their children in ECE are mostly based on a distinctive mixture of childrearing and social ideals in the Bangladesh context. As an outcome, this study relates considerations of what parents anticipate their children’s enrollment, readiness for schooling, and children’s learning outcomes. Mostly, parental struggles and expectations are closely related to different socio-economic conditions, regions, and children’s gender (transgender and girls) in line with special needs. This study attempts to explore how ECE is positioned within the multifaceted contention of Bangladeshi society where parental aspiration plays a vital role for the schooling of children with special needs.