No special educators in govt schools in Telangana

Himayathnagar: Nearly 60,000 children with special needs (CwSN) are enrolled in 16,000 government schools across the State. However, these institutions lack special educators who teach students with hearing, visual, auditory and mental disabilities.

The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, stipulates under Section 17 (b) adequate number of teacher training institutions, teachers with disability who are qualified in sign language and Braille, and also teachers, who are trained in teaching children with intellectual disability, are needed at all levels of school education.

Yet, the State government employs regular teachers under the category of special educators. Recruiting a special educator for children with special needs comes under Samagra Shiksha Abhiyaan (SSA). Under this scheme recruitment of educators is based on the ratio of one teacher for each school.

Speaking to The Hans India, Kalpagiri, a special educator at a city-based resource centre, said that in 16,000 inclusive schools, there is not a single special educator across the State. Regular teachers are trained to impart education to children with special needs.

There is a legal provision, but funds were cut, so the government has been managing by providing training to these regular teachers. But, to provide quality education to children with disabilities, we need special educators. For the last four years, the same condition has persisted."

Further, most schools do not allow inclusive education, as the ratio of students and special educators doesn't match. Many schools do not allow CwSN. "There are about 800 special educators catering to roughly 60,000 students with special needs in resource centres," Kalpagiri said.

Some special educators, along with others from city have approached the Department of School Education to recruit specialised educators on regular basis in the State, but the department replied employing special educators is not mandated.