New Delhi Denies Need For Inclusive Education

In June 1994, Unesco organised an international conference in collaboration with the Spanish Government on special educational needs (disabled children, children in difficulties). The theme was: "ACCESS AND QUALITY". The aim of this conference was not only to look for a way of moving closer to the Jomtien objective of Education for All, but also and mostly to promote the integration of children and adolescents with special educational needs (disabled children, children in difficulties, etc) in the standard educational system. The aim therefore is to promote the ability of ordinary schools to receive all children, whatever handicap they may have (including all forms of disabilities or difficulties). India was a signatory to this declaration!

Eight years later, the legal advocacy group Social Jurist, in a PIL, provided evidence that of roughly 200,000 school-age children with disabilities in the city with only about 800 in regular school. The major reason cited for this disproportion was that there are not enough schools or trained teachers to meet the need. According to Social Jurist's lawyer, "[t]here is not a single teacher for special children in 1,851 [city] schools and there are only seven teachers in 1,027 Delhi state government schools." Pleading the case, a Social Jurist argued that the Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act of 1995 requires that government provide training for teachers of children and youth with disabilities.

In response to this, the Delhi state government has told the high court that there was no provision for recruiting special teachers in schools here for children with special needs. In an affidavit filed by SS Rathore, joint director (administration) in the directorate of education, the government said children with special needs are being taken care of by schools for blind, deaf and dumb. Children with orthopaedic disabilities do not need a special teacher and are taught with other children in the same class, the affidavit said.

Despite all that is being said or done in this area, the grassroot reality has emerged in this response by the government. What should be done to rectify this? The question remains - what is being done to rectify this!

Source: No provision to recruit teachers for disabled: Govt
The Times of India, July 21, 2002