Many students miss the bus

learning disabilities.

A trained teacher’s attention is constantly needed as these students are emotionally vulnerable and have behavioural difficulties.

Kalpagiri Sreenu, national convenor of the Special Educators’ Forum, said, “It is observed that the Children with Special Needs (CWSNs) are just show pieces as part of the inclusive education to fleece funds.”

He added, “More than 61t posts of school assistant (special teacher) and 316 special assistant posts are approved by the ministry of human resources development. However, no recruitments have ta-ken place so far. Whenever we approach the concerned authorities, they come out with some excuses.” There are nearly 6.3 lakh children with special needs in the state. Of which, 30,111 children are enrolled in regular schools, 7,500 in Bhavitha centers, 13,000 with 68 schools run by NGOs and 780 attend the six disabled welfare residential schools. The remaining children, aged up to 19, have missed the bus.

Due to lack of enough Bhavitha centers and disabled welfare residential schools in the state many disabled children miss education as their parents prefer to keep them safe at home. Absence of special educators in regular schools is also a cause of worry. Chava Ravi, state general secretary of the United Teachers’ Federation, said, “lack of facilities and special educators in regular schools is the reason behind the increasing number of school dropouts every year.”

Chava Ravi added that some of these dropouts manage to enrol at Bhavitha centres or at NGO-run schools which have better facilities to cater to their needs.

Providing the classroom within the reach of a disabled student is another problem. He added, “Due to lack of space in the city and urban schools, it has become difficult to provide the classroom on the ground floor.”

As a remedy to these issues, he suggested hiring more special teachers at regular schools and setting up of more Bhavitha centers and disabled welfare residential schools.

LACK OF FACILITIES, special educators in regular schools is the reason behind the increasing number of dropouts every year, says state general secretary of United Teachers’ Federation.