HYDERABAD: With the Central Board for Secondary Education (CBSE), for the second time in two years, issuing a circular stating that schools affiliated to it must appoint special educators as part of inclusive education, the Special Educators Forum of India (SEFI) has sent two representations to the Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan and the Navodaya Vidyalaya Samithi.
By a circular which was issued two weeks ago, the board has once again directed all schools to promote inclusion of students as per the provisions of the Persons With Disabilities Act 1995 and in conformity with the National Education Policy. The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 also mandates inclusive education for children with disabilities and special needs.
The SEFI sought the appointment of special educators in schools certified by the Rehabilitation Council of India and fill up the many vacancies. However, the implementation is still the job of individual schools.
“The CBSE has changed its bylaws after issuing the second direction in June this year and we have sent our grievance stating to fill up the vacant positions of special educators.
The chairman responded, saying that now that the board’s job is done, it is the schools which should implement it,” said Kalpagiri Sreenu, national convener of SEFI.
While there are 6 lakh children with special needs in the state as per the 2011 census, 61,558 are enrolled in primary schools and 6,605 in secondary schools.
There 4,000 trained special educators who are also registered with the Rehabilitation Council of India (a body that was set up to regulate these activities under the Rehabilitation Council of India Act, 1992), in Telangana. Of the 1,134 sanctioned posts, only 860 have been filled. Besides, the disabled welfare department has six special schools for the hearing and visually-impaired that currently has 780 children. In these schools too, out of the 98 sanctioned posts, 38 are vacant.