NEW DELHI: Special and differently-abled children are now eligible for free and compulsory education under the Right to Education Act in all schools, following the passage of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (Amendment) Bill in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.
The Bill also allows those with severe disabilities the option of receiving education at home.
The amendment was necessitated as the RTE Act does not include children with disabilities under ‘child belonging to the disadvantaged group’ category.
The amendment extends the right to free and compulsory education to children with cerebral palsy, mental retardation, autism and multiple disabilities.
The Bill was passed by the Rajya Sabha on April 24, and it exempts madrasas and Vedic schools (which impart religious teachings) from the RTE Act.
Another amendment says that school management committees in aided minority schools would function only in an advisory capacity and would not be required to prepare the school development plans.
The option of special children receiving education at home came under scrutiny from some MPs who suggested that “it would only increase the feeling of loneliness among them”.
Replying to the debate on the Bill in the Lok Sabha, Union Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal described it as a “far reaching step in reforming the education system”.
“We have initiated educational reform... It will take time to change the system,” Sibal told the Lok Sabha.