COIMBATORE: The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has asked all the schools affiliated to it to form a School Inclusion Committee to address the needs of children with special needs.
The committee should comprise four members including school counsellor, special educator, teachers' representative and principal, who will be the chairperson of the committee. The committee should act as a facilitator for promoting inclusive education at school level and in neighbourhood and shall be a referral agency in case of children from disadvantage groups and weaker sections of society, CBSE said in a circular.
"In pursuance to the Right to Education Act 2009 and Persons with Disability Act (1995), the CBSE is providing various exemptions for children with special needs to ensure their active and successful participation in school system. It is often observed that these provisions are not reaching the targeted population and often being misinterpreted by the students and stakeholders in inclusion education," D T Sudharsan Rao, Joint Secretary and IC (Academic and Training) of CBSE said in the circular.
"All the issues with regard to admission, classroom placements, curriculum transaction, exemptions in examination and any other issue to safeguard the interest of children with special needs shall be addressed by this committee at school level," he added.
The committee was asked to take steps to raise public awareness on the importance of equality, overcoming discrimination and prohibit any kind of harassment and victimisation of any child with special needs in school.
Number of students with special needs studying in CBSE schools is very less, said K Navamani, principal of Angappa CBSE Senior Secondary School.
"Children with special needs require extra care and special attention. The teacher needs to spend more time with these children in case they are slow learners and also need to have regular interaction with their parents," she added.
