VIJAYAWADA: Gross indifference is being meted out towards the differently abled children in both the Telugu states. Though various acts are there directing the respective governments to provide education facilities for the children with special needs, there seems to be zero efforts in this regard. Only four schools are running in AP at Hindu-pur, Chirala, Vizag and Vizianagaram and seven schools in Telangana.
Even these schools are only for blind, deaf and orthopedic disabilities. Not even a single school is present in the state for the children suffering from mental disabilities likes dyslexia, autism and cerebral palsy. According to special educators’ federation general secretary, Mr Gummala Babu, nearly two lakh children are suffering from various disabilities out of whom nearly 1.3 lakh children are suffering from mental disabilities.
All the mentally disabled children are completely neglected by the state governments. The only education that these children are getting is through Sarva Siksha Abhiyan (SSA) volunteers.
Mr Babu said instead of setting up special schools, the state governments are running one Bavitha Centre for every three mandals. The primary focus of these centres is to give primary education to the children with the special needs for two years and make them enable join the regular schools which is not happening in reality. Enrollment of mentally disabled students into regular schools is almost zero, he observed.
The Andhra Pradesh government even failed to recruit special educators for which the union government is giving 100 per cent funds. The union government sanctioned 860 special educator posts to AP and it was cleared by the state cabinet on July 14, 2015. But the government failed to issue a notification to recruit the special educators till date.
The situation is almost similar in Telangana too. According to disabled rights activist Mr N. Ramakrishna misappropriation of funds under SSA is taking place.
RTE is only on papers
The inclusive education for all children providing equal opportunities promised in the Right to Education has become a shallow one. According to the RTE Act, all schools should provide conductive environment for the children with disabilities right from access to education.
The RTE Act was framed on the lines of United Nations resolution providing equal opportunities to everyone. The Act promises to provide a primary school at every 3km, a zilla parishad high school at every 5km and junior college at every 30km distance.
All the schools should also provide facilities for the disabled like ramps, toilets, books, special equipments and also special educators. But there seems to be no facilities in the state schools for the differently abled.
