Hyderabad: “When I was in the third standard, my classmates told me that if they sit next to me, they will also get infected by polio,” says Balatha Mallavarapu, the 167th rank holder of the All India Services Exam. Balatha’s legs have been paralysed from the time she was administered a wrong polio dose as a child. With hurtful discrimination at school, her parents decided to coach her at home until her graduation.
According to the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009, special children with mental or physical disabilities come under ‘disadvantaged sections’ and should be given preference over other students.
Around 25% of seats are allotted to all the disadvantaged sections in schools and colleges.
Unfortunately social stigmas have not made the integration of these children with other children very easy.
“The government has amended the education act but our education sector continues to neglect special children. Special educators are not hired in schools which is a huge problem for our children”, says Kalpagiri S, National Convener of Special Educators Forum, India.
Parents often bear the brunt of the discriminatory attitude shown towards their children.
“My child is 19-years-old now and he is mentally impaired. I shifted him from a special education school to a private school so that he could develop behavioural skills by mingling with his peers. But every teacher kept telling me to take my child back to a special school as he was a disturbance in the class. If they are never given a chance, how will these special children show what they are good at?” says Mrs. Sudha Madhavi, a parent clearly frustrated by the system.
All disabilities whether it is physical or mental make it difficult for the special child.
B. Sharada, the mother of a hearing impaired child, explained to this newspaper: “My child has a hearing problem. All he requires is a little extra care but schools deny it by saying that they cannot pay attention to him alone. My child has been shunted from three schools because of the similar treatment he received at each of them. There are no teachers in government schools who are fit to teach our children and private schools do not accept our children, fearing a loss of image and prestige.”
