Hyderabad: The state government is planning to recruit as many as 9,000 teachers through direct teacher recruitment although eligibility norms have not been mentioned. The Human Resource Development ministry has approved 932 special educators’ posts. Special Educators Forum in the state demands recruitment of special educators according to National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) rules.
Special educators allege that enrollment of children with special needs in government schools has come down by 33 per cent in 2017 due to lack of special educators in schools but, the state government is evading its responsibility of recruiting the educators.
As per Census 2011, in Telangana, there are approximately 6.3 lakh (0-19) age children with special needs. Out of this, only 30,111 special children have enrolled in regular schools, 7,500 in Bhavitha centres, 13,000 in 68 NGOs and 780 in 6 DW residential schools. The remaining have never enrolled in any school, despite the Centre providing financial assistance under Sarva Siksha Abhiyan and Rashtriya Madhyamic Siksha Abhiyan.
Kalpagiri Sreenu, National Convenor of Special Educators Forum said, “Even after HRD Ministry sanctioned more than 616 special teachers and 316 special assistant posts, the Telangana government has not mentioned anything about recruitment of the teachers.”
He adds, “We demand amendments to GO 25 according to NCTE as the rules released by the state government has not mentioned the eligibility rules for DEd and BEd special education candidates. There is a need to recruit special educators at primary level and secondary level for 70,000 children with special needs.”
