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Should Special Education shift to the Ministry of Human Resource Development from the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment?

By Minou Verghese

According to the Government of India’s own statistics, only 2 per cent of disabled children receive education of any kind. The Persons with Disability Act, 1995, states that: The appropriate government shall endeavour to promote the integration of students with disability in the normal school, and that every child with disability would be provided free and adequate education till the age of 18 years. Thereafter, the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan was launched towards achieving the long cherished dream of universalisation of Elementary Education. Chapter 5.2, ‘Intervention for Children With Special Needs’ states that children with disability must be part of the regular education system, thereby rejecting the zero-reject policy irrespective of degree of disability.

But the reality is very different. Only a small percentage of disabled children receive education despite the fact that right to education is a fundamental right, thus preventing their integration into society. Hence, there is an urgent need that the education of children with disability to be a part of the Ministry of Human Resource Development overseeing the educational needs of all children instead of being allocated to Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. There is a need to have a holistic approach to education, which would help in bridging the gap between general education and special education.

To march with time, we should encourage attitudinal change. Unlike most other countries, India is one of the few countries that still have not brought children with disability under the jurisdiction of the Ministry Department of Education.

There are a number of policies that state that children with disability must be a part of the regular system. Acts of Parliaments have been passed but policies have not been put into practice. There can be no doubt that education of disabled children has to be part of the Ministry of Human Resources, which is in charge of education for all. At present there are children with disability who need specialised care, hence the need for special schools to continue, as it may not be possible to make appropriate provisions for them without a continuum of educational provisions. We therefore need a structural change. Instead of special education being under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, why not create a Department of Special Education under the Ministry of Human Resources? Expert opinion on the subject of education is that it should form part of an inclusive programme rather than an insular activity. It will not only help in fulfilling the Government of India’s policy of providing Elementary Education for all. A large population of disabled children who would otherwise remain in the fringe of society will have access to elementary education enabling them to properly integrate into society.

Minou Verghese has worked as a Community Social Worker at the United Nations High Commission for Refugees in New Delhi, supervising a refugee community centre and providing guidance on educational and vocational training. During her stint at NCPEDP, she headed the Education Unit and coordinated the audits of educational institutes.

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