special educators’ forum – india (sefi) · adaptation of curriculum and need to ensure local...

(National Office: H. No – 9, First Floor, Nagar Gali – 9, Mayur Vihar Phase – I, New Delhi – 110091) Mobile: +91 990 888 6050, Mail: [email protected]; www.kalpagiri.wordpress.com

Special Educators’ Forum – India (SEFI) (Formed by and with Special Educators working for SSA and IEDSS in India)

विशषे शशक्षकों मंच - भारत (Address: H. No: 3-1-370, Venture-3, SBH Colony, LB Nagar, Hyderabad, Telangana - 500074)

Lr. No:: 135/SEFI/RCI/2017; Date: 09-08-2017

To

1 The Chairman, Rehabilitation Council of India, B-22, Qutab Institutional Area, New Delhi.

2. The Chief Commissioner, O/o the Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities(CCPD), Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, Sarojini House, 6, Bhagwan Dass Road, New Delhi.

Respected Sir,

Sub: Children with Special Needs (CwSN) in government/Local body/Govt. managed

schools been serving/trained by non registered professional (Regular Teacher

with 5 day trainings) – Reg.

Ref: 1. RCI Statutory Warning, Dated: 16-03-2015

2. High Court of Delhi, New Delhi, W.P.(C)6771/2008; Order Dt: 16/09/2009

3. F.No.21-3/2017-EE.11; Dated: 19-07-2017

<o0o>

1. The Government of India (GOI) need to ensure quality education for Children with

Special Needs (CwSN/Disabled Students), despite of many Rights to Divyang Students like

Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI) Act-1992, Persons with Disabilities (PwD) Act-1995,

National Trust Act-1999 and now Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPD) Act – 2016, in

implementation of Quality Education to these Divyangjan maybe lacking at gross root level due

to inaccurate guidelines at District level. The soul is missing in the Right to Education (RtE) Act –

2009 for Quality Education to CwSN; as follows:-

a) The Right to Education (RTE) Act need to address all disabilities, definitions, access to school: physical and social, admission, entitlements in terms of textbooks, uniforms, etc, qualitative measurements like recruitment, duties & responsibilities of Special Teachers as per PTR suggested by Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI), trainings, adaptation of curriculum and need to ensure local and state authorities and evaluate periodically.




b) The Right to Education (RTE) must apply to all citizens of India. State and central Governments as well as all the other social actors should recognize the importance of a broadened concept of inclusive education that addresses the diverse needs of all learners.

c) A policy of inclusion needs to be implemented in all schools and throughout Indian education system (NCF, 2005). Schools need to become centers that prepare children for life and ensure that all children, especially the differently abled children from marginalized sections, and children in difficult circumstances get the maximum benefit of this critical area of education.

d) The preparation of teachers for rural special education programmes should be planned differently, as the aim of these programmes would be to integrate disabled persons in their own environment and community.

e) As a system, inclusive education should be flexible. Its flexibility must be reflected in the methods and materials used to give these children the widest possible access to the regular curriculum.

f) A school-based support team should develop strategies for the whole school to meet the needs of learners with special educational needs. This team should also be a resource for teachers experiencing problems in their classrooms.

g) The school has the primary responsibility for helping children learn alongside their typically developing peers. An inclusive school must enable education structures, systems and methodologies to meet the needs of all children, particularly those who face the greatest barriers to achieving their right to education.

h) Parents have a right to be involved in all decision-making concerning their child. They should be seen as partners in the education process. Where there is such co-operation, parents have been found to be very important resources for the teachers and the schools.

i) Bringing special children into mainstream requires adjustments that schools need to make in advance. Transport facilities should be altered, so that these children can move around with relative ease. Architecturally, there should be ramps and wheelchair access constructed in service areas such as toilets.

j) Student-oriented components, such as medical and educational assessment, books and stationery, uniforms, transport allowance, reader allowance and stipend for girls, support services, assistive devices, boarding the lodging facility, therapeutic services, teaching learning materials, etc should provide according to need of the students.

k) Differently abled children should be treated equally as the normal children and instead of looking them in sympathy their talents and abilities should be recognised for their self-respect and welfare of the society.

l) Necessary school supplies such as audio learning or textbooks in Braille should be made available. Suitable modification to examination system may be required, so as to eliminate pure mathematical and logical assessments.

m) Teachers‟ attitudes towards inclusive education could be formed and developed in the context of an educational system which can provide some specific conditions in order to have a good practice in this field.




n) Families with children without disabilities should develop relationships with families with children with disabilities and be able to make a contribution.

o) In-service training programmes of two to three weeks' duration for general educators and special educators in all the disabilities and in specific areas of disability should arrange to effectively teach children with disabilities.

p) Those schools that are committed to taking in children with special needs, then teachers must attend workshops in order to be adjusted to the child's needs.

q) Periodic evaluation of the training programmes and constant updating to meet the challenges of changing trends in special education should be part of the planning of teacher preparation.

r) Inclusion should not be the sole responsibility of the specific class teacher. Everybody should be involved and take responsibility. Training for teachers should be sustained and ongoing. It should most importantly focus on attitudinal change.

s) The reform of the curriculum should be made in parallel with a proper training for teachers regarding their knowledge of inclusion and its principles. The curriculum for each of the above programmes should be carefully developed by an expert group which includes practicing special teachers (educators).

t) Need to establish vigilance team at District level for smooth running of academic achievements periodically by professional from the field of Special Education.

2. As per the Central Board of Secondary Education, every school need to ensure quality

education for all children, including children with special needs covered under section 3, 8 (c)

and 9 (c) of the Right to Education (2009) Act, providing guidelines to its local

body/government/residential/affiliated schools periodically about exemptions and support

services essential for inclusion of children with special needs. A special educator is specifically

required in schools to work with children and young adults who require additional support in

order to complete their learning successfully. These teachers may work with children with

physical disabilities, sensory impairments, developmental disabilities such as Hearing Impaired,

Visual Impaired, Autism, Mental Retardation, Cerebral Palsy and Specific Learning Disabilities,

as they are emotionally vulnerable and have behavioral difficulties. A special educator can also

work with gifted and talented children. It is further, except for the Locomotor Disabilities,

Special Educator/Special Education Teacher may be appointed in Schools where CwSN enrolled.

3. It has been observed that, the children with special needs (CwSN) have been transition

last 2 academic years by 12.96% and 8.64%. Many Regular teachers working in

government/local body/any other government management schools feel that they are not able

to justify in meeting the Special needs of the CwSN and there are no one to look after them

both in Academic and Administration level.




S. No School Education 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18

1 SSA 22,85,531 20,14,118 1810615

2 IEDSS 2,27,961 1,73,548 188017

Total 25,13,492 21,87,666 19,98,632

*Source: UDISE 2015-16; http://ssashagun.nic.in/pab.html

4. As per the MHRD, it’s F. No.21-3/2017-EE.11; dated; 19-07-2017 stated that, In terms of

resource person 35 states and UTs have appointed 18848 resource persons to strengthen the

capacities of resource persons they are exposed to other disabilities through cross disability

training. The States are also doing specific training of general teachers on Braille, Signing,

Intellectual Impairments, Cognitive Impairments and Developmental Disabilities since 2013-14.

Till 31st March, 2017, 2,24,961 teachers have been trained on low vision, 1,21,372 teachers

have been oriented to the needs of children with blindness, 2,06,084 teachers have been

oriented to Signing, 2,42,727 teachers have been sensitized to the needs of children with

mental retardation, 1,66,073 teachers have been given training on Cerebral Palsy, 2,11,739

teachers have been trained on Learning Disabilities, 1,93,071 teachers have been trained on

multiple disabilities and 1,48,482 teachers have been imparted training on Autism since 2013-

14. Further 71,073 teachers have been given training on ICT for CwSN. Also 837 Resource

Persons trained on ICT.

5. Further, after training on specific disabilities of 15,85,582 regular teachers across the

country, the CwSN are haphazardly dealt by Inclusive Education Resource Teachers/Persons

(IERTs/IERPs) engaged by SSA and Special Educators under IEDSS temporarily who are there to

fulfill number of interventions related to Inclusive Education as instructed by authorities

concerned. Beside Educating CwSN in SSA, the IERP (Special Educator) services more

elaborated, Such as Survey, Identification, Assessment of CwSN, Distribution of Aids and

Appliances, facilitating the CwSN for Minor Corrective Surgery, Home Based Education, Speech

Therapy, Physiotherapy, Early Intervention for 2-6 years CwSN etc. But these IERPs been placed

at Block/Mandal headquarter at Primary Level and dealt the left over CwSN after enrolled in

regular Schools in the mandal concerned only under SSA scheme. Till now 18848 Special

Educators recruited on contractual basis in 35 States and UTs till 19th July, 2017 to cater CwSN.

6. The Recruitment of IEDSS Post is regularly delayed on the basis of some excuses and

opinions of those who are not sensitive or lack professional knowledge about CwSN. In Reality

the Justification of Requirement of the Special Educators on Regular Basis in Education

Department may be adjudged by either constituting a committee of the Professional of

National Institutes for Handicapped In India (Apex and Autonomous Bodies in the Different

http://ssashagun.nic.in/pab.html




Category of CwSN) or on advise conferred from Rehabilitation council of India, New Delhi so

that the Justice can be done in the case of Inclusive Education of the CwSN in enrolled in such

schools. The RCI has also given certain Specification on recruitment and Ratio of CwSN and

Special Educators, which may be considered for recruitment. The IEDSS scheme is

implementing in 25 States only by the Special Educators with meager salaries out of 35 Stats

and UTs, till now 3,245 Special Educators recruited on contractual basis under the Scheme.

7. At Present the whole system of Inclusive Education is running on the basis of manpower

engaged purely on contractual basis with meager salaries showing a number of achievements

only on paper. Further, the State authorities concerned are not sending proposals of

recruitment of Special Educators on regular basis at the time of Budget Plan to your office as we

were represented as above many times. The concerning authorities like

a) Chief Commissioner for Disabilities (CCPD) advised that the matter of recruitment of

Special Educators in regular schools in India stated that, “You are advised to pursue

matter with the Department of School Education & Literacy, MHRD, New Delhi.

b) MHRD stated in its F. No.21-3/2017-EE.11; dated; 19-07-2017 that, “the recruitment of

Special Educators at Primary level maybe depends upon proposal of the State

Government concerned for budgetary approval” at MHRD.

c) The Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI) has stated that “RCI prepares special

educators, however, the recruitment of Special Educator is not in the purview of the

Council” in its grievance-registration no-PMOPG/W/2015/0075447 dated 19/12/2014.

8. This forum is requesting to RCI, the MHRD has been focusing on teachers training in

particular disability for 5 days which is not approved by RCI, till now 15,85,582 regular teachers

have been trained in 35 States and UTs in India. As per the Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI),

any person found serving “Person with disabilities” without RCI certification shall be prosecuted

before the Court of Law under Section 13(3) of RCI Act, 1992. The RCI need to:

i) Issue the registration certificates for 15,85,582 regular teachers, if not;

ii) The 15,85,582 regular teachers shall be Prosecuted before the Court of Law

under Section 13(3) of RCI Act, 1992.

iii) The School Education Department of States and UTs concerned in India has been

neglecting to recruit Special Educators where CwSN enrolled so far as per the

directions given by the Hon’ble High Court of Delhi Stated that;

“Directed to Authorities concerned should try to achieve ratio of 1:5 at the Secondary Level and 1:2 at Primary Level and further direct authorities




concerned to appointment of Special Educators as suggested RCI for appointing Special Educators in all the Schools in the State as well as Schools run by local bodies. Needless to say that the service conditions of the Special Teachers, shall be same as that of the Regular Teachers holding the qualification of general teachers. The School authorities shall ensure that each school shall have at least TWO Special Teachers and further that necessary teaching aids and reading materials are provided. This shall be done within six months.

Either, the RCI has to frame uniform guidelines on mandatory recruitment of

Special Educators to every regular school where CwSN enrolled in every States

and UTs or recommends CCPD or MHRD for framing uniform guidelines on same

as the above.

Yours Sincerely,

(Kalpagiri Sreenu)

National Convener

Cell: +91 990 888 6050.

Reference:

1. http://udise.in/Downloads/Elementary-STRC-2015-16/36.pdf

2. http://udise.in/Downloads/Elementary-STRC-2015-16/All-India.pdf

3. http://www.rehabcouncil.nic.in/writereaddata/Statutory%20Warning_3_.pdf

4. http://www.rmsaindia.gov.in/administrator/components/com_pabminutes/files/PA

B%20Minutes%202015-16%20for%20Telangana.pdf

Copy to:

1. CCPD, Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, GOI,

*Note: Annexure attached to this copy.

http://udise.in/Downloads/Elementary-STRC-2015-16/36.pdf

http://udise.in/Downloads/Elementary-STRC-2015-16/All-India.pdf

http://www.rehabcouncil.nic.in/writereaddata/Statutory%20Warning_3_.pdf

http://www.rmsaindia.gov.in/administrator/components/com_pabminutes/files/PAB%20Minutes%202015-16%20for%20Telangana.pdf

http://www.rmsaindia.gov.in/administrator/components/com_pabminutes/files/PAB%20Minutes%202015-16%20for%20Telangana.pdf

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