Skip to main content
  • Accessibility
  • Headlines
  • Coronavirus-News
  • Get-Hooked
  • Technology
  • Education
  • Employment
  • Parasports
  • Ask Bhavna
  • NHBrandView
  • Independent Living
  • Lifestyle
  • NH Videos
×
Newz Hook – Changing Attitudes towards Disability Logo
  • Stories
  • Videos
  • Inclusive
  • NH Voice
  • Login
COVID-19 Notification by Government in Accessible Format

Accessibility Tools

Text Size:

Contrast Scheme:

  • C
  • C

Reset

  • Home
  • Education
  • Special Educators Forum-India demands separate national education policy for children with disabilities

Special Educators Forum-India demands separate national education policy for children with disabilities

Group of kids ins chool
Education August 12, 2019
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)

The Special Educators Forum-India has demanded a separate education policy for children and people with disabilities on the grounds that the new draft National Education Policy fails to address the needs of the community.

Slamming the draft National Education Policy (NEP) for failing to address the needs of children with disabilities, the Special Educators’ Form – India (SEFI) has asked the Centre to frame a separate policy for the community.

The draft NEP has been criticised by many leading disability groups as regressive and undemocratic. The National Platform for the Rights of Disabled (NPRD) had previously criticised it for “lacking a rights-based approach“ and said it “reinforced the traditional method of viewing disability”.

Not only is the draft oblivious to the United Nations Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) which India ratified, it fails to take cognisance of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016.

According to the Ministry of Human Resources Development’s own data, the highest number of out of school children, are children with disabilities. In the year 2014, the figure for this group was 28.07% but the NEP draft does not lay down any concrete measures to increase the enrolment of disabled children. On the contrary, the policy proposes to do away with the 25% reservation for marginalised sections provided for in the Right to Education (RTE) Act. – Kalpagiri Srinu, National Convenor, Special Educators’ Forum-India

Key demands

After extensive consultations the SEFI has come up with a set of 25 recommendations. Some of these are:

  • Amend the RTE Act in line with RPWD Act 2016 to implement inclusive education at all levels.
  • Governments at the states and Centre should recognise the importance of a broader concept of inclusive education to address diverse needs of all learners.
  • Ensure mandatory recruitment of Special Educators for every school where children with disabilities are enrolled.
  • Implement the law of practicing without a Rehabilitation Council of India registration as an offence.
  • Frame a separate National Policy on Education for children with disabilities.
  • Prepare teachers to address diverse needs of children with disabilities.
  • School-based support team should develop to meet needs of children with disabilities.
  • Set up a rehabilitation wing for inclusive education as a nodal agency under the MHRD to fill academic gaps in qualitative implementation of inclusive education.

It’s not just the needs of children with disabilities that the draft NEP fails to address, points out disability rights activist Shampa Sengupta. “Intersections of gender, disability, urban poverty or rural backgrounds bring in different dimensions in the lives of disabled students. The holistic approach is completely missing from the NEP. Bypassing the needs and demands of such a huge group of people will not make India a knowledge superpower which the Ministry claims to aim at”.

ALSO READ:
Karnataka disability commissioner cracks down on school charged with abuse of child with autism

Watch in Sign Language

Support us to make NewzHook Sustainable – Make a Contribution Today

We need your continued support to enable us work towards Changing Attitudes towards Disability. Help us in our attempt to share the voices of people with disabilities that enable them to participate in the society on an equal footing!

Contribute to Newz Hook

NH Videos

Healing pain through art - Dr. Anubha Mahajan, Founder Chronic Pain India

Contribue to Newz Hook |Disability news. Support us to make NewzHook Sustainable – Make a Contribution Today.

Newsletter

 Subscribe to our Newsletter

Want to feature disability stories or share disability news with the disabled community? Write to:

editor@newzhook.com

Newz Hook - Accessible News

Download App Now!

Videos

View More

Employment

Online platform Digiabled helps disabled people in remote Chhattisgarh achieve financial independence

Get-hooked

#AutismPower - Varun Sawant juggles multiple talents with great style

Get-hooked

#RareDiseases - DART, India's 1st research lab on rare diseases, aims to annihilate muscular dystrophy

Accessibility

Toybank - Development through Play is enabling disabled kids to discover the power of play

Newz Hook Logo

About Newz Hook

Newz Hook | Disability News - media site focusing on Disability Stories and Changing Attitudes towards Disability globally. We highlight disability news, offer inclusive solutions and create accessible collaborations. Our focus is to have Inclusion Champions from across the globe who will share disability stories and news.
Lets come together to change attitudes towards disability!

Newz Hook is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Follow us on:

Related Links

  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Partner with Newz Hook
  • Embed Newz Hook Timeline
  • Affiliate disclosure
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Contribute to Newz Hook

Our Awards

Zero Project Award Winner 2018
Back To Top
© 2019 All Right Reserved. Inclusive News India Private Limited.

Ask Bhavna

All fields are mandatory unless specified as optional.