RTE Act not pro-disabled, reiterate activists
It merely asks special schools to follow People with Disability Act
Close on the heels of the controversy of a private school’s circular on difficulties in classless admission of children under the Right to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, NGOs working with the disabled are reticent that the Act is not disabled-friendly.
The Act does not lend itself fully to the ‘inclusive education’ principle as it is silent on the rights of children with disability. The Act merely asks the schools catering to special children to implement rules under People with Disability Act in general.
Seva-in-Action, an NGO working with the disabled has made some specific recommendations to be incorporated in the RTE draft rules. Ruma Banerjee, the NGO’s Director, said although Karnataka is actively involved in carrying out the ‘inclusive education’ system under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan, the new RTE Act’s provisions do not facilitate education of children with disability.
“Unless the RTE draft rules include the needs of a child with disability in each of its provisions, the Act cannot be efficiently implemented for all," she said. Sighting an example, Banerjee said the RTE Act provides for free and compulsory education to 'children' between the ages six and 14 years, but under the Persons with Disability (PWD) Act, a child refers to a person up to the age of 18 years. Moreover, the Act or the draft rules do not mention a ‘Resource support’ teacher, who helps a disabled child inside the classroom when the child attends mainstream education, she added.
A Resource teacher is the one who is trained to handle all kinds of disability which includes visual, hearing, intellectual, learning and physical. Admitting the lacuna in the Act, Sandhya Venugopal Sharma, Karnataka State Project Director, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), said that the recommendation submitted by Seva in Action were valid and will be included in the RTE draft rules. “We have prepared the draft rules based on the Centre’s draft. However, any additions and recommendation pertaining to children with disability will be considered,” she said.
D Jagannatha Rao, chairman of Drafting Committee of Karnataka Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Rules, 2010, said the committee is still in the process of collecting objections and recommendations for the draft rules. “A meeting will be held to discuss all issues regarding the implementation of the RTE Act," he said. Last date to file objections/suggestions is August 31, 2010.
