Karnataka Rajya Vishesha Shikshakara Hagu Shikshaketharara Sangha, Bengaluru, will organise a state-level meet of special teachers and parents of special children, ‘Spandana’ at Shikshakara Sadana, opposite Cauvery Bhavan in Bengaluru on November 19.
Addressing mediapersons in Mangaluru on Thursday, Association General Secretary Vasanth Kumar Shetty said that the meet will be inaugurated by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Health and Family Welfare Minister U T Khader will preside over the programme. Women and Child Welfare Minister Umashree will be the chief guest. Ministers K J George, B Ramanath Rai, Vinay Kumar Sorake and others will take part.
Demands
Vasanth Kumar Shetty said that the association will request the State government to announce special schools for the mentally retarded and other disabilities as offical special schools. He further said that there are about 130 special schools in Karnataka and none of them are run by government but by NGOs and similar organisations.
“The association demands that the staff working in special schools must get compensation and facilities as recieved by that of the government school teachers,” he added.
He also said that the association will request the government to provide an aid of Rs 2,500 monthly for every child in the State with autism, Celebral Palsy and other disabilities including children with an IQ of lesser than 70 per cent.
He also said that it is important that centres in every district are available to take care of the mentally retarded children and adults for lifetime.
NIMH centres
“Also, National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) centres must be set up in Karnataka in order to guide and train teachers of special schools and parents and gaurdians of special children,” he demanded.
Association president Agnes Kunder, and district unit president Meera Sathish and others were present.
Published 12 November 2015, 17:26 IST