the goan I network
PANAJI
A repackaged scheme to fund formal education of the differently-abled aims at shifting the focus from regular academics to a more purposeful objective of training the special children to achieve life and vocational skills to equip them live more independent future lives.
The scheme - Scheme for Children With Special Needs 2018 - was notified about a fortnight ago and covers not just the ‘Special’ schools but also all ‘Regular’ elementary, Secondary and Higher Secondary institutions operating in the State.
It provides for individual assistance to the children and also financial grants to regular schools striving for “inclusive” education of the special kids to upgrade facilities. Such schools will also be funded for vocational training, counseling of both the children and their parents, for early detection of the special needs of the child, formal and functional assessment of each child by specialized agencies and to remove architectural barriers.
The scheme incentivises initiatives of regular schools to admit special children which it acknowledges “helps boost their morale” and benefits overall development of the special child’s personality.
The schools will also be provided funding under the scheme for developing manpower in terms of resource persons, special educators therapists and rehabilitation experts.
Another module of the scheme also encourages and will fund schools to develop parent support groups, produce and purchase aids and appliances, augmentative and alternative devices for communication and teaching-learning material.
It however stipulates qualification criteria for schools to be eligible for funding under the scheme. Special Schools will require at least 20 children with special needs on their rosters to be eligible while the number for regular schools has been pegged at 10.
Regular schools, in addition, will have to compulsorily establish two kinds of resource rooms for the special children - one for Academic Skills and the other for Life Skills. The scheme also stipulates other criteria like staff strength, minimum student-teacher ratios to be maintained and minimum qualification standards for various categories of staff positions.
Other provisions in the scheme include giving schools a one-time grant of up to Rs 25 lakhs for the purchase of a 24-seater school bus which is disabled friendly and a recurring annual grant of Rs 3-lakhs for its day-to-day operation and maintenance.
This new ‘Scheme for Children With Special Needs 2018’ replaces the existing old scheme which was necessary to bridge the gaps identified with the passage of time and the emergence of the concept of ‘inclusive education’ of special children with the mainstream student populace.
It will cost the State exchequer around Rs 4-crore in addition to what the government was already bearing for the education of the nearly 3,500 student strength of the 27 ‘special schools’ in Goa.
It’s implementation will begin from the 2019 academic session which begins in June and the education department will be the implementing agency.
The scheme’s notification also mandates the Education Department through its Deputy Director (Adult Section) as ‘nodal officer’ to consult with Social Welfare Department, Goa Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education, Art and Culture Department, Sports Department, Women and Child Development department among others.
