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| Differently abled lack compulsory education in J&K, await opening of DRC | | | Shiv Dev Thakur
Early Times Report
jAMMU, Aug 21: The State of Jammu and Kashmir is deficient in providing the education to the mentally retarded individuals owing to the non-availability of any policy or departmental regulation framed by the State Government with regard to inclusive education. The total population of differently abled children in J&K, as per the 2011 census, is 3.067 lakhs out of which 8.2 pc are mentally retarded.
Reliable sources rued that there are only 5 schools in J&K, catering to the learning needs of the mentally retarded and approximately 150 students are on rolls and all are studying at the primary grades and even among disabled literates, a significant proportion was not even educated upto primary level in case of mentally retarded children in both urban and rural areas.
Sources also said that a majority of the teachers lack specific training to teach the mentally retarded children in effective way where as majority of parents are also unaware of various educational facilities available for the mentally retarded children. Sources said that the mentally retarded children had not been recognized as a separate category among the disabled. "The hospital records are deficient as these do not differentiate mentally retarded from mentally ill," said the sources. Sources said that even a DRC is sanctioned for Jammu but is still waiting its inauguration. Sources rued that two major acts were passed for the welfare of differently abled individuals in whole of India, namely Person with Disability Act 1995 and National Trust act 1999, but the differently abled in J&K are still deprived of them.
"Government and the local authorities shall establish schools to give compulsory education to each and every child and it is the duty of government to ensure and monitor compulsory admission by each and every child of age 6 to 14 years, but the government has not established schools for special children," said the parent of a differentally abled child.
A prominent leader said that a survey must be conducted to identify the total population of mentally retarded individuals and the education and rehabilitation of the same must be replaced in systematic manner. He added that the not only education but OPD facilities, medicines and interest free loans should be provided to these individuals in order to encourage self employment as these individuals who are adult and have crossed the childhood must not depend on parents which they already do.
Rohinica Sharma, a research scholar, said that some vocational training centres must be opened for preparing these children or adults to earn their livelihood and not to depend on others as the other states
have opened many of the vocational centres to train them. Director Social welfare, M S Choudhary, when contacted, said the
establishment of DRC is in progress as the department have forwarded the intent to the government for the site identification. He said, after the site identification, the revenue department will allow grants as the expenses for building the structures of the DRC and the same will be established soon. |
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