Thiruvananthapuram: Special schools set to launch stir

Thiruvananthapuram: The special schools management associations have decided to launch an indefinite strike against the LDF government’s apathy towards them. A meeting called by chief secretary Tom Jose with the secretaries of general education and social justice, A. Shahjahan and Biju Prabhakar respectively, here on Thursday did not produce any results. The associations will meet soon to decide the future course of action.

A government official told Deccan Chronicle that the meeting discussed the respective roles of the two departments in future and tried to bring in clarity on the same.

“There has been confusion on what the general education and social justice departments are supposed to do. So a comprehensive report will be brought out on the two departments’ roles,” he said.

There are 25, 000 special needs children and 6,000 special education teachers, therapists and teaching assistants in the state. They had staged a series of protests, including fast by the special needs students and teachers, ayahs and other supporting staff before the secretariat.

Former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy sat on a four-hour fast on his birthday. Former KPCC president V. M. Sudheeran, Kerala Janapaksham leader P. C. George and others have supported them.

“We expected the LDF government to release the grants pending for three months from January to March at the earliest. But they have turned a blind eye to our demands and the 150-plus special schools are in dire straits,” said an office-bearer of the association.

The association will decide when the special schools should be shut in protest. The office-bearers will also hold an indefinite fast before the secretariat.