LDF singles out special schools

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Several special schools across the State are being shut down and their hostels closed down. School authorities’ claim that it is difficult to continue operations without the LDF Government granting aided category status. Former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy told DC that social justice secretary Biju Prabhakar had been pressurised by the LDF Government against giving a report that favoured aided status for 33 special schools, which had been their long standing demand. The UDF government had at the fag end of its tenure decided to give 33 special schools aided status but the cabinet subcommittee of the LDF government, headed by SC/ST development minister A.K. Balan, failed to grant the status. When there was no favourable action from the Left Government, a slew of protests were witnessed in front of the Secretariat by close to 20,000 special needs children from across the State, their parents as well as by 5,000 special school teachers.

The office bearers of the Association for Intellectually Disabled (AID), Special Olympics Bharat (SOB), Special School Employees Union (SSEU) Parivar and Association for the Welfare of Special School Staff (ASWAS) had met Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Education Minister Prof. C. Raveendranath, social justice minister K.K. Shylaja several times to address their grievances. Father Roy Vadakkel, director of Asha Nilayam Special School for Mentally Challenged Children at Ponkunnam in Kottayam district which has been functioning since 1979 told DC that almost half a dozen special needs schools were in various stages of closure. “We feel frustrated that despite holding several protests, there is an inordinate delay in meeting our demands. We have never demanded of the LDF Government that certain special needs school which are functioning under fraudulent methods and which lack adequate qualified special needs teachers should be included”, said Fr. Vadakkel.

Their demands include free education for special needs children, minimum wages for the special school teachers, job reservation for those special needs children who are above 18 years and also provision of lifelong care for them after their parents death, special legislation against atrocities against them, stringent action against erring officials who deny them their grants, pension and to allocate them on the priority list for ration card etc. As a mark of solidarity to the special needs fraternity, Oommen Chandy too sat on a fast for a few hours in front of the Secretariat on his last birthday. He alleged that Biju Prabhakar would do only what the Government asked him to do.

“It is unfortunate that the Left Government is turning a blind eye to their long standing demands. If they were normal children, they would have got free education. Was it their fault that they turned out to be special needs children? It is injustice being meted out to the special needs students, their parents and teachers”, said Oommen Chandy. But Biju Prabhakar vehemently denied, while talking to DC, that he was only taking cues from the government and maintained that he would be submitting the report to the Government within the next few days. “It is not I who has to take a decision on granting aided category to special schools in the State. The ball is in the court of the LDF Government. It is too early to say whether the authorities will take a favourable stand or not. They may or may not take a decision”, said Biju Prabhakar.

A few days ago, a leading special school functioning in the capital city held a meeting of parents to inform them that those special needs students who were above 18 would not be admitted. Panic stricken parents were informed just 10 days before the school re-opening that they could only accommodate their children in their hostel that was functioning on the outskirts of the city. A father of a 20-year-old special needs girl asked DC, "How can I pack off my child one fine morning to a place she is not familiar with."

“Special schools have to provide vocational training within the same campus. Now I am looking for a new special school within the city who will take care of my daughter’s needs”, said the exasperated father. One of the oldest special schools in Thiruvananthapuram has closed its hostel already and has seen 60 special needs children stopping their education and vocational training. Half a dozen special needs teachers have been axed citing that their services were no longer needed although they had put in several decades of service.

“The special needs teachers who have lost their jobs without any notice period are in their 40s and 50s. Where will they go now? Who will give them a new job? The Government has to do something before we teachers start committing suicide”, said a teary-eyed special needs teacher who requested anonymity, and not even to name the school. The K.V.M School for the Mentally Handicapped at Cherthala established in 1990 has decided to stop their three school buses provided to the special needs students from the imminent academic year. We Care Special School at Karumalloor in Aluva established in 2002 has already closed down. A school representative of We Care Special School told DC that there were close to 100 students and now they had to fend themselves for alternative admission.

Susheela Kurian of the Association for the Welfare of Special School Staff (ASWAS) told DC that the LDF Government was jeopardising NGOs so that the Government’s BUD Schools could be promoted. “There is no security for the teachers and several special needs teachers have been asked to leave after collecting the last month’s salary of Rs 3,000 – Rs 6,000. Their plight is so miserable that after putting in several years of teaching and experience, they are being shown the door”, said Susheela Kurian who has been working in the field for more than four decades.

A representative of a special needs organisation told DC that their demands had since been transferred from the education department to the social justice department which itself showed that the Government was dilly-dallying on their demands. “If special schools come under the social justice department, the students would be denied the free mid-day noon meal scheme. We have met Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan a couple of times and have pleaded that he consider our demands favourably. It all depends on the report being prepared by social justice director Biju Prabhakar”, said an organisation representative. It was under the request of Biju Prabhakar that the various organisations working for the welfare of special needs students, their parents and teachers had called off their indefinite protest in front of the Secretariat scheduled on April 25. They were given the assurance that a call would be taken by the middle of this month which is yet to materialize. A teacher said, “Our wait continues....”.