Kerala: Special schools to intensify stir

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The special needs school students, their parents and teachers will stage day-and-night protests in front of the secretariat against the government’s apathy to them on October  31 and November  1.  They had conducted a day-long fast on the eve of Independence Day  last month. Five organisations working for special needs students had earlier met  Governor P. Sathasivam, several LDF ministers, CPM secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, CPI secretary Kanam Rajendran and submitted a memorandum to the  Chief Minister’s  office, but with little success.

Their demands included festival allowance coinciding with Onam, free education to special needs children, minimum wages for the special school teachers, job reservation for the special needs children  above 18 years and also  lifelong care for them after their parents’ death, special legislation against atrocities against them, stringent action against erring officials who deny them  grants and pension and  allocation  of ration card in priority list.   Father Roy Vadakkel, director of Asha Nilayam Special School for Mentally Challenged Children at Ponkunnam in Kottayam district,  told DC that the government had not done anything for them.

“We wanted to hold a fast on Thiruvonam in front of the secretariat. But there was difficulty in coordinating the special needs children, their parents as well as the  school authorities at  short notice. So we have decided to hold district-level meetings in  Kochi  on September 18,” he said. The memorandum   given to the CM’s office  is caught in red tape. M. V. Jayarajan, private secretary to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan,  told DC that his office had handed over the memorandum to social justice department.  Ms Mini Antony, social justice secretary, said that  the education department has to grant the aided status to the 33 special schools. However, she sought more time to check the status of the memorandum.