Educate special kids till they turn 18, High Court tells schools under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan

The HC called on top state officials to show urgency with issues hindering the implementation of “Chunauti” project.

The Bombay High Court Thursday directed schools under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan to provide education to mentally deficient children (MDC) till the age of 18. Citing the Right to Education (RTE) Act, the HC was told that the schools were not allowing such children to study beyond 14 years of age.

“Children under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan and MDC homes who suffer from disability, should be permitted to continue with their education till they attain 18 years of age,” directed Justices V M Kanade and P D Kode.

The judges also directed that the children in shelter homes under state’s Social Justice Department should remain there, and when they are transferred to homes under the Child Welfare Committee, adequate facilities should be provided to them.

The HC was acting on a suo motu (on its own) PIL and other petitions in connection with the sordid state of affairs in shelter homes for differently-abled children across the state. Appearing before judges, HC-appointed committee head Dr Asha Bajpai contended that the provision under Persons With Disabilities Act provided education for such children till the age of 18 years.

They also said that the Social Justice Department had contended that children in their shelter homes are not covered under the Juvenile Justice Act.

The HC called on top state officials to show urgency with issues hindering the implementation of “Chunauti” project meant for children with special needs. The HC had earlier directed the state to disallow the presence of male wardens in shelter homes across the state.
aamir.khan@expressindia.com

Aamir Khan

Aamir Khan is Head-Legal Project, Indian Express digital and is based in New Delhi. Before joining Indianexpress.com, he worked with Press Trust of India as News Editor, editing legal stories from the Supreme Court and various High Courts. He also worked as an Associate Editor with Bar and Bench, where he led long-form storytelling, ran series on crucial and interesting legal issues, conducted exclusive interviews and wrote deep-dive stories. He has worked for the Indian Express print between 2013 and 2016, when he covered law in Mumbai and Delhi. In his current role, Aamir oversees the legal coverage for the website. He holds an LLB degree, PG Diploma in Journalism (New Media) and a Bachelor's in Life Sciences and Chemistry. You can reach him at: aamir.khan@indianexpress.com. ... Read More

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