Special education teachers seek regular appointment, appropriate remuneration
From the protest site of Azad Maidan, these teachers, especially those catering to children with multiple disabilities are continuing video consultation from time-to-time.
3 min read
The National Education Policy (NEP) emphasizes inclusive education, but the ground reality portrayed by these teachers brings forward the sorry state of affairs in Maharashtra. (Representational Image) THERE ARE 150 blind teachers among many special education teachers from government schools across the state who have been protesting at Mumbai’s Azad Maidan for almost a week now. These teachers, having an average of a decade of service in school education, are demanding to be absorbed as regular teachers with appropriate workload and remuneration.
The National Education Policy (NEP) emphasizes inclusive education, but the ground reality portrayed by these teachers brings forward the sorry state of affairs in Maharashtra. Even as the prescribed ratio is to have 10 children per special educator, each of these teachers are handling an average of 100 special children at a time as they struggle to make ends meet with scanty payment. The protesting teachers said there are over 3 lakh special children in Maharashtra, but only 1,775 of them are appointed in government schools for their inclusion.
Vina Kalmegh from Amravati’s Chandurbazar taluka, who is completely blind, is responsible for a total of 278 children studying in 48 schools spread across three centres. “In a day I can manage to go to 3-4 schools, guide special children and their parents along with suggestions for their regular school teachers for effective learning of the child. But since I need to travel a lot to cover this wide area, I have to keep an assistant with me,” said Kalmegh, who has to give a part of her salary to the assistant. She continued, “Considering the assistant charges, travel expenses and other things, we are left with very little of the already scanty salary that we receive.”
These teachers who ensure inclusion of children with disabilities in regular schools are appointed by the Maharashtra Prathamik Shikshan Parishad (MPSP) for the project of inclusive education. They are paid Rs 20,000 a month. “Without any guarantee of a job, the government considers us as contractual appointments,” said Manda Dhage, a special educator and blind individual from Chandrapur district who has been working since 2011. Dhage handles 123 special children from 44 schools and said how most of them are struggling to survive.
These teachers have completed D Ed or B Ed with training in special education. “Our work involves a lot more than just facilitating the regular school teacher in teaching a special child. Apart from classroom support, it involves counselling of parents and students. We also have to identify students with special needs in the allotted locality and counsel parents to admit them in nearby schools. We teach braille to blind students,” said Narendra Sevak, another blind teacher from Pune district’s Shirur taluka.
From the protest site of Azad Maidan, these teachers, especially those catering to children with multiple disabilities are continuing video consultation from time-to-time. “We are ensuring that our students are supported while we are away. But we are not going to move from here until our demands are met. Without special teachers, there is no inclusive education envisioned under NEP,” said Sartaj Pathan, state head of the association of special teachers.
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