Sibal wants PPP model for special schools,colleges

Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal said on Monday that there was need to develop a special national plan for the skill development of people with disabilities. Chairing the first Round Table Conference on Educational Development of Women,SCs/STs amp; People with Disabilities,Sibal said a special plan would help afford greater opportunity to disabled persons.

The minister said that special residential schools and colleges for the disadvantaged should be set up to ensure better access and quality for them and asked the HRD ministry8217;s school and higher education departments to help formulate a public private partnership-based model for the same to ensure its sustainability.

Dr Mithu Alur,who attended the meeting and is working on a pilot project to map disabled children in and out of schools,said the first surveys have shown that several disabled children are there with and without schooling and that schools are seldom well equipped to address their needs.

The ministry will also be seeking a higher allocation under the 12th Plan to expand the scope and reach of the National Mission on ICT to extend to school education. It currently only targets higher educational institutes.