Kerala fails to implement SC order on special educators for disabled students

Thiruvananthapuram: Despite a Supreme Court directive, the Kerala government has not appointed special educators for teaching disabled students in schools. This neglect comes at a time when 'inclusive education' is advocated as part of the curriculum.

In October 2021, the Supreme Court issued a ruling following a case in Uttar Pradesh, mandating all States to appoint special educators in schools and submit action reports. However, Kerala is yet to take any steps in compliance with this order.

During the academic year 2022-23, approximately 1.5 lakh disabled students were enrolled from pre-primary to higher secondary classes. This number is estimated to have risen to 1.6 lakh in the current year.

Presently, Kerala has 2,886 special educators on a contract basis under Samagra Shiksha Kerala. The government informed the Supreme Court that 9,300 special educators are required, whereas 8,249 teachers are registered with the Rehabilitation Council of India, with no active recruitment process underway.

No post creation

According to the RPwD (Rights of Persons with Disabilities) Act, there should be one teacher for every five students at the primary level and one for every ten students at the secondary level. Currently, the appointment ratio stands at one teacher for one or more schools. This heavy workload prevents them from providing adequate attention to disabled students.

The position of Special Educator has not been established in schools, resulting in not even temporary appointments.

Law must be enforced: Estimate Committee

The Estimate Committee, led by KK Shailaja, has noted that despite the existence of a rule mandating the presence of special educators in every school, only one educator has been appointed for multiple schools. The committee also recommended that immediate steps must be taken to appoint special educators permanently in each school to better support disabled students.