Supreme Court gives 6 months to States to complete appointments of teachers for children with special needs (CwSN)

Supreme Court gives 6 months to States to complete appointments of teachers for children with special needs (CwSN)

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Ferozepur, Novemer 4, 2021: Taking cognizance of the shortage of special teachers for children with special needs (CwSN), the Supreme Court Justice AM Khanwilkar, delivered a landmark judgment, by giving 6 months’ time to States, to make arrangements before the commencement of the academic year 2022-23, after four years of legal battle.

As per the available data with the unified district information system for education, there are 22.5 lakh CwSN in the country. Further, only 4.33 lakh general teachers have been trained to teach CwSN in addition to teaching general children and only 28,535 special teachers are available for children with special needs/ CwSN. There are only 1,20,781 special educators registered at present with the Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI).

The top court directed the Centre to forthwith notify the norms and standards of pupil-teacher ratio for special schools and separate norms for special teachers who alone can impart education and training to CwSN in the general schools. A bench headed by Justice A M Khanwilkar said there are only 1,20,781 special educators registered at present with the Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI).
The bench said until the competent authority formulates a comprehensive action plan on this, as a stop-gap arrangement, the recommendations made in 2019 by State Commissioner for persons with disabilities, National Capital Territory of Delhi, be adopted.

Although the case was fought jointly by Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, the court’s order has been extended to all the states and Union Territories of India. Krishan Gopal (Faridkot), Vijay Kumar (Faridkot), Hardeep Kaur Grewal (Mudki), Veerpal Kaur (Kot Krore), Shama Agarwal (Kotkapura), Meenakshi (Sri Muktsar Sahib) etc.

Thanking the historic decision by the Supreme Court and Shoeb Alam and Prashant Shukla, Sr. Advocates, Hardeep Kaur one of the petitioners said, now the Governments can no longer deprive children of special needs of their rights. The government must fix the student-teacher ratio for special and general schools for children with special needs and accordingly make arrangements for teachers, within the given time, well before the next academic session who can cater to the needs of CwSN.