Inclusive education non-starter Children with special needs comprises only 1% of total student enrollment in J&K schools
Srinagar, Jun 1: The much-hyped inclusive education has failed to take off in Jammu and Kashmir as the School Education Department (SED) has only one percent of the Children With Special Needs (CwSN) enrolled in the schools. Moreover, it has come to fore that the enrollment of the CWSN is witnessing a dwindling trend in schools from class 8th onwards. This concern has been pointed out by the Secretary Department of School Education and Literacy (DSEL) in the Ministry of Education (MoE), Government of India.
As per the official documents, the Gazette Notification SO. 4586(E) issued on September 21 of 22022 states that the UT are required to adhere to the recommended Pupil Teacher Ratio (PTR) for Special Educators. "In the case of J&K UT, Children with Special Needs (CwSN) constitute only 1 percent enrollment out of the total student enrolment," it reads.
The MoE has pointed out a significant decline in the percentage share of CwSN across almost all grades from Class 8th onwards. "As per UDISE+ (2023-34) only 4.8 percent of teachers have been trained in inclusive education. There are a total of 97 Special Educators in the UT, including those posted at Block Resource Centres (BRCs) under Samagra Shiksha," the official document reads.
In terms of accessible infrastructure, MoE has stated that only 42.2 percent schools were equipped with ramps, while only seven schools have CwSN-friendly boys' toilets, and only six percent institutions have CwSN-friendly girls' toilets. "It is advised that the screening, identification and certification processes should be expedited in convergence with relevant line departments, and children must be accurately mapped in UDISE+ under their correct category of disability," the MOE has said.
The J&K SED has been asked to "actively use" the PRASHAST App for early screening of children. The MoE has stated that the number of block-level identification camps has been enhanced this year while stressing the importance of holding these within the stipulated time frame to ensure maximum coverage of the children.
"J&K UT should prioritise the training of general teachers in inclusive education, preferably through RCl-approved bridge course, to build a more supportive and inclusive classroom environment," the official document reads. Besides painting a grim picture of inclusive education, J&K SED has also performed poorly in the execution of civil works over the past several years. In connection with the previous non-recurring approvals, J&K has not taken any action over the years due to which the MoE has expressed apprehensions that it may lead to become a liability for the UT after around five years of the approval.
"UT was urged to come up with a concrete plan of action for completing the not started works within the time frame or for surrendering the not started work and coming back with a fresh rationalised plan for the non-recurring works," the official document reads. During the analysis of the budget and expenditure of the last five years, the MoE has also pointed out that the J&K UT was able to utilise only 69.90 percent of the total available funds in 2024 -25. "The percentage of budget utilisation against the approved outlay stands at only 55.38%. The UT has been asked to prioritise the release of the 3rd and 4th installment by ensuring the expenditure of the available funds on time," the official document reads.
