The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Tuesday ordered notice to the State on a public interest litigation petition filed by Tamil Nadu Council of Special Schools, Madurai, seeking a direction to authorities to grant regular time scale of pay to the Special Educators working in recognised and registered special schools run by NGOs for special needs children.
A Division Bench of Justices R. Mahadevan and J. Sathya Narayana Prasad ordered notice to the State on the petition filed by the Secretary of Tamil Nadu Council of Special Schools, Madurai, R. Vetrivel Murugan.
Special Educators are professionals who alone can impart education and training to persons with special needs, he said.
The petitioner also sought a direction to authorities to ensure free and compulsory education to children with special needs as per existing Rules, Regulations and Schemes by initiating the process of appointment of Special Educators as per Teacher Pupil ratio 1:8 in schools run by NGOs for special needs children.
Special schools provide a specially designed curriculum for children with special needs by a dedicated team of Special Educators, Physio/Speech/Occupational therapist, Psychologists, Caretakers and others. The team not only educates these children but also trains them in employment skills, the petitioner said.
The State Government had initiated a scheme called ‘Salary Grant’ to two Special Educators and one Physiotherapist to each recognised special schools run by NGOs.
The salary grant scheme was initiated in 2007 at ₹ 3,000 per staff and the same was enhanced periodically. It is now revised to ₹ 18,000 from this financial year, he said.
Special teachers working in special schools run by NGOs in Tamil Nadu are currently being paid a meagre amount of remuneration by the institutions. Therefore, special teachers shift to other schools, particularly, regular government run schools.
Due to this it is very difficult to get enough special educators to teach special needs children.
NGOs have been continuously requesting the government to provide government scale of pay to the special educators on a par with the regular school teachers.
Right to education is a fundamental right. Persons with special needs do have educational rights, the petitioner said and sought a direction to the authorities to take appropriate steps.
Published - November 08, 2022 09:01 pm IST
