The Central Board of Secondary Education has released a set of guidelines that schools are required to follow for Children with Special Needs (CwSN). As per the guidelines, CBSE has directed the schools to admit CwSN students without discrimination and provide them equal opportunities of education, sports and recreation activities.
The official notification by the CBSE reads, "The Section 16 of the Rights Of Persons With Disabilities Act, 2016, stipulates that the appropriate Government and the local authorities shall endeavor that all educational institutions funded or recognised by them provide inclusive education to children with disabilities."
The guidelines further include the following directions to be followed by the schools:
- Make building, campus, and various facilities accessible.
- Provide reasonable accommodation according to the individual's requirements.
-Provide necessary support individualised or otherwise in environments that maximise academic and social development consistent with the goal of full inclusion.
-Ensure that the education to persons who are blind or deaf or both is imparted in the most appropriate languages and modes and means of communication.
-Detect specific learning disabilities in children at the earliest and take suitable pedagogical and other measures to overcome them.
-Monitor participation, progress in terms of attainment levels and completion of the education in respect of every student with a disability.
-Provide transportation facilities to children with disabilities and their attendants who have high support needs.
CBSE issued the guidelines in response to the various written requests that the board had been receiving from schools to optimise the guidelines on the provisions for CwSN students studying in the schools.