Delhi schools get a 'special' gift

New Delhi: Avinash, a 14-year-old boy from Delhi dropped out of the local municipal school a year ago. His teachers had repeatedly told him, they neither had the skills nor the facilities to teach a blind student.

"My teachers would say, 'Why do you come to school? We can't teach you. Please sit at home and we will mark your present. Please don't come'," said Avinash, student.

Come 2010, Avinash may be able to return to school.

The Delhi High Court has directed the government to make sure every municipal school has two special teachers and study material for children with special needs by March 2010.

A 'special' gift, Delhi High Court order
By 2010, every Delhi municipal school should have:

• Two specially-trained teachers for the disabled
• Study material for the disabled
  

"It is a historic order. The government schools are in a bad shape. There is no infrastructure, no system for disabled students in government schools," said Ashok Aggarwal, petitioner.

"For years now, I've not been able to study. There are no teachers available, no infrastructure either.

I've not been able to pursue my studies at all," Avinash added.

There are about two lakh children with special needs in Delhi's schools and most of them are forced to sit out of classes in municipal schools, the reason is obvious: Lack of funds.

But even expensive private schools who are not bound by this High Court order are far off the mark.

"We'd be living in a complete myth if we're going to believe that all private schools have all the

correct ways of running an inclusive programme. The best of schools do not have infrastructure which is handicapped-friendly," said Lata Vaidyanathan, Principal, Modern School, Barakhamba Road.

While this High Court order is certainly a step in the right direction, how the government is going to meet this enormous challenge remains to be seen.