Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Nov 26: Calling upon teachers to be more sensitive about special needs of physically challenged children, Minister of State for Education, Culture and Information Priya Sethi said specially abled children are part of the mainstream of society and they should be treated at par with other children.
The Government has been giving particular attention to needs of challenged students and in SSA model schools specially trained faculty attends to such children, she added.
She said challenged children are to be taught in similar set up as normal students and teachers have to be more sensitive while dealing with specially abled students.
The Minister was speaking at the inaugural function of three day long training and sensitization workshop for Principals and teachers of Jammu District on rehabilitation of persons with disabilities, here at MIER College today.
The workshop is being conducted by B.Ed Special Education Department of the Model Institute of Education and Research and sponsored by the Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI).
Chairperson, North Zone Coordination, RCI Dr. K.R. Arya was guest of honour.
Chairman, MIER Prof. Arun K. Gupta, Prof. Renu Gupta, Director, MIER, Dean Academics Prof N.K. Sharma, Principals and teachers from different schools attended the workshop.
Stressing on inter-departmental coordination on the issues concerning needs of persons with disability, the Minister said Social Welfare, Education and Medical Departments have special role to play and the Government would ensure that rights and entitlements are made available to them.
“We have to take this awareness and sensitization campaign to rural areas of the state as more number of people with special needs are living in far flung belts and I would suggest RCI to organise such programs in hilly and rural belts also,” she added.
While sharing his experiences on the subject, Dr. Arya said that the Rehabilitation Council of India has been working towards generating awareness all across the country on the rights and entitlements of persons with disabilities and the Government of India has developed a new Central Sector Plan Scheme of ‘In-Service Training and Sensitization of key functionaries of Central and State Governments’.
In her address, Prof Renu Gupta described teachers as special educators for challenged children and called upon the teaching fraternity to promote inclusive learning in the schools. She said that need of the hour is to provide inclusive environment for such students so that they can learn as per their capability.
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