In the year 2018-19, the Department of School Education & Literacy, MHRD has launched Samagra Shiksha – an integrated scheme for School Education covering children with special needs from classes I to XII. The Scheme is governed and regulated by the provisions of the RTE Act, 2009. The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009 enshrines the entitlement to free and compulsory elementary education, access to school and barrier free access for all children including children with disability. Section 3(2) of the RTE Act lays emphasis on the elementary education of all children with disabilities. As per the Amendment of 2012, the RTE Act also mandates that, a child with multiple and/or severe disabilities has the right to opt for home based education.
Under Samagra Shiksha, there is a dedicated component for Inclusive Education for Children with Special Needs (CWSN) through which various provisions are made available for the educational needs of differently abled children such as, identification & assessment camps, provision of aids, appliances, assistive devices, teaching learning materials (TLMs), ICT resources like JAWS & SAFA, as well as transportation, escort& scribe allowances and stipend for all girls with special needs (from Class I to XII).Further, individualized support is provided through therapeutic interventions at the block level.Further, CWSN with severe impairment requiring individualised attention are provided home based education through special educators.
Aseparate provision for financial support of Special Educators has been made underSamagra Shiksha in order to appropriately address the educational requirements of children withspecial needs from elementary to higher secondary levels.Samagra Shiksha also has provisions for ramps, handrails and disabled friendly toilets for barrier free access to schools for all children.
The focus of Samagra Shiksha is on providing inclusive education to children with disability wherein, children regardless of their abilities/disabilities participate and learn together in the same class, thus creating an enabling educational environment for all students.
This information was given by the Union Minister for Human Resource Development, Dr. Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday.
