Programme & schemes of education for CWSN

Programmes & schemes of education for Children with Disability

1. Programme & Schemes of Education for Children with Disabilities Dr.Jaganmohana Rao Faculty of Education MITE, Kohima

2. Programme & Schemes of Education for Children with Disabilities Scheme of Integrated Education for The Disabled Children (IEDC-1974): This is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme launched in 1974 by the Department of Social Welfare and after transferred to Dept. of Education in 1982. Under the scheme handicapped children are sought to be integrated in normal school system.

3. Allowance and facilities under this scheme: Books and stationery allowance of Rs.400/- p.a. Uniform allowance of Rs.50/- p.a. Transport allowance of Rs.50/- per month Disabled children residing in school hostels within the same institution where they are studying may also be paid boarding and lodging charges as admissible under Govt. rules/schemes.

4. NHFDC: The ‘ National Handicapped Finance and Development Corporation ’ has been incorporated by Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India on 24thJanuary, 1997 under section 25 of the companies Act., 1956 as a company not for profit. Objectives: Promote economic development activities for the benefit of the persons with disabilities. Promote self-employment and other ventures for the benefit/economic rehabilitation of the persons with disabilities. Assist individuals with disabilities or group of individuals with disabilities by way of loans and advances for economically and financially viable schemes and projects.

5. Extend loans to the persons with disability for pursuing general/professional/technical education for training at graduate and higher levels. Assist in the up-gradation of technical and entrepreneurial skills of persons with disability for proper and efficient management of production units.

6. Scheme for Financing Projects: Self employment in Small Business: Loan will be provided for self employment of disabled persons in service sector or for trading activity. Assistance to Disabled Entrepreneurs: Loan may be provided for manufacturing, fabrication and production activity. Assistance to Disabled for Higher Studies or Professional Training: Towards the fulfilment of the overall objectives of empowerment and development of disabled persons in the country, the Corporation provides financial assistance to eligible beneficiaries in two components viz., educational /training grants and loans.

7. Scheme to Promote Manufacturing/Production of Assistive Devices for Disabled persons: Loan Assistance is provided for setting up small scale industry for manufacturing aids and appliances developed under R & D programmes of Government/academic institutions of repute for disabled within the country. Assistance for Skills & Entrepreneurial Development Programmes: Financial assistance in the form of loan is provided to the channelizing agencies, reputed NGO's, RRTC's and recognised technical institutions for imparting skills and entrepreneurial development training to disabled persons.

8. IEDC-2000: RTE mandates free and compulsory education to all children from 6-14 years of age. The key objective of RTE- SSA is Universalization of Elementary Education (UEE). Three important aspects of UEE are access, enrolment and retention of all children in 6-14 years of age. This goal of UEE, has further been facilitated by the Constitutional (86 th Amendment) Act, making free and compulsory elementary education a Fundamental Right, for all the children in the age group of 6-14 years. This Amendment has given a new thrust to the education of Children With Special Needs (CWSN), as without their inclusion, the objective of UEE cannot be achieved. In-fact inclusion of one of the groups, which is extremely crucial for UEE, is perhaps that of the CWSN. Hence, education of CWSN is an important component of SSA.

9. Provisions for CWSN under SSA: SSA provides up-to Rs.3000/- per child for the inclusion of disabled children, as per specific proposal, per year. District plan for children with special needs is formulated The interventions under SSA for inclusive education: Identification, functional and formal assessment, appropriate educational placement, preparation of Individualized Educational Plan, provision of aids and appliances, teacher training, resource support, removal of architectural barriers, research, monitoring and evaluation and a special focus on girls with special needs.

10. SSA’s Policy on Inclusion - Policy interventions: SSA ensures that every child with special needs, irrespective of the kind, category and degree of disability, is provided meaningful and quality education. Hence, SSA has adopted a zero rejection policy. The major thrust of SSA is on inclusion or mainstreaming CWSN into the fabric of formal elementary schooling. Every child with special needs should be placed in the neighbourhood schools, with needed support services.

11. Inclusive Education for Disabled at Secondary Stage (IEDSS-2009): The Scheme of Inclusive Education for Disabled at Secondary Stage (IEDSS) has been launched from the year 2009-10. This Scheme replaces the earlier scheme of Integrated Education for Disabled Children (IEDC) and provides assistance for the inclusive education of the disabled children in classes IX-XII. This scheme now subsumed under Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) from 2013.

12. Aims and Objectives: The Centrally Sponsored I.E.D.S.S. Scheme aims to enable all students with disabilities completing eight years of elementary schooling an opportunity to complete four years of secondary schooling (classes IX to XII) in an inclusive and enabling environment; provide educational opportunities and facilities to students with disabilities in the general education system at the secondary level (classes IX to XII); and support the training of general school teachers to meet the needs of children with disabilities at the secondary level.

13. The objectives of the scheme will be to ensure that: Every child with disability will be identified at the secondary level and his educational need assessed Every student in need of aids and appliances, assistive devices, will be provided the same All architectural barriers in schools are removed so that students with disability have access to classrooms, laboratories, libraries and toilets in the school Each student with disability will be supplied learning material as per her requirement

14. All general school teachers at the secondary level will be provided basic training to teach students with disabilities within a period of three to five years Students with disabilities will have access to support services like the appointment of special educators, establishment of resource rooms in every block Model schools are set up in every state to develop good replicable practices in inclusive education.