By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: Shortage of manpower in the disability sector in the State has become a stumbling block in serving persons with disabilities (PWDs) to ensure that their rights are being protected, experts say.
“The number of Resource Teachers, Inclusive Education Teachers and Physiotherapists in the State is very less and there is a need to strengthen the number,” State Inclusive Education (IE) coordinator M Kharbyngar said.
Kharbyngar informed that as per records in Meghalaya, there were 53 Resource Teachers, 97 IE teachers and only 7 Physiotherapists in 2008, 2010 and 2011 respectively, based on the introduction of the different formats of education for PWDs under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA).
Kharbyngar was addressing a gathering during a three-day workshop-cum-training of Block Resource Persons (BRPs) and Cluster Resource Persons (CRPs) on SSA here on Wednesday.
Kharbyngar pointed out that earlier people did not like to associate themselves with the PWDs but in course of time and with the increase in unemployment in the State, people have started coming forward to assist in the disability sector.
She also mentioned that in the southern states of the country where the PWDs are being imparted basic skills and knowledge, giving them ample opportunities to get good jobs in government or private firms. “The same could be done in our State but the main hurdle is the shortage of resource teachers,” she added.
“We cannot depend of resources teachers alone to do the job due to lack of manpower. So volunteers have been considered to implement home-based education for children with special needs (CWSN) in the State,” she said.
She also informed that as per the Ministry of Human Resource Development, there is a huge gap in identification of the enrolment of CWSN compiled by the District Information System for Education.
“The number is very less compared to the figures prepared by the IE”, she said adding that in 2010-11, the number of enrollment by DISE was more than 2000 while the number of enrollment shown by the IE was more than 9000.
Citing the need to incorporate IE in every teacher’s training programme, Kharbyngar said a wide coverage of the CWSN will help bridge the huge gap in the enrolment of the children with special needs thereby catering to the issue of identification.
She also spoke at length on the PWD Act, 1995 which stresses on the right of the PWDs to get free and compulsory education with the age relaxation up to 18 years unlike the normal RTE norms which envisages free and compulsory education for children up to 14 years of age.
She also highlighted the types of disabilities inculcated in the PWD Act as well as in the National Trust Act, 1999 while stating that this Act also demanded SSA to give support services to the PWDs in view of the fact that most these children are deprived of the RTE provisions.
Kharbyngar was hopeful that the Right to Persons With Disabilities Bill, 2011, which seeks to empower the PWDs and their family members, would be enacted by the Union Government within this year.