Special educators of differently abled children stage demo 

Special educators in Tamil Nadu demand permanent status and benefits for educating differently abled children in government schools.

The special educators of Tamil Nadu Integrated School Education Programme for Differently abled Children staged demonstration in front of Government Siddha Medical College in Palayamkottai on Saturday.

The protestors said over 1,600 educationally qualified special educators were appointed to educate and rehabilitate 1.26 lakh differently abled children studying in government and government-aided schools across Tamil Nadu. Moreover, they also facilitated the issue of identity cards for the children, getting them government assistances, taking them to rehabilitation surgeries, physiotherapy, speech therapy, applying for caregiver assistance, imparting vocational training to physically challenged children etc.

Even though the special educators were hired through non-governmental organisations, the government removed the NGOs after financial irregularities were found. When the special educators came under the direct administration of the government in 2012, they were not given any appointment order.

While the States of Manipur, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh and Arunachal Pradesh governments had regularised the services of the special educators with timescale and the Governments of Odisha and Telengana had made positive announcement in this connection, the Tamil Nadu Government should also make them permanent with timescale.

“Even though the association had submitted petition to the Minister for School Education and the Secretary of School Education on several times, no action was taken to fulfil this demand. Hence, in an attempt to draw the attention of the Chief Minister, we are staging demonstration,” said the protestors.