How special is education anyway?
The HinduThe day begins at 10 a.m. for special educator T. Radha. This highlights a major flaw in the SSA’s inclusive education: the number of disabled students is disproportionate to the number of special educators. A special educator identifies the child, formulates individualised education plans, assists mainstream teachers in the teaching plan, gets Unique Disability Identity and assistive devices, trains parents, conducts home-based therapy, and also runs day-care centres that the special children visit at least once a week for therapy. Even in Chennai, two to three special educators handle more than 120 children in 15 schools spread across 10 zones. Children with special needs require not only schools with trained therapists and educators but also specialised pedagogy,” says S. Vani Shree, her mother.