The Delhi Directorate of Education said on Tuesday it will deploy rehabilitation para-professionals in the seven special schools it has taken over in line with the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act 2016 and National Education Policy 2020.
The development comes following discussions held in June at the meeting of the academic committee constituted to devise a plan for the transition of students from seven special schools.
The meeting had discussed issues related to admissions, facilities, and curriculum, among other pressing issues lacking in these schools.
The committee members unanimously decided on Tuesday to deploy rehabilitation paraprofessionals in all special schools, assess all children with disabilities, do their counselling, their parents’ and teachers’ counselling for smooth transition of students, deploy vocational instructors, provide teaching learning material and assistive technology, ensure regular training of the staff members, and organisation of parental counselling camps. The meeting, held under the chairpersonship of the director of the State Council of Educational Research and Training, was conducted to reconsider and redesign the pedagogical approaches and practices for students with disabilities. In a second meeting in August, the committee finalised individualised school development plans for all seven special schools.
The DoE had in April taken over these special schools, which were managed earlier by the Department of Social Welfare, GNCT of Delhi, after the high court’s order.