 |
|
| Kathmandu, Tuesday November 18, 2003 Manshir 02, 2060. |
|
Education for disabled
- The Education Ministry should not have waited so long for
the Supreme Court (SC) verdict, were it aware of the Disabled Protection and Welfare Act
(2039). In fact, the duo—physically challenged Sudharshan Subedi and visually
impaired Babu Krishna Maharjan—would not have filed writ petition had they enjoyed
their right to education (News report: “SC orders free education for disabled,”
November 15). Though the Ministry said it would abide by the SC directives, there have
been instances that the Ministry refused to allocate budget for the institutions meant for
the disabled. The Ministry blames the National Planning Commission for budget allocation,
while the latter passes the buck to the former.
Education should be atop the government’s development
agenda. In document, education does get the priority but when it comes to implementation
this sector is pushed into the background. The Ministry does encourage the blind to attend
normal schools but it has not paid adequate attention to the welfare of other physically
disabled children. Teachers, who work at the schools for disabled, are paid less than
those at normal schools. The headmaster of a state-run disabled school at Jorpati said so
when I visited him last month.
He said the organisation of teachers working at disabled
schools has been fighting for their right to enjoy equal payment since former finance
minister
Mahesh Acharya raised the teachers’ salary. The
government has undermined the right of the disabled children to education, and it needed
the SC to remind it.
- Shiva Awale
Lagankhel, Lalitpur |
