2,260 special educator posts to be filled; recruitment notification awaited
Special education teachers across Andhra Pradesh are eagerly waiting for the release of the official recruitment notification, following the State government's recent announcement that 2,260 special education teacher posts would be filled.
The recruitment drive follows a recent Supreme Court directive asking all States to bring out notifications about the number of posts they have sanctioned for teachers who would impart education to Children with Special Needs (CwSN).
As per the guidelines established by the Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI), the School Education Department in Andhra Pradesh is all set to recruit special educators in the proposed ratio of 1:10 for the elementary level and 1:15 for the secondary level in nine out of the total 21 categories of disabilities.
RCI works under the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, and its primary objective is to promote education, rehabilitation, and employment of people with disabilities. Out of 21 disabilities, currently RCI has standard training programmes in nine categories that include blindness, low vision, hearing impairment (deaf and hard of hearing), intellectual disability, autism spectrum disorder, cerebral palsy, specific learning disabilities, speech and language disability, and multiple disabilities, including deaf-blindness.
According to the UDISE (Unified District Information System for Education) data for the academic year 2023-24 shows that there are 41,119 children with special needs categorised under nine different disabilities in government and government-aided schools in Andhra Pradesh. Of them, 11,360 are in 7,092 primary schools (Grades 1 to 5), which include institutions with less than 10 enrolled students. 'To maintain an optimal teacher-pupil ratio of 1:10 for these students, a total of 1,136 special educators are required,' said Samagra Shiksha State Project Director B. Srinivasa Rao.
Similarly, there are 29,759 CwSN studying in 6,693 secondary schools, and as many as 1,984 inclusive education resource persons are needed to be recruited, as per the RCI's teacher-pupil ratio of 1:15, said Mr. Srinivasa Rao.
Senior advisor to the Department of School Education on Inclusive Education Ramkamal says that the ultimate aim of the ongoing efforts is to blur the line between mainstream and special schools, ensuring children with disabilities are not segregated but included within the general education system. 'The State aspires to become a national model for inclusive education where every child, regardless of physical, intellectual, or learning challenges, receives equitable, quality education in a supportive environment.'
Delay causing anxiety
Members of the Andhra Pradesh Unemployed Special Teachers Federation, meanwhile, have expressed worry over the delay in the issue of notification for their recruitment.
Pointing to several other states that have notified the recruitment process, they urged the State authorities to follow suit. Citing the data available with the Central government pertaining to the number of State-wise qualified special educators in 2021. They point out that Andhra Pradesh had 8,101 special teachers. 'Many more special teachers would have qualified in the last three-and-a-half years. We want the government to ensure justice for all,' said a federation leader.
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