The School Of Hard Knocks

India does not have a proper system to ensure education to children with disabilities

- Lachmi Deb Roy

FOUR years ago, Calcutta-based Devika Biswas was faced with one of the biggest challenges of her life. Her four-year-old son had been diagnosed with autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), just when he was about to start school. Over the next few months, Devika, a single parent, made countless trips to different play schools in the Bengal capital but none was willing to take in the autistic child. Most of them had the same excuse: it would become a stressful environment for teachers and caretakers to take care of a child who is “not normal”. He was ultimately admitted to a school but Devika’s search continues for a better place which will be able to address her child’s needs.

Delhi-based Sanchit Sahu’s travails are similar. Father of a five-year-old son with autism spectrum disorder (ASD)—leading to restricted speech development—Sahu too has run into multiple hurdles in his quest to start his son’s formal education. Though Sahu’s son is certified to enroll in a regular school with “special attention”, there are only a few with special educators. Government schools have quotas for such ‘disadvantaged’ (DG) category children but he will need a medical certificate which is available in only two state-run hospitals. And even if he manages the certificate, Sahu is not sure he will be able to meet the upper age limit set by the Delhi government.