What are the main objectives of special education

The National Policy of Education (NPE) recommended the following actions in 1986 for the education of children with disabilities.

  • Development of Vocational Training Centres: The National Policy of Education suggested the establishment of special schools at the district and sub-district levels.
  • Training of Teachers: According to NPE, each special school will need 8–10 special instructors, which means that 3,500–4,000 teachers would be needed under the present plan. If the proposed special schools at district headquarters are to operate at the specified pace, special teacher training must begin immediately.
  • Special Schools in Plan Period: During the Eighth Five Year Plan, the NPE has also recommended adding another 5,000 special schools at the sub-district level, bringing the total number of schools to roughly 7,500. Another plan calls for 10,000 additional schools to be built during the ninth five-year plan. Once more, the development of special schools should fall under a single plan carried out by the government, its apparatus, or the nonprofit sector. The Seventh Five Year Plan itself should have seen the establishment of at least 400 special schools. Establishing schools in areas without any such schools at all should be given priority. There must be at least 60 different kinds of disabled students in each of these schools.
  • Orientation Programme for Personnel: In addition to teachers, each district needs to have at least 400 psychologists and two doctors who have received specialised training in the assessment and rehabilitation of children with disabilities. It is also advised that counsellors have service training for four to six weeks in order to thoroughly evaluate the impaired youngsters. It is also possible to create orientation programmes for medical personnel, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, and speed therapists. These training programmes may be developed and coordinated with assistance from the Health and Welfare Ministry.
  • Modification of Curriculum: These schools’ curricula must be modified while keeping the specific learning issues caused by a particular disability front and centre. The study programmes should be changed, for instance, to allow blind students to participate in scientific labs and deaf students to study more than one language. Experts should point out that these kids shouldn’t skip the part of the curriculum that they can complete. The NCERT should be in charge of creating the curriculum and providing special schools with the teacher handbooks and curriculum guides.
  • Special Examination: For children with significant disabilities, flexibility in the test system is a crucial requirement incorporated in the timetable. These schools should have access to evaluation manuals and assessment instruments for educational evaluation. The National Institutes and NCERT may work together to provide such resources.
  • Use of Technology in Special Education: The use of technology in special education has to be highlighted. This entails modifying, adjusting, and adapting the tools and resources in the learning resource centre. For the purpose of enhancing the learning possibilities for the disabled, the Ministry of Welfare and electronic media may work together to generate such resources. The use of video, computers, and television may benefit deaf youngsters.
  • Strengthening of the Existing Special Schools: The NPE has recommended that if possible, the special schools’ current enrollment should be raised. The organisation also supported the National Commission on Teachers’ suggestion that funding for special schools should be distributed similarly to that for ordinary schools, with enough provisions made to accommodate the unique needs of children with disabilities.