Supreme Court Proposes Special School for Special Children

The Supreme Court has deemed it impossible for children with autism, blindness and deafness to be taught with normal children. It has emphasized the need for special schools for special children where they will be taught by specially trained teachers. The SC has questioned the lack of special schools for such children affected by blindness, deafness and autism. It opines that children who suffer from any kind of disability or are mentally challenged, cannot be imparted education in mainstream schools along with normal children. According to the Bench which comprised of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A.M. Khanwilkar and D.Y. Chandrachud,  access to education is a fundamental right under Article 21A and there was a statutory obligation on the States to provide education under the Rights of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009. The Bench decided that children with special needs have to be imparted education not only by special teachers but there have to be special schools for them. It was hearing a plea filed by Rajneesh Kumar Pandey through advocate Prashant Shukla, claiming lack of a sufficient number of special educators in Uttar Pradesh and other States to teach the children with special needs. The Bench concluded that students who suffer from blindness, deafness and autism or such types of a disorder may be required to have separate schools with distinctly trained teachers.