As many as 200 special educators from various districts of Tamil Nadu staged a demonstration here on Monday seeking employment in government-run educational institutions.
A majority of them are employed with non-governmental organisations across the State and said they had not received regular salaries for the last 10 years. “Around 600 special educators pass out from various universities in Tamil Nadu every year. But the Centrally sponsored scheme of Integrated Education for the Disabled Children (IEDC) is being implemented by the State Government through a number of NGOs and voluntary organisations who exploit these teachers,” said S.P. Subramanian, president, Association for Special Teachers for the Differently Abled. “More importantly, we all have a special B. Ed degree that is approved by the Central Government and authorities such as the UGC, TNOU, but is not accepted by the State Government when it recruits teachers. Teachers with a normal B.Ed qualification and special training are given preference over us,” says A. Suguna, secretary, Association of Special Teachers for the Differently Abled.
However, S. Selva Kumar, State co-ordinator, Inclusive Education, SSA, said NGOs associated with Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan are monitored through a strict policy, which immediately identifies the faulty social organisations and ensures that proper treatment is meted out to teachers. Other officials in the Education Department, when contacted, declined comment on the issue.
