Born with certain deformities, Miracle Suchiang's parents have started a school at Thadmuthlong, 15 km from Jowai, the headquarters of Jaintia Hills district, to give their daughter and other such students a chance to learn. The Lad Thadmuthlong School, which was inaugurated by SSA district mission coordinator (DMC) C Lhuid recently, is believed to be the only and the first inclusive school in the district.
The institute was set up by Evalyn Suchiang and her husband Richwa Tang last year to cater to 20 differently abled children besides more than 70 kids in the "regular" lower primary and upper primary sections.
Evalyn has urged the government agencies to take note of the importance of having inclusive classrooms and specially trained teachers for teaching disabled children.
The DMC has assured the school authorities of giving Rs 7 lakh as building grant. He also pledged to depute two specially trained teachers to impart education in the school twice a week. At present, only one such teacher is there.
India has some 40 to 80 million persons living with disabilities. It is estimated that about 30 per cent of them are below the age of 14. "Meghalaya is one of the few states in the country where 90 per cent of disabled children do not receive any form of education," said the member of an NGO.
"Education to children with disabilities should be offered through a variety of service models ranging from segregation to full inclusion in a mainstream classroom. They should be enrolled in the Integrated Education for Disabled Children which is sponsored by the government," said the activist.
An official said while the SSA has made a concerted effort to promote inclusion of children with special needs, the system faces challenges in identifying these kids and responding to their needs, especially in rural Meghalaya.
Just about one per cent of funds under SSA are spent on inclusive education and the budget for educating children with mild to moderate disabilities in regular school settings has not increased commensurately, he added.
"At present, there are only a few schools that have resource rooms and employ special education teachers to help retain children with special needs in their system. Sadly, these facilities are found only in a few schools in Shillong," said another activist working for the welfare of children with disabilities.