Lok Sabha Question No. 4967 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-03-26
Subject: Learning Disabilities
Ministry: HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: B.V. NAYAK

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOL EDUCATION & LITERACY

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4967 TO BE ANSWERED ON 26 TH  MARCH, 2018

## Learning Disabilities

## 4967. SHRI B.V. NAIK:

Will the Minister of HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

(a)  the  number  of  children  with  learning  disabilities  enrolled  in  primary,  secondary  and  senior secondary schools;

- (b)  the  steps  taken  by  the  Government  to  increase  awareness  and  sensitivity  with  regard  to  the matter of learning disabilities in children; and
- (c)  the  steps  being  taken  by  the  Government  to  provide  counselling  to  teachers  and  parents  of children with learning disabilities?

## ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT

## (SHRI UPENDRA KUSHWAHA)

(a):  As  per  Unified District Information System for Education (2015-16), the number of children with learning disabilities enrolled at primary, secondary and senior secondary level of schooling is 182926, 16533 and 3070 respectively.

(b) & (c): Section 3 of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 mandates free  and  compulsory  education  to  all  children  between  the  age  group  of  6-14  years in  the neighbourhood schools, including children with special needs (CWSN). The focus of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan  (SSA)  is  on  inclusive  education  wherein CWSN,  including  children  with  learning disabilities are placed in mainstream neighbourhood schools to promote their holistic development.

SSA  promotes  inclusion  of  CWSN  in  schools  through  their  early  identification,  educational placement, provision of aids and appliances and other resource support services, teacher training, parental training, community mobilisation, curricular adaptations, removal of architectural barriers, as  well  as  residential,  non  residential  or  even  home  based  education,  as  per  their  specific requirements.

Under SSA, detailed assessment guidelines have been developed for early identification of various groups of CWSN, including children with specific learning disabilities. The guidelines also include identification of slow learners and children with mild mental retardation.

SSA provides for an outlay of Rs. 3000/- per child per annum , of which at least Rs. 1000/- per child can be earmarked for engaging resource teachers exclusively for CWSN. SSA also has a provision of engagement of two resource persons per Block Resource Centre specifically for CWSN. 18,934 such resource persons and resource teachers are currently engaged under SSA to teach CWSN. Under SSA regular counselling programmes are conducted for CWSN and their parents and 8.36 lakh parents of CWSN have been given such training so far. Besides, the resource persons engaged at the Block Resource Centres (BRCs) exclusively for CWSN, conduct home visits to counsel the parents. The  National  Council  of  Educational  Research  &  Training  has  developed  exemplar  material  on curricular  adaptations,  inclusive  teaching  and  how  to  adopt  flexibility  in  evaluation  for  children with disabilities in inclusive classrooms. These handbooks, meant for primary and upper primary level teachers, cover all disabilities, including cognitive and intellectual disabilities, and have been disseminated to all States and UTs. 7.24 lakh teachers under SSA have already been trained on this exemplar  material.  Further,  under  SSA,  so  far  2.30  lakh  general  teachers  have  been  specifically trained on learning disabilities and 2.11 lakh  teachers have been trained on multiple disabilities. Under SSA, a series  of  five  training  modules  has  also  been  developed  in  collaboration  with  the World  Bank.  These  modules  aim  to  prepare  teachers  to  work  with  children  of  all  disabilities including  children  with  Autism,  Cerebral  Palsy,  Deaf  blindness  and  hearing  impairment  in mainstream inclusive environments. At  the  secondary  level,  the  Ministry  is  implementing  the component  of  Inclusive  Education  for

Disabled at Secondary Stage (IEDSS) as part of Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan with an objective to provide all students with disabilities an opportunity to complete four years of secondary schooling (Class IX to XII) in an inclusive and enabling environment. Under IEDSS, assistance is provided  for  student  oriented component  @ 3000/-  per  child  per  annum,  besides  support  for engagement of special teachers, teachers training, equipping resource room, making school barrier free, orientation of parents, administrators, educationists etc. The scheme also provisions for stipend for  girls  with  disabilities  @  Rs.  200  per  month  under  the  student  oriented  component.  2.26  lakh CWSN have been approved for coverage under the scheme in 2017-18. The State Governments and Boards of Education are taking various steps such as extra time during examination, reduction in qualifying  criteria  and  passing  marks,  help  of  scribe/writer/reader  etc.  for  the  aid  of  CWSN, including those with learning disabilities.

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