News & Pics: Hemanath Padubidri
Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi (SB)
Udupi, Aug 11: Special educators from different districts will come together for a symbolic protest in front of the official residence of Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa on September 5, terming it as ‘black day’ to show their dissent on discrimination meted out by the state government against teachers serving at the educational institutes for mentally challenged.
Addressing media persons on Tuesday August 11 Udupi District Special Teachers’ Association for the Mentally Challenged, Udupi president Agnes Kunder said that representatives of the association from the different districts will assemble on the day. “In the whole of state there are about 9.4 lac mentally challenged people among whom 3.62 lac are below 18 years. There are about 120 private special schools providing their service in the state wherein 1,500 specially trained teachers, 3,500 assistant teachers and over 2,500 assistants are employed, she said.
Kunder said that in Udupi itself there were 10 such schools wherein over 600 mentally challenged people were educated. There are about 65 teachers and 52 other staff employed at the institutions whose years of service range from 10 to 28 years. However, these unlike their counterpart in states of Goa, Maharashtra or Tamil Nadu have neither job security nor financial security, she said and placed before certain demands by the association to the state government.
The association has listed bringing the institutions for mentally challenged under education department, facilities for special educators equal to that of teachers of aided schools, sanctioning of grants by the zilla panchayat treasurer and not through centre by submitting memorandums, recognition of the registered unions of teachers of institutes for mentally challenged by the department of women and child welfare and extending facilities of schemes such as Akshara Dasoha, distribution of uniforms and writing materials to the mentally challenged students as demands that needs to fulfilled before the World Diabled Day that falls on December 3. Kunder warned of an intensified protest if the above demands were not fulfilled by the state government.
Association secretary Muriel Premalatha and treasurer Jaya Vijaya were present.