13,659 govt schools to get ramps for special students in four weeks
Wajahat Shabir. Updated: 9/22/2020 11:11:04 AM
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SRINAGAR: In order to provide barrier-free access to institutions for special need children, the Jammu and Kashmir School Education Department has directed the head of government schools in Union Territory to construct ramps in schools, hostels in four weeks time.
The ramps for the special needs children are to be constructed in all existing leftover government schools and hostels of Jammu and Kashmir. The ramps once completed will be able to make school buildings and environment barrier-free and accessible to children with special needs.
As per the information available, out of the 23,112 government schools in 20 districts of Jammu and Kashmir, ramps for special children are available in just 9, 417 schools. While as the education department has now decided to construct the ramp for special children in the rest of the remaining 13, 659 government schools.
Sharing the details an official in the school education department said, “Under the Right of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 it is the duty of the government and local authorities to provide inclusive education to the children with disabilities and towards that end shall make building camps and various facilities accessible”.
He added that keeping that thing in mind the school education department has decided to construct ramps for special children in government schools across Jammu and Kashmir and hostels.
“Though there are government schools where ramps are constructed but that constitutes less than 50 percent of institutes. The work is likely to be completed in four weeks while all the Heads of the Government Schools were directed to provide, maintain, renovate, repair of ramps, railings within a period of four weeks without any fail, in order to make the school buildings and environment barrier-free and accessible to the Children with Special needs”, he added.
The official further said that while as Director School Education Kashmir, Director School Jammu, and Chief Education officer of every district will ensure 100 percent completion of work in four weeks time in all existing leftover Govt. schools, hostels across JKUT, and for all new buildings too.