‘Special Teacher’ Posts to Be Maintained for Children with Disabilities
The government will maintain posts of “special teachers” to provide special education targeted at children with physical and intellectual disabilities. This provision has been made through the 10th amendment to the Education Regulation, approved last Thursday.
Target Group and Distribution of Posts
Under this amendment, special education will be provided to children with the following conditions:
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Blindness
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Low vision
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Deafness
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Hard of hearing
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Mental retardation
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Intellectual disability
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Autism
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Severe physical disability
The Ministry of Education and Sports will distribute such posts to special schools or schools operating resource classes as per sub-rule 920 of the Regulation.
Conversion of Posts, Recruitment, and Facilities
The Regulation includes a provision to convert teacher posts approved by the Special Education Council into special teacher posts. The posts converted in this way will be registered as special posts at the National Personnel Records Office (Teachers), and recruitment to such posts will be made on the recommendation of the Teachers Service Commission (TSC).
Teachers recruited to such posts will have appointments, service conditions, and facilities equivalent to permanent teachers of ordinary schools.
Role of Local Levels and Grants
The Regulation has assigned the responsibility of operating resource centers or resource classes to local levels. Local levels may determine standards and operate and manage resource centers or resource classes based on:
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Intellectual disability
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Autism
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Deafness
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Blindness
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Deafblindness
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Nature and severity of disability
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Geographical disparity
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Distance
The Government of Nepal or the provincial government may provide grants to such resource centers or resource classes based on the recommendation of the local level. However, such grants must be provided in a way that avoids duplication.
The government is said to have included special teacher posts in the Regulation with a plan to establish residential schools focused on children with autism in all seven provinces.
