The Maharashtras informed the Bombay High Court they haven’t been conducting educational programmes for students with hearing impairment through television (Doordarshan) and radio (Akashwani) since they require symbolic and sign language.
An affidavit was filed by Rajendra Pawar, joint secretary to government, school education and sports department in reply to public interest litigation (PIL) by National Association for Blind (NAB) and NGO ‘Anamprem’ raising concerns over problems being faced by students with disabilities amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Earlier, a division bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Girish Kulkarni had suggested that the government should consider starting a dedicated television channel or a radio station to impart education to children with special needs during the Covid-19 pandemic as there are many children who either do not have smartphones or network coverage. Bedsides the needs of these children would be different depending on their disability.
The education department’s affidavit states that the department has made provision for online and offline education for all types of students except for students with hearing impairment.
It states that with the help of UNICEF they have been telecasting a programme called Gali-Gali-Sim-Sim for all students except for kids with hearing impairment since they require symbolic and sign language.
“Also, special English programme telecast on DD Sahyadri Channel for all students except for kids with hearing impairment since they require sign language”, reads the affidavit.
The educational department has further said that “there is a programme called Gyanganga for students from Class 9 to Class 12 all kids except for kids with hearing impairment since they require sign language”.
Giving details of future plan, it has said that within 15 days the department will start telecast of programmes for students of Class 1 to Class 12 for five hours on a daily basis.
In order to do justice to the students with hearting impairment, the affidavit states that they have requested DD to give them daily one hour slot for starting programme for these kids with special needs.
During the hearings earlier, Uday Warunjikar, advocate for NAB and Anamprem, had contended that besides the network coverage issues, children with special needs cannot be given education through traditional means of mobile and apps. A child with hearing impairment cannot listen to videos prepared by teachers for learning, whereas a child with visual impairment would require braille script to understand things, Warunjikar had argued.
Pointing out section 31 of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, Warunjikar argued that it not only contemplates free education but also compulsory education to all.
