Every child needs and deserves good living conditions. Education is one of the most required entities to survive on. School is like a second home. What if the second home treats you like a stranger? What if it treats you like an unwanted piece of non-existence? In many schools, this is the bare reality. Our system of education is now limited to the arenas of intelligence and good appearance. Any handicap, be it mental or physical restricts a child from merging into the mainstream. Why is it so? I am a volunteer with CRY and have been through the case studies of such children. They do not know what to expect from their adults for they do nothing but separate them from others.
It is funny but our government has made rules regarding the inclusion of these handicapped children. The children can study in normal schools and do not need to go to special schools. These children are often neglected and not provided with required help. When asked about the same, the authorities trail off by dismissing them as “special children” who need to go to special schools. But the reality is that these special schools are often very expensive. A social organization or a NGO might not be able to provide the appropriate education needed. They might provide some vocational training. The government has thought of making ramps in schools but the question is that-is the society ready to accept the intermingling of them with the other children? It is time we think for them and think with our hearts and not our minds.
