24,363 special children enrolled in govt schools: Lone

Jammu and Kashmir government today said over 24000 children with special needs (CWSN) are enrolled in government-run schools and instructions have been issued to make all the existing schools disabled friendly.
"As many as 30,237 CWSN have been identified during 2015-16 and out of them, 24,363 have been enrolled in the government schools," Social Welfare Minister Sajjad Ghani Lone said in a written reply to the state Assembly here.
Responding to a question by PDP member Anjum Fazili, the minister said 59 girls under CWSN have also been enrolled in Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidalaya (KGBV).
Besides this regular schooling, home-based education is being provided to CWSN by Resource Teachers engaged under Sarva Shikasha Abhiyan, the minister said.

He said there are 18 schools for specially abled children functioning in the state run by various non-government organisations.
The government has also established one residential school for blind children at Roop Nagar in Jammu with an intake capacity of 25 inmates.
A composite regional centre has been established in Srinagar by Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment for special education of persons with disabilities, Lone said.
The minister said instructions have been conveyed to school education department and higher education department from time to time to make all the public buildings, including schools, colleges and universities disabled friendly so that the specially abled are able to access the existing school or colleges for education.