Days after MiD DAY highlighted (Civic Body's Mindless Spending On School For Mentally Challenged, Jan 25) how the corporation's education board had failed to provide even basic amenities such as uniforms, desks and transport to the students of its only school for mentally challenged, the board members recently called a meeting to discuss how to run the Shivajinagar school more efficiently and even sanctioned a few proposals.
Head of education board Shivaji Daundkar said, “Though the school has facilities to provide physiotherapy and speech therapy, the posts are vacant till date. In the meeting held on January 28, we have decided to fill up these vacancies at the earliest.”
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MiD DAY report on Jan 25. File Pic
While there were 31 students registered on the school’s catalogue, a visit to the school revealed that only eight students were present. Daundkar said, “We have directed the authorities that the school’s strength must be increased. For that we have decided to conduct door-to-door surveys, especially in slum areas adjacent to the school. Through this special campaign we are going to convince parents of special children to get them registered at the school.”u00a0
Discrepancies: During our stopover at the school last week, only one of the four classrooms was functioning, with just eight children in attendance
Commenting on lack of transport facilities, Daundkar said the school would be purchasing two new buses and the transport service would be started by the next academic year. Though it’s been four years since the school opened, its students still await a bus service. Moreover, the education board has this year decided to double the budgetary provision to Rs 40 lakh.
Better food
In addition, the education board decided to start providing the children with meals that would be based on the recommendations of a dietician. Earlier, the kids were given dal-khichdi through government’s midday meal scheme.u00a0
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