Shimla's special school lacks facilities

Shimla, April 13: Shimla-based NGO Umang Foundation on Sunday took an exception to violation of rights of the blind and deaf students at a special government-run school here.

In a letter to Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, foundation chairman Ajai Srivastava said the State Council for Child Welfare under the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment has failed to run the special school that has 125 students, mostly from the poor families, at Dhalli in Shimla.

They are not being provided free school uniform regularly. "There are shortages of classrooms. There are only six classrooms for 10 classes for blind from Class I to X. How is it possible to accommodate 10 classes in six rooms?

Likewise, there are three classrooms for 10 classes of blind students from class I to X," he said in the letter. The letter said there is also a shortage of teachers and that there are no teachers for science, maths and music for the blind. Similarly, for the deaf students too, there are no teachers for science, maths and arts.

There is no talking library facility for the blind. Also, there are neither modern gadgets like Angel players and audio books for studies nor audiologist for deaf students.

IANS