The last of the three-part analysis of the NEP will be from the perspective of those that are most disadvantaged, the children with special needs. The analysis is rooted in the assumption that the government’s commitment to its citizens must be proportionate to their distress and their vulnerability.

According to the Census 2011 data, there were about 2.7 crore Indians who suffered from different disabilities. This constitutes about 2.2 percent of the total population. The U-DISE data collected for 2016-17 of all schools in India claims 24 lakh children who suffer from disabilities. This constitutes less than one percent of the total students in our school system.

In the recent evaluations undertaken by the Delhi government’s Child Rights Commission, 60 percent schools reported zero students with disabilities, and another 28 percent reported less than one percent. Even conservative estimates by the experts would peg the number around 10 percent of the population. A World Bank study puts the number at 15 percent globally.It highlights that people with disability are set to experience adverse socioeconomic outcomes than persons without disabilities.

 It is here that NEP had missed the opportunity of recommending mandatory screening of all children at different cycles of their lifetimes.

The first mandatory screening must be done at the time of birth. This is definitely possible today as nearly all deliveries of the babies are institutional. This must be succeeded by another round of screening before the child turns six. The huge machinery of Anganwadi workers and the ASHA workers can be leveraged to make it possible. Timely screening is particularly important for schools to provide special support to these children, for teachers to be additionally empathetic and take measures that allow the children to develop fully and, in a judgment, free environment. Robust student tracking system recommended by the committee may help track the growth of such children to enable timely support for them.

There is a fear that the screening may also be misused, to deny the children access to schools or for labelling, for example. This, however, does not mean that the first step should not be taken towards supporting the children. On the contrary, it calls for stricter enforcement of relevant laws and regulations alongside a massive public campaign that sensitises all of us.

The teachers, especially the Special Educators, are the essential part of the process for they hold the most significant stakes in enabling the children to feel normal.

Teacher educational courses must be introduced to enable all teachers to develop the right attitude and the knowledge to screen children with disabilities and provide the required support. Several studies point to higher incidents of depression and suicide attempts among the disabled.

It is with a sense of purpose that the children with disabilities were renamed Children with Special Needs (CWSN). It is time we acknowledge their needs and activities.