Workshop conducted to Focus on Inclusive Education

In Universities across the country a special programme gets run by the Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI) which is called, ‘Teachers Education for Persons with Special Education Needs’ (TEPSE). Other than departments of special education or departments of education, there are forty universities which have courses that are being directly run, said the New Delhi chairperson Sudesh Mukhopadhyay.

At a two day international conference on Inclusive education-perspective and challenges organized by the Karnataka State Open University, Mukhopadhyay was delivering her keynote address on ‘Inclusive education of persons with disabilities-journey and miles ahead.’

She pointed out the main programmes of TEPSE and cleared that TEPSE is for assisting departments of education to launch a special teacher preparation programme for B.Ed and M.Ed courses. Under the scheme the universities are encouraged to star M.Ed courses. Along with this encouragement the universities are granted a salary of maximum Rs 2 lakh onwards for procurement of books and appliances and Rs 4 lakh if both the B.Ed and M.Ed courses are held from the universities.

These grants could get sanctioned only if the universities have appointed the staffs at the designated posts. She, in her address made it clear to the participants to lobby with the respective states to access these funds for the special students. The scheme presently is running in very few universities across the country. It is high time that UGC act as a major player in delivering quality education to the specially challenged students.