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Meghalaya govt should ensure inclusive growth for schools: Bethany society- 23-Oct-2014
Shillong: Meghalaya government should ensure that all schools to be built under the USD 100 million loan from the Asian Development Bank aimed at improving secondary education, be inclusive, an NGO said here today.
The ADB and the Centre had earlier this year signed an agreement for a USD 100 million loan for Meghalaya, aimed at enhancing employability of the state's youth through improvements in secondary education and vocational skills training programmes.
"Asian Development Bank officials have met us and we have aired our views to ensure that proposed schools are made inclusive," Carmo Naronha, secretary of the Bethany society, which works for the rights of people with disabilities since 1981 in the state, said.
He said he had met state education department officials and had informed them of the importance of having infrastructure that support inclusive education by having ramps and special educators.
The society, which began its non-profit works for persons with disabilities in East Garo Hills district Mendal village since 1981 under the leadership of Sister Rosario Lopez, has 400 students in their schools across the state.
According to Noronha, at least 300 schools have been identified in the state which would benefit from the ADB loan.
The state, which has one of the highest concentrations of children with disabilities in the North East (over 13,000), has many of them out of schools, Bertha Dkhar, a special educator and member of the society, said.
While around 8,000 of these children with disabilities were enrolled into Sarva Siksha Abhiyan schools, the number of special educators was only 53, she said.
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