The Delhi High Court has asked the city government to de-recognise schools if they fail to appoint special educators and make their premises barrier free for differently-abled students.
In a verdict delivered earlier, erstwhile Acting Chief Justice A K Sikri asked the Delhi government to ensure that schools in the capital are made barrier-free by March 31, next year to provide free movement and access to them.
The aided and unaided schools will also have to appoint special educators in two years for differently-abled kids.
“We, accordingly, allow this petition and direct all the recognised aided and unaided private schools in Delhi to appoint special educators and to make their buildings/school premises barrier free so as to provide free movement/access to children with disabilities,” the bench said.
The court asked the Director of Education (DoE) to ensure compliance of its direction and de-recognise errant schools.
It asked all schools to hire at least two qualified special educators as per the Right to Education Act (RTE).
The court further clarified that no school “shall refuse admission to children with disability” on the pretext that they do not have special educators.
The directions came on a petition filed by advocate Ashok Agarwal, who had alleged that 2039 unaided private schools and 258 aided schools lack basic physical and academic infrastructure, including special educators for differently-abled students.
