(a) whether the CBSE is considering to introduce Indian Sign Language and Braille
in their curriculum for students with special needs;
(b) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor; and
(c) the steps taken/being taken by the Government to prepare interpreters who can
help/train the hearing and speech impaired in the schools having students with
special needs?
MINISTER OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
(SHRI RAMESH POKHRIYAL ‘NISHANK’)
(a): No, Sir.
(b): The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has informed that the Board
introduces a language or any other subject if there are good number of schools
interested to offer the subject with adequate number of students interested to study it.
As the Board has not received requests from the schools affiliated to CBSE
committing to appoint teachers and provide other facilities to teach Indian Sign
Language and Braille, CBSE is presently not considering to offer Sign and Braille
languages in its ‘Scheme of Studies’.
(c): Yes, Sir. The “Samagra Shiksha” (SS) scheme of Department of School
Education & Literacy, MHRD, has a component of “Inclusive Education for CwSN” (IE
for CwSN) which caters to the diverse needs of Children with Special Needs in regular
schools from Class I to Class XII, across all 21 disabilities, as per Rights of Persons
with Disabilities (RPwD) Act 2016. Under the IE for CwSN component of Samagra
Shiksha (SS) provides funds to all the States and UTs for Student Oriented Component
(SoC) and Resource Support.
Student oriented component includes activities such as teaching learning
material, assistive devices, readers, scribers, escort allowances, transportation
allowances, corrective surgeries, aids and appliances, identification and assessment
camps, training programs for special educators and general teachers on curriculum
adaptations, etc. The Government has approved 27774 (Special Educators and Block
Resource Persons) who help/ train the hearing and speech impaired in the schools.
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