Foregoing educational aims and career dreams

Differently-abled students demand better facilities in educational institutions

LAHORE:

Being differently-abled is a deterrent for many in the country’s most populous province trying to seek an education due to systemic disenfranchisement.

A vast majority of special needs students in Punjab feel that the system is rigged against them as the provincial governments both past and present have paid no heed to provide basic facilities which will make equal access to education for them more than a dream.

Amongst these students is Usman, a resident of the Johar Town area in Lahore, who is paraplegic and had high hopes for himself. “I wanted to pursue a higher education but could only complete matriculation,” he said. Usman’s hopes were dashed due to a lack of proper arrangements for students like him that navigate daily life on a wheelchair. “I could not be carried around everywhere and there were no wheelchair ramps or other facilities which would make it easier for me to get to a classroom,” he lamented. Usman faults the government for depriving him of a right to further educate himself.

Sheikh Mahmood, who is Usman’s father, approves of his son blaming the provincial government. “Taking him to school was a hassle for me due to the lack of infrastructure for wheelchairs. The only reason my child suffered and continues to suffer is that the government has not provided basic facilities for students like him,” a visibly irate Mahmood remarked.  

Similarly, 18-year-old Zaheer, who lives in the provincial capital, Lahore, had to give up on his ambitions and dreams because there was insufficient infrastructure for him to move around in his wheelchair. “I had to give up on my education because the school buildings were not accessible for me,” he informed The Express Tribune. Zaheer demanded that differently-abled children should be given better facilities so they too can receive an education like any normal child.

However, according to a spokesperson of the Punjab Special Education Department, the provincial government has been paying heed to the plight of special needs students. “We allocated a Rs 550 million budget and have established special education institutions in many cities including Gujranwala, Attock, and Faisalabad,” he informed. He further added that the government has provided 51 buses for the transport of differently abled children and also gives them monthly stipends.

 Educationist Professor Dr Tanveer Qasim was not sold on the claims though, stating that the government has set up a few educational institutes in the province exclusively under special education but they are not active enough nor are they sufficient. “The government should increase the minuscule budget it has set for special needs students and should invest more in training teachers so they can deal with differently abled students effectively,” Qasim suggested. He was of the view that it was the government’s job to integrate children with disabilities and help them achieve their potential. “The government should ensure it provides equal facilities to all students in all education institutions,” Qasim told The Express Tribune.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 24^th, 2021.