Financial support under Samagra Shiksha helps more special kids in Tiruchy join schools

TIRUCHY: Improved access to transportation under the Samagra Shiksha framework has played a crucial role in increasing the enrolment of Children with Special Needs (CwSN) across Tiruchy district, with education officials reporting a nearly 20% rise in student entry from Classes I to XII since 2022.

Officials attribute the improvement largely to transport and escort assistance that addresses one of the most persistent barriers to inclusive education.

Officials said awareness about assured transport support has encouraged more families to enrol their children.

Education department data shows enrolment gains have remained consistent over the past three years, prompting continued surveys and outreach to bring more out-of-school CwSN children into classrooms across the district.

During the current academic year, transport assistance of Rs 450 per month, for 10 months released through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), has been provided to 1,865 CwSN students studying in government and aided schools and day care centres in the district. The total amount disbursed under this component stands at Rs 83.92 lakh, officials said.

In addition, escort assistance of Rs 450 per month for 10 months has been extended to caretakers of 1,880 CwSN students, involving an outlay of Rs 84.60 lakh.

Officials said the support is intended to help parents or caregivers who accompany children to school, particularly those with mobility or developmental challenges. District education officials said transportation costs and the absence of an accompanying adult were among the main reasons for irregular attendance and dropouts among CwSN students.

"For many families, especially in rural areas, daily travel expenses and the need for an escort made schooling difficult. Once these supports were introduced, enrolment and attendance improved noticeably," said Raghu, an official associated with the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan in Tiruchy.

Since 2022, special educators and SSA field teams have been conducting periodic door-to-door surveys across the district to identify school-age children with disabilities who were either out of school or had discontinued education. Identified children are issued special identity cards, and their parents are counselled about government schemes, including transport and escort assistance. T Selvaraj, a painter from Manaparai, said the escort support enabled him to send his son, a Class 6 student with disability, to school regularly.

"Earlier, I had to miss work to drop him. Now transport costs are manageable, attendance is regular, and my child doesn't miss classes," he said.