Tamil Nadu to launch care centers with NGO help

To assist students with high level of disability, the Tamil Nadu state plans to launch at least 400 day care centers for students, conjugating with the voluntary agencies.

The centers would be part of the central government’s Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) which will cover 412 blocks across the state. The centers would be associated with Block Resource Centers.

According to a news source, the government move is to integrate children with special needs with their counterparts in main stream schools.

In 1974, the Central government launched the Integrated Education of Disabled (IED) program. It later became a functioning system of the SSA program.

An SSA official said the centers will welcome services of special educators from non–governmental organisations. A special educator would monitor students' progress in each center.