ISLAMABAD: A day after concerns were shown by lawmakers on the floor of the National Assembly, the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training on 14th January decided to provide an additional budget of Rs40 million to the Directorate General of Special Education, which deals with the education of special children.
The directorate has been facing financial issues since it was transferred from the Ministry of Human Rights to the Ministry of Education in July this year, with a budgetary allocation of Rs726 million for the fiscal year 2024-25.
Due to budget constraints, the directorate has been unable to pay utility bills and operate transport at full capacity.
“Required funds arranged by the Ministry of Education,” said the special education director general, Asif Bhatti.
Speaking to Dawn on Wednesday, he said funds would be released in two days. The DG said a PC-I was also being prepared to revamp the existing structure in addition to the establishment of three new centres for special education.
Education ministry admits funds paucity, claims no immediate halt to transport
“To enhance enrollment, we have set up three camps and recently 64 children have been identified for admission. Our target is to increase enrolment by 50 percent in the coming months,” he said.
On Tuesday, the National Assembly was informed that the Directorate of Special Education had been facing a shortage of funds. The issue was raised by three MNAs Nuzhat Sadiq, Asiya Naz Tanoli, and Malik Shakir Bashir Awan through a ‘calling attention notice’.
They asked the education minister to take notice of a “lack of funds for essential services, including transportation for special children and utility payments in Directorate General of Special Education Islamabad, causing grave concerns amongst the public”.
In response to the notice, parliamentary education secretary Farah Naz Akbar apprised the house that the directorate had been facing a shortage of funds, but the ministry was trying to resolve their issues. She said that there were eight main departments, and all of them were functioning.
“Earlier, this directorate was part of the Human Rights Ministry and last year its budget allocation was Rs935 million. But in July last year, this directorate was transferred to [the] education ministry with the allocation of Rs726 million,” she said and added that there was no issue regarding the transport for special children.
It is relevant to note that the directorate has a massive brigade of 658 employees, but it has only 1,600 students. There were also reports that there was no fuel to run their buses to pick up and drop off the students enrolled in special education centres.
No funds were reportedly available to pay for the electricity, gas, and water charges.
“There is a shortage of funds but there is no immediate stoppage for vehicles or disconnection of utilities at all. Payments have been made after the current quarter releases and a case for additional funds is under process,” the education ministry claimed in its written reply to Dawn.
The ministry said that a survey of the special children was conducted with the help of the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics and NGOs and a drive for new enrollment had been started.
“The funds were surrendered in previous years and hence there is shortage of funds but there is no immediate stoppage for vehicles or discontinuation of utilities at all. Payments have been made after the current quarter releases and the case for additional funds is under process,” read the statement.
An official of the directorate said that the housing colony and community centres were in shambles and windows, doors, electric wires, and other fittings of the buildings had allegedly been stolen.
The official said the directorate has 13 main centres, including,
- National Special Education Centre for Visually Handicapped Children, G-7/2;
- National Special Education Centre for Physically Handicapped Children, G-8/4;
- Orthopedic Workshop for Provision of Prosthetics and Orthotics;
- Rehabilitation Centre for Children with Developmental Disorders, H-8/4;
- Autism Resource Centre for Autistic Children, H-8/4;
- National Special Education Centre for Hearing Impairment Children, H-9;
- Islamabad (up to graduation level), National Training Centre for Special Persons, G-9/2;
- National Institute of Special Education, H-8/4; National Braille Press, G-7/2;
- National Library and Resource Centre, F-7 Markaz; National Mobility and Independence Training Centre, H-8/4;
- Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment of Disabled Persons, (Rehabilitation Unit), H-8/4;
- Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment of Disabled Persons, (Service Centre-I), H-8/4, Islamabad.
Published in Dawn, January 16th, 2025
