An open letter: Reg. the pathetic pay of special educators and other specialists in India

This is a copy of a letter I sent on Fri, Mar 22, 2013  to Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment and Ministry of Human Resource Development. Since this is an open letter, the more people it reaches, the better!

Check the cost norms at http://socialjustice.nic.in/pdf/ddrsann6.pdf

Good afternoon!

I'm currently a student of D.Ed. in Special Education (Hearing Impairment) from Montfort Center of Education, Tura. I regretfully admit that I've decided not to pursue it any further. What is the use of a D.Ed. or a B.Ed. or even an M.Ed. when the government would pay you a salary which is probably lower than what my cleaning lady gets?

I'm passionate about education. I've been a scholarship student all my life, even during my engineering. I chose special education as my field because I realized lack of good education is a far bigger a disability than anything else. By that logic, I'm ashamed to say that for past so many years your ministry has been adding to the disabilities of already disabled students, instead of helping them overcome exactly that.

I would need a clarification from the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment and Ministry of Human Resource Development on following points:

1. Do you realize that teaching a disabled child (VI/HI/MR/Autism/any other disability) requires competencies, if not higher then at least at par with those required to teach the so called 'normal' students? Why should special educators be paid 1/4th of what regular teachers get?

(Average salary of special educator/specialist is Rs. 3000 to 8000, while the salary of a regular teacher is Rs. 12000 to 24000)

2. Do you have any idea that it is not only difficult but downright impossible for an educator of any kind to survive in that salary? That this is 21st century, and there are things called expenses, rents, bills, technology, health, accidents, loans etc. Should anyone who dreams of anything more than a hut with rice/dal everyday be debarred from being a special educator?

3. Why do you assume that disability=charity? Everything surrounding special education is shrouded with the pity & the petty. The Principals pity themselves & the teachers & are practically of the view "Beggars are not choosers". The teachers pity themselves & the children and don't push for anything. The children pity themselves & everyone around and are maybe the worst hit among all. 

Why can't we have special educators with respectable salary? Why demand them to sacrifice their lives living in either poverty or financial dependence?

4. Why is special education not treated as 'education'? Why is it only the responsibility of "Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment"? Why doesn't Ministry of Human Resource Development share some of the burden at least financially, & pay a part of the salary of the special educators & other specialists? 

5. Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan has already started enrolling special educators. Though this inclusive SSA set-up has paved way for a higher salary prospect for the special educators (>Rs. 15000), it has also resulted inunprecedented attrition rate & thus their extreme shortage in special schools. Many of the special schools are struggling to hire or retain special educators on the same old pathetic salary. I wish you could understand the urgency of the situation, as many of them may shut down in near future.

6. Lastly, I'm aware a good special educator can get a good salary in any private school, who charge a hefty donation or fees, or manage with funds to give out a handsome salary. But, those schools are in urban areas catering to a limited no. of students. Should we just close our eyes to millions of other students with disability in areas like Tura? I've been told that if you wish to teach there, you can only expect Rs. 5,000 where as in any private school I can easily get Rs. 25000. 

Every child, disabled or not, has a right to reach their highest potential using education. However, millions of them are denied of good teachers & good education, because your salary norms makes you question yourself- "If you're good - why would you want to be a special educator?"

I'm ashamed to be living in a country, where being a special educator is looked down by family and society as a demented career choice. And where it takes drastic steps like self-immolation or hunger strikes or nation wide campaigns to get a change implemented within one's life-time. 

But if I don't intend to burn myself, can I still hope that things would improve?

And that they would improve soon?

Regards!