Daily Times

A notification was issued by the school education dept. Punjab on 26th May 2022 that schools will remain closed for summer vacations from 1st June to 31st July. Education authority Lahore imposed a ban on holding summer camps during the vacations. It was said that warnings will be issued and fines will be imposed if any school does not follow the instructions.

I do not want to make any personal comments on whether the summer camps should be allowed or not in mainstream schools. I want to highlight another segment of children and students who is definitely getting negatively affected by this decision. Let me share few real life stories with you before unfolding my argument.

Few day ago I was sitting in my office when she came to me in quite a disturbed mood. Her expressions were so confusing that initially I thought she was angry but in matter of moments her frustration started flooding out of her eyes. It was so heart breaking to learn that she had shifted from Islamabad and for last one month was desperately looking for professional support for her 4 years old boy with autism. Our government has ordered that no school can have classes in summer vacations so no special school was open to help this anxious mother of a son with autism and ADHD. With a non-cooperative spouse and limited financial resources govt. or ngo run centers were the only choices she had. She was so anxious and depressed because without professional support behavioral and sensory problems of her son were getting worse.

Children with special needs not only require specialized academic services, but also need regular therapeutic support.

This is not the only example, I get to meet many parents who are so distressed because their children with special needs are unable to receive physical, speech or behavior therapy just because our provincial govt. does not allow special schools to function during summer vacations. We need to understand that children with special needs not only require specialized academic services, they also need regular therapeutic support. Children with cerebral palsy need physical and occupational therapy not only to make better use of their motor abilities but also to prevent contractures or deterioration of their muscles and bones. They also might need constant help from speech therapist to improve swallowing, so they can eat better. It is uncomprehend able that we are depriving these children of therapeutic, professional and emotional support without considering the negative consequences. It is crucial that decision makers look at the different scenarios and objectives of summer programs before imposing uniform rules or laws.

I consider it my responsibility to raise voice for those hundreds and thousands of parents of special children who cannot afford expensive private therapy sessions. They have enrolled their children in special education schools where they get all possible support. If they are forced to deprive their children of essential professional support, it cannot be justified by any mean. Let me share another scenario with you. There is a 15 years old boy who has intellectual disability and hyperactivity. With the help of school, parents are able to maintain a routine of activities which helps in managing his behavior quite reasonably. The child has become so hyper during the summer break that he is literally unmanageable for the mother. Parents are so desperately waiting for reopening of school.

Some institutes for special persons also provide vocational training and sheltered employment services. In most cases, these vocational training facilities are located within the institute or school. It is really not comprehendible that all services are put to a halt without any logical explanation. Cherry on the cake it that any anonymous complaint about summer program in a special education setup can activate the administrative machinery of the area to make sure that this facility is not functional.

I work for a nonprofit organization where many parents from other cities of Punjab and other provinces visit solely for assessment and professional support. They do not require admission in school. Imagine if a family comes to you from Azad Kashmir with their special needs child. They have no place to live so they are spending nights at Data Darbar. How can you say no to a family in such desperate need of support? In fact you might even have to arrange for their breakfast and lunch along with all the care and professional support.

I request the relevant authorities to look into this matter empathetically. We need to understand that nonprofit or govt. run special schools do not make summer classes a source of earning. Institutes for special education are not providing only academic services, it also involves medical, therapeutic, vocational and employment readiness programs. A long discontinuation of services can have serious repercussions for physical health and mental wellbeing of students with special needs and their families. Parents should be given the right to consult with relevant professionals and make informed decision about sending or not sending their child for summer program in his special education school. Relevant authorities and decision makers should consider the seriousness of the matter. I request them to take stakeholders on board and develop a realistic strategy. They need to make sure that students with special needs get access to essential therapeutic and training services during summer..

The writer is an educationist.