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Editorial

Majority of special kids kept off formal edn

Generate adequate job opportunities for them


Bangladeshpost
Published : 25 Jan 2023 08:08 PM

More than half of children with disabilities in Bangladesh are not enrolled in any formal education, according to new national-level data revealed on Tuesday. The findings come from the recently-published National Survey on Persons with Disabilities (NSPD) 2021, conducted by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) with technical support from UNICEF. The survey reveals that among children with disabilities (aged 5-17 years), only 65 per cent are enrolled in primary school and only 35 per cent are enrolled in secondary school. In total, 60 percent of children with disabilities aged 5-17 years are not in education.

In order to exploit the talent and skills of the people with disabilities for the country’s development, it is  necessary to provide them with proper care and training. Data from the aforementioned survey also shed light on the difficulties that children with disabilities face as adults. Reportedly, only one third of persons with disabilities of working age are employed, with women with disabilities far more likely to be unemployed compared to men.

We believe every differently able person

 has the potentialto be self-employed if 

they are trained and treated ina strategic manner

We must generate employment opportunities for them and the society needs to be more accommodating and friendlier towards them. We believe every differently able person has the potential to be self-employed if they are trained and treated in a strategic manner.

A few decades ago, very few parents were aware of autism. With the onset of globalisation and in the digital era, more people are familiar with autism now than ever. Governments, doctors, NGOs and parents came together to spread increased awareness about autism but still the efforts have not been adequately comprehended in rural Bangladesh.

Experts assert that one of the most difficult things about autism is the judgment of other people. The problem with autism is that the person finds difficulties being social. For example, a differently able person may acquire high computer skills but become restless with sound or noise. In such cases, offices should create a special working environment for them.

Children with disabilities are targets of bullying, more likely to be victimised, and the society shuns people with autism. Considering this, necessary steps should be taken to raise awareness about the rights of persons with disabilities. Also, as a part of the society we must break social, environmental and psychological barriers that come in the way of differently able persons.