Over 2,500 special educators to stage dharna in Bengaluru, allege dual funding policy

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, January 23, 2026: More than 2,500 special educators demanding pay parity will stage a daylong dharna at Freedom Park in Bengaluru on January 28, former Mayor and President of Sanidhya Residential School and Training Centre, Mahabala Marla, said on Thursday.

Addressing mediapersons at Patrika Bhavan, Karnataka State Association for Special Educators and Supportive Staff General Secretary Vasanth Kumar Shetty said they were forced to launch the protest as the government had failed to respond to their six key demands, including pay parity.

Vasanth alleged that Karnataka is the only state in the country following a dual policy in releasing funds to special schools. He said teachers working in 34 special schools receiving funds under the Grant-in-Aid (GIA) scheme draw a monthly salary ranging from ₹60,000 to ₹80,000. In contrast, teachers employed in 165 special schools funded under the Child Centric Scheme (CCS) receive a monthly “honorarium” of just ₹20,250.

He recalled that the honorarium was recently increased following an agitation and that two meetings convened at Vidhana Soudha on the directions of Speaker U.T. Khader had resulted in Women and Child Development Minister Lakshmi Hebbalkar recommending a 40% hike in the honorarium. “However, the recommendation is yet to be implemented,” he said.

Vasanth also pointed out that the Supreme Court’s directive to constitute a three-member committee and provide all facilities to special schools remains unimplemented. He said the government releases funds to special schools in four installments, but for the past four months, no funds have been released, forcing many special schools across the state to shut down.

He demanded that funds be released in two installments to prevent hardships and added that government support for special children ceases once they attain 25 years of age. Criticising the government for not running even a single special school for the mentally challenged, he said authorities were unaware of the challenges faced by caregivers.

“Mentaly challenged children cannot function independently even after 40 years. Hence, the government must establish vocational training centres for special children above 25 years in every district,” he said.

Vinod Shenoy of Chethana Child Development Centre highlighted that the government has fixed a minimum strength of 25 students for a special school to be eligible for grants. As a result, the Roman and Catherine Lobo Residential School for the Visually Impaired in Mangaluru has not received grants for the past four years as its student strength falls below the prescribed limit.