FAISALABAD - The Punjab government has approved the policy framework of inclusive education system for special children suffering from physical disabilities, disclosed the Punjab secretary (special education).
Abdullah Sumbal was addressing a meeting regarding implementation of inclusive education system. Under the programme, such special children will be imparted education in the general educational institutions along with the normal students in different cities of the province where infrastructure and educators are available.
Faisalabad Divisional Commissioner Tahir Hussain, EDO (Community Development) Asif Tarar, DO (Special Education) Muazzam Bin Zahur and other educationists attended the meeting. The secretary special education told the meeting that the special children having mild disability like polio-affected limbs and partial impairment of vision & hearing can be safeguarded from the sense of deprivation if they are provided a chance to study in mainstream along with the normal students.
The Punjab government will select public sector schools having qualified teachers and good infrastructure where preferably special children studying in primary and middle classes would be given admission while the teachers of these general schools will be provided special training to teach special children by the master trainers of the Department of Special Education.
The secretary requested the commissioner to allow 15 special children to be educated in Divisional Public School Faisalabad under inclusive education system in the first phase. The commissioner replied in affirmation and said that Faisalabad administration will extend a helping hand in this regard.
Regarding the inclusive education system approved by the Punjab Chief Minister, the secy said that provision of free education, lodging and boarding, pick & drop facilities would continue for the special children besides providing them with packets of milk on weekly basis and a stipend of Rs200 per month. 
He said, “An amount of Rs15 million has been allocated for the establishment of special plots in the recreational parks for special children only. Firstly, the PHA has earmarked two pieces of land stretching on 8 kanals each in Lawrence Garden and Race Course Parks for the special children parks in Lahore where the special children will plant saplings and will be responsibilities for looking after these saplings.
This would help improve the confidence level in the special children, he said. The meeting was told that over 600,000 special schoolchildren were living in the Punjab.  A drive to identify these special children at villages will start soon to provide training facilities to keep them in the main stream of education system.