ISLAMABAD - The National Special Education Centre for Hearing Impaired Children on Wednesday suspended the transport facility for the differently-abled children coming from the adjacent city Rawalpindi.
The centre located in H-9/4 sector has notified parents of the children that following the directions of Directorate General Special Education (DGSE), the buses of the centre after the end of the academic year on June 30, 2021, will not go outside Islamabad.
The notice asked the parents to make appropriate transport arrangements for their children coming from Rawalpindi. Officials at the centre said that the decision has raised concerns among parents sending their differently-abled children from Rawalpindi as they will lose the facility. Mother of a student enrolled at the centre said that this decision will increase problems for parents, adding that the institution’s own transport was a facility for both parents and students.
“They are differently-abled students and cannot travel with everyone, the institute’s own transport understands the special situation of these children,” she said. She also said that the arrangement of own transport will impact financially and mentally both ways on parents who are already making extra efforts for their children.
“This facility should continue in the interest of parents and children,” she demanded. Officials at the NSECHIC said that the decision has been taken as education has been devolved into provinces and the federal capital can only provide services in the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT). Officials said that the transport facility will be not available for the students coming from Rawalpindi from July 1st, 2021. Officials also said that though the service continued for nine years after the 18th amendment, it has now been decided to discontinue the service. Officials said that there are only two special education centres in Rawalpindi which are not enough to cater all the children.
“Non-availability of the transport service for children coming from Rawalpindi will have a negative impact on them,” said a senior official.
The centre is working under DGSE which is an attached department of the Ministry of Human Rights.  Director General DGSE Sheikh Azhar Sajjad and DG ministry of Human Rights Muhammad Arshad were contacted for their comments on the decision. Both officials said they will respond, but didn’t reply despite being approached repeatedly.