The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has requested that existing schools and schools seeking board affiliation follow guidelines for Special Needs Children (CwSN). The CBSE guidelines cover ramps, toilets, signage, and other school facilities for such children.

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The Board, in an official circular to schools, reiterated that in the Affiliation Bye-Laws 2018, it has incorporated that "The school shall provide proper facilities like ramps in toilets and at entry/exit points for wheelchair users and auditory signals in elevators/lifts and other possible infrastructural facilities under the provisions laid down in the RPWD Act- 2016."

The provisions also said, "The school shall promote the inclusion of a student with special needs in the normal school under the provisions of the Rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities Act 2016 and following the National Education Policy.'

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According to the Board, schools do not follow CwSN infrastructural facilities provisions. According to the Board's observations, some schools have only built ramps at entry or exit points or on the ground floor, while laboratories, libraries, and other co-curricular activities are located on different floors of school buildings. These activities are inaccessible to students with special needs due to the lack of a ramp or lift facility on all floors of the school building.

CBSE said that schools must make provisions for all children attending school and work hard to identify and remove barriers. It's also critical to protect the rights of such children if the goal of "Education for All" is to be realised. The Board emphasised the importance of promoting inclusive education in schools.

According to the CBSE, inclusive education is also an important component of the Samagra Shiksha Scheme, which focuses on improving the quality of education for all students, including Special Needs Children (CwSN). The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 reiterates the importance of providing equitable educational opportunities to children with special needs.

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Therefore, all CBSE-affiliated schools and schools seeking affiliation with the Board are advised to comply with the Children with Special Needs (CwSN) guidelines, the Board continued.

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