The quality of autism centres in the 168 block resource centres of the Samagra Shiksha, Kerala across the State will be improved, Minister for General Education V. Sivankutty has said.
He was interacting with parents and teachers of children on the autism spectrum in connecion with the State-level World Autism Awareness Day celebrations organised by the Samagra Shiksha, Kerala, at Thiruvananthapuram South block resource centre’s Sathram school in Fort on Saturday.
The Minister said 1,484 special care centres were functioning in the State. Steps would be taken to improve their functioning. Besides the programmes under way for differently abled children, novel programmes would be designed by the Samagra Shiksha and implemented, he said.
A total of 334 special schools functioned in the private sector in the State. A special school package was being implemented since the 2019-20 financial year to address their infrastructural and academic problems. An amount of ₹45 crore had been earmarked for the package in the 2022-23 financial year, including ₹1,000 for uniform for each child, Mr. Sivankutty said.