India plans to add dyslexia to definition of child with a disability

From The Times of India:

NEW DELHI, India -- Parliament's standing committee on HRD has recommended inclusion of dyslexia in the definition of child with disability under RTE while also agreeing to a host of proposed amendments.

In another report on the National Council for Teacher Education, the standing committee asked the HRD ministry to consult states before finalising a consolidated set of guidelines as minimum qualification for appointment of school teachers.

The parliamentary panel also agreed with law ministry that School Management Committees be set up in aided schools. However, it said SMCs in unaided schools should only function in an advisory capacity, thereby safeguarding their autonomy as well as helping in monitoring 25% quota of admission for children belonging to disadvantaged groups as envisaged in the RTE Act.

The panel agreed with the ministry's proposed amendment that SMCs in minority schools should function only in an advisory capacity. However, it pointed out that since the SMCs comprised elected representatives of the local authority, parents/guardians of children admitted in such schools and teachers, it was unlikely that parents/guardians and teachers would act against the interests of the school.

In case of NCTE, the parliamentary panel said a coordinated exercise by the department of NCTE and HRD ministry was needed to fill the visible gaps in availability of teacher education institutions in many states. It even asked the Centre to provide special support.