Thiruvananthapuram: A severe shortage of therapists has left the Buds schools in Keralam struggling to support nearly 17,000 children with disabilities, with just 29 vocational instructors available against a requirement of 277.

The alarming shortfall came to light at an advisory committee meeting chaired by Minister KM Shaji, where Kudumbashree director V Vigneshwari revealed that the schools have barely 10% of the required number of vocational instructors.

Although 1,014 vocational instructors complete their training every year, appointments remain stalled as local bodies are not allocating funds for recruitment. This has created a Catch-22 situation, as schools can secure registration only after appointing instructors, while grants are released only to registered institutions.

Of the 438 Buds schools, only 232 are registered. The prescribed norm of providing at least 20 sq ft of space for each child is also not being met. Vigneshwari pointed out that even schools with more than 50 children lack kitchens.

A State Planning Board representative criticised 200 panchayats for failing to utilise the ₹25 lakh allocated to each of them six years ago. The infrastructure gaps are also evident in the fact that 65 schools do not have vehicles and 58 lack their own buildings.

Pointing to the limited reach of institutional support, Grama Panchayat Association president Anil Akkara said only 10% of children with disabilities were covered by government facilities.

Just 368 teachers for 17,000 children
Addressing the meeting, Minister KM Shaji said the state was falling far short of the Supreme Court's prescribed norm of one special educator for every 10 children. Only 368 teachers are available for nearly 17,000 children enrolled in Buds schools, he pointed out.

He also expressed concern that scholarships earmarked by local bodies were not reaching all eligible children.