4,799 Special Students Enrolled in Institutions Across Rawalpindi Division
As many as 4,799 students with different special needs are currently enrolled in special education institutions across six districts of the Rawalpindi Division.
These students are receiving free education along with uniforms, shoes, textbooks, Braille books, teaching aids, transport, recreational tours and hostel facilities.
District Officer Special Education Shumaila Khan stated that under the vision of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, multi-billion-rupee projects are being completed for special children in Rawalpindi, Attock, Hassan Abdal, Taxila, Murree, Gujar Khan, and Kallar Syedan. These initiatives aim to provide special children with quality education, sports, and other facilities, empowering them to excel internationally.
Khan further emphasized that the Department of Special Education is implementing educational and vocational training programs for special children in Rawalpindi, Murree, Attock, Jhelum, Chakwal, and Talagang. For this purpose, three offices and workshops, one college, 10 secondary schools, 18 middle schools, and 13 primary schools are providing services. These institutions cater to students with hearing and visual impairments, physical and intellectual disabilities, slow learning abilities, and autism, tailoring their education and training to meet individual needs.
According to department statistics:
- 4,799 enrolled students include 46 autistic children, 1,957 with hearing impairment, 631 with visual impairment, 424 with physical disabilities, 1,214 with intellectual disabilities, and 527 slow learners.
- District-wise enrollment:
- Rawalpindi: 1,640 students
- Murree: 209 students
- Attock: 1,571 students
- Jhelum: 597 students
- Chakwal: 601 students
- Talagang: 181 students
Khan noted that Provincial Minister Sania Ashiq and Secretary Punjab Special Education Shoaib Iqbal Saeed have stressed the importance of maintaining high-quality education and facilities for special students.
Students receive one winter uniform and a pair of shoes in winter, while two summer uniforms and a pair of shoes are provided during summer. Textbooks, teaching aids, and other essential educational materials are also supplied free of charge, with special arrangements made for Braille books for visually impaired students.
The department offers free pick-and-drop facilities for special students within their respective tehsil or town limits, covering up to a 50-kilometer radius. For this purpose, 79 vehicles, including 75 operational vehicles and four off-road vehicles, are available:
- Rawalpindi: 25 vehicles
- Murree: 5 vehicles
- Attock: 21 vehicles
- Jhelum: 14 vehicles
- Chakwal: 10 vehicles
- Talagang: 4 vehicles