“If he has education, there will not be any problem”: Factors affecting access to education for children with disabilities in Tamil Nadu, India

Some caregivers questioned the value of school, particularly for children with intellectual impairments or profound sensory impairments, and if their child would be learning anything in school. “They did not teach him [went to school till 7th standard]. They can teach him only when he can speak; he cannot speak, so he went, sat idly and came back we cannot teach him, and he cannot even talk.” (Mother of boy, cognitive limitation–“a lot of difficulty”) Gender could also intersect with disability as a factor hindering school enrolment. Men- strual hygiene management was an additional concern for girls after puberty and caregivers encouraged them to just stay at home while menstruating. Importantly, attaining puberty was also a reason for a parent to discontinue sending their daughters to school. Teachers’ attitudes could also affect decisions to send children to school. In three instances, the teachers had advised the parents not to send their children to school. In these instances, teachers stated that the child was or was perceived to be restless and disruptive in class. Choice of school. Among the 38 children who were currently or ever enrolled in school, 32 children attended regular government schools. These were primarily co-education schools, where girls and boys studied together. The cost of sending a child to a government or a private school was a major determinant in the choice of school. There is no school fee in government schools, and the children receive free books and uniforms until class 10. Still, most caregivers

reported miscellaneous expenditure for school bags, stationery, and replacing lost books and notebooks. Most caregivers reported that they would prefer sending their children to a private school, as they were perceived to offer a better-quality education. Yet only two children were going to private schools, where caregivers reported that their children were doing well in school. The costs associated with private schools, however, were difficult for many families to meet. “My husband told me that we will not be able to pay the fees [for a private school], so we will admit him in government school. I said we have only two children, we have to educate them well. . . but since my husband passed away I am not able to pay the school fees [private school]. . .. Right now, I am thinking of stopping him from this [private] school. I will think about a school, where I do not have to pay so much.” (Mother of a boy, vision- “a lot of difficulty”) Only two children had ever attended a special school for children with disabilities. One child with cognitive impairment attended a special school mainly to receive physiotherapy and because it was felt he would be disruptive to others in a government school. Some caregivers had been advised to send their child to a residential special school, however, they did not want to be separated from their child. They also perceived that care at residential special schools would be inadequate. For example, the caregiver of a child with a cognitive impairment explained the neg-

ative experience they had in sending their child to a special school. These negative experiences ultimately led them to withdraw their daughter from the special school and enrol her in a gov- ernment school, even though they felt her education may have been better in this setting. “It [residential special school] is a hostel for children with poor brain development. That place was full of flies. Then, a week later they shaved her head, without asking us. . . She cried when she saw us. . . if she was there in the hostel, she would have got some knowledge.” (Aunt of a girl, cognitive limitation- “a lot of difficulty”) PLOS ONE Access to education for children with disabilities PLOS ONE | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0290016 August 16, 2023 7 / 19