Special educators in Coimbatore district appealed to the government to fill vacancies, citing the heavy workload and difficulties in providing regular support to children with disabilities.According to official data, there are only 67 special educators for the district’s 3,125 children with disabilities, while over 100 special educators are required to cater to the needs of the children, said one of the special educators, who did not wish to be named. No fresh appointments have been made since 2018, and vacancies arising out of retirements and deaths remain unfilled, the educator added.As for the 382 children with severe disabilities, the educators visit their homes regularly to train them.The shortage is particularly acute at Perur, Kinathukadavu, Pollachi and Valparai, where educators are being assigned additional responsibilities, the educator said. “Home-based training is provided every Wednesday. Travelling to places such as Valparai takes considerable time and adds to our workload. Filling the vacancies would help us provide more regular support to the children,” they said.District Differently Abled Welfare Officer Vasanth Ram Kumar told The Hindu that the current vacancies were mainly for special educators catering to children with visual impairment. Special educators also worked under various schemes implemented by the School Education Department, he said. He added that steps were being taken to fill the vacancies.Numbers matterNumber of children with disabilities in Coimbatore district: 3,125Current strength of special educators: 67 (One teacher for every 45-46 children)Number of children with severe disabilities (those requiring training at home): 382 Published - September 10, 2026 06:29 pm IST