Act against schools that keep out special kids: educationists
Educationists have called for strict action against
mainstream schools that resist admitting children with special needs.
At a discussion on inclusive education last week, many
speakers said that not only are schools reluctant to take in special children,
the cut-throat competition in these schools also works against an inclusive
educational set-up.
Special children hold a poor education record in India,
with only 28 per cent of the 30 million children with special needs reaching
Class X and just three per cent study up to Class XII, an Observer Research
Foundation (ORF) official said.
Mousumi Bhaumik, officer in-charge, National Institute
for the Mentally Handicapped (NIMH), Navi Mumbai, said schools often acted only
when there was a court directive to admit a special child.
Varsha Hooja, CEO, ADAPT (formerly Spastic Society of
India), suggested the state government follow a carrot-and-stick policy with
schools, and cancel certification to schools that fail to take in special
children. She said special kids adjusted perfectly when in rural schools but
faced barriers in urban classrooms.
Speakers also noted that mainstream schools are often
reluctant to even get trained on how to deal with special children, so much so
that at times, schools even sent their PT teachers to fill in at such sessions
for the sake of attendance.
Shoba Srivastava, parent to an autistic child and a
special educator, said competition in schools was so fierce that many parents were
petrified of even meeting teachers to explain their child’s problems.
Smriti Mirani of ORF said many schools lacked basic
infrastructure like ramps and lifts. She added that mainstream and special
schools should collaborate to remove barriers in making classrooms more
inclusive.
Damayanti Bhattacharya, headmistress of Cathedral and
John Connon School Middle School, regretted that awareness about special
children was so low, even in schools, that for many it was restricted to
perceptions formed by films like Taare Zameen Par .
“The yardstick of success could be different for special
children. For parents of some special children, a child being promoted from
junior to senior KG itself would be a big achievement,” said Nita Mehta of New
Horizons Child Development Centre.
Shyamala Dalvi, a special educator and psychologist, said
the rigid state board curriculum did not match the needs of a special child.
“In a regular school, the ultimate goal seems to be to
pass Class X. So, you just pull and push to get the child to pass Class X,
which does not work in the case of a special child. You need a vision for
them,” she said.
Ila Shah of NGO Muktangan, felt there will “always be
students who cannot pass SSC” and suggested that special kids be made to appear
for open school exams.
Many like Rubina Lal of Suvidya Centre of Special
education expressed the need to train teachers to sensitise and help them
assess special children better.
The writer is a freelance journalist
Only 28% of 30 million special children reach
Class X and just 3%
study up to Class XII
Regards
Pralhad
Jadhav
Senior
Manager @ Library
Khaitan
& Co
No comments:
Post a Comment