EDUCATION
OF CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES IN KERALA- AN OVERVIEW
INTRODUCTION
Families
are the strongest and most enduring force in the development of children.
Families are systems that are made up of individuals and responsive to each
other’s behaviour. School is the second home for a child. A child with special
needs requires special care and services for their physical, mental and
behavioural development.
God
has gifted everyone with something. The Bible tells us, "There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit.
All these (gifts) are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to
each one just as he determines."(1 Corinthians12:4, 11). As a
parent, please be encouraged that the Lord knew exactly what he was doing as he
created your precious child because the Bible also tells us, "For you
created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you
because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know
that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret
place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my
unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before
one of them came to be."Psalm 139:13-16
There is a saying that, ‘‘A candle
loses nothing of its light by lighting another candle.”. Our government
provides the right of compulsory education; it is not possible to provide
education for specially challenged children along with the normal children.
They require more structured help from the very beginning from an early age.
For dealing with these children, the important thing is look carefully at what
they can do and what they cannot do. Here arises the need and concept of
special schools for specially challenged.
The traditional society image that
disabled persons like blind, the lame and those with mental retardation cannot
work, earn or contribute to the society, and they should be protected in the
homes as “burdens” on the society has to
change.
As part of our assignment, we studied
about the educational services provided to specially challenged child in our
state Kerala. In this assignment we deal on the number and types of special
education schools in Kerala and a statistical analysis about it.
SPECIAL
CHILDREN
Special Child or
Exceptional Child is the one who needs special care or attention as he is
different from that of a normal child. An exceptional child is unique and their
needs are different from that of a normal child. The committee for the National Society for the Study of Education
has described special children as “those
who deviates from what is supposed to be average in physical, mental, emotional
or social characteristics to such an extent that they require educational
services in order to develop their maximum capacity”. Children who have been determined to require special
attention and specific necessities that other children do not are called special children. Exceptional
children are of two types:
1.
Handicapped, 2. Gifted/Talented Children.
TYPES
OF EXCEPTIONAL CHILDREN
There are
twelve types of disabilities; and according to these disabilities there are
twelve types of disabled children. They are as follows:
01. VISUALLY
IMPAIRED: The children who has a visual acuity of 20/200 or less in the better
eye even when with correction and whose field of vision is 20°.
02. HEARING
IMPAIRED: The children who has defects in hearing ability or having a damaged
hearing mechanism or facing difficulty in speech and language.
03. SPEECH
IMPAIRED: The children with mild language and speech disorders.
04. MENTALLY
CHALLENGED: The children who are having the low level of intellectual
functioning and face difficulty in social adaptability.
05. ORTHOPAEDICALLY
IMPAIRED: The children who have problems related to the functioning of bones,
muscles and joints, affecting the movement.
06. LEARNING
DISABILITY: The children who are very poor in acquiring the basic skills like
reading, writing, speaking, listening, etc. It is a neurological disorder.
07. MALADJUSTED:
The children with psychiatric disturbances or emotional disturbances without
clearly defined physical cause or without structural damage to the brain.
08. CEREBRAL
PALSY: The children having problems with articulation and movements due to some
damage to the brain before or at the time of the birth.
09. SOCIALLY
DISADVANTAGED: The children who come from socio-economically backward sections
of the community, who cannot profit from school because of deprivation of one
sort or another.
10. AUTISM:
It is a behavioral problem, resulting from the disorder in the neural
development and it affects many parts of the brain.
11. SLOW
LEARNERS: The children whose learning is slowed down in one or more academic
areas. They are the so called dull or under achievers.
12. GIFTED
CHILDREN: The children who possess outstanding talents. They are superior in
their intellectual ability when compared with other children of the same age.
EDUCATIONAL
PROGRAMMES FOR CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS
The
community at large is often unaware of the potential of children with special
needs. In the popular mind, special needs are usually identified with very low
expectations. Parents should believe in value of educating children with
special needs. The higher the expectations, the higher will be their acceptance
in the family.
All
the children with special needs must be enrolled in primary schools. After the
assessment of their disabilities by a team of doctor, a psychologist and a
special educator in schools, the child will be placed in appropriate
educational settings. Children with mild and moderate disabilities of any kind
may be integrated in normal schools, sever in special schools/remedial schools,
drop outs, who have problems in availing benefits of normal schools can join
open school. All the children with learning disabilities are managed in normal
schools. Open and special schools offer vocational courses also for children
with disabilities.
Here, in this assignment we are
dealing with special schools only. Special School is a programme of Ministry of
Social Justice and Empowerment. Children with severe multiple disabilities who
have difficulty in coping in regular schools avail special schools. Most of
these are residential schools and boarding-lodging and other services are
provided free of cost. At present more than 3,000 special schools for the
disabled are functioning in the country. Among them approximately 900
institutions are for hearing impaired children, 400 for children with visual
impairment, 1,000 for mentally retarded and remaining 700 for children with
physical disabilities. Forty percent disability is the benchmark for
identification and certification for admission in special schools.
SPECIAL
EDUCATION
Special education or special needs
education is the education of students with special needs in a way that addresses the
students' individual differences and needs. Ideally, this process involves the
individually planned and systematically monitored arrangement of teaching
procedures, adapted equipment and materials, accessible settings, and other
interventions designed to help learners with special needs achieve a higher
level of personal self-sufficiency and success in school and community than
would be available if the student were only given access to a typical classroom
education.
Common
special needs include challenges with
learning,
communication challenges, emotional and behavioral disorders, physical
disabilities, and developmental disorders. Students with these kinds of special needs
are likely to benefit from additional educational services such as different
approaches to teaching, use of technology, a specifically adapted teaching
area, or resource room.
Intellectual
giftedness is a difference in learning and can also benefit from
specialized teaching techniques or different educational programs, but the term
"special education" is generally used to specifically indicate
instruction of students whose special needs reduce their ability to learn
independently or in an ordinary classroom, and gifted education is handled separately.
In most
developed countries, educators are modifying teaching methods and environments
so that the maximum number of students are served in general education
environments. Special education in developed countries is often regarded less
as a "place" and more as "a range of services, available in
every school." Integration can reduce social stigmas and improve academic
achievement for many students.
SPECIAL
SCHOOLS
A special school is a school catering for students who
have special educational needs due to severe learning difficulties, physical disabilities or behavioural problems. Special schools may be specifically
designed, staffed and resourced to provide the appropriate special education
for children with additional needs. Students attending special schools
generally do not attend any classes in mainstream schools.
Special schools provide individualized education, addressing
specific needs. Student: teacher ratios are kept low, often 6:1 or lower
depending upon the needs of the children. Special schools will also have other
facilities for the development of children with special needs, such as soft
play areas, sensory rooms, or swimming pools, which are vital for the therapy of
certain conditions.
In recent times, places available in special schools are declining
as more children with special needs are educated in mainstream schools. There will always be some children, however, whose learning
needs are not appropriately met in a regular classroom setting and will require
specialized education and resources to provide the level of support they
require. An example of a special need that may require the intensive services a
special school provides is mental retardation. However this practice is often
frowned upon by school districts in the USA in the light of Least Restrictive
Environment as mandated in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
An alternative is a special
unit or special classroom, also called
a self-contained classroom,
which is a separate room or rooms dedicated solely to the education of students
with special needs within a larger school that also provides general education.
These classrooms are typically staffed by specially trained teachers, who
provide specific, individualized instruction to individuals and small groups of
students with special needs. Self-contained classrooms, because they are
located in a general education school, may have students who remain in the
self-contained classroom full-time, or students who are included in certain general education classes. In the United States a
part-time alternative that is appropriate for some students is sometimes called
are source room.
NEED
FOR SPECIAL SCHOOLS
Throughout the mid half of the 20th century, special schools,
termed institutions, were not only acceptable they were encouraged. Students
with disabilities were housed with people with mental illness, and little if any
education took place.
The education of children with disabilities and special needs in India was
initiated in the late 1800s, with the establishment of special schools for the
Deaf in Bombay in 1883, and for the blind in Amritsar in 1887. By 1900 numerous
special schools for the visually and hearing impaired children were set up
across the country. This initiated the tradition of special schools in the
country and till the 1970s, this was the dominant mode of service delivery for
children with special needs (CSN).
The Sargent Report
produced in 1944 and the Kothari Commission in 1966 highlights the government’s
approach towards the education of children with disabilities. Both these
reports recommended the adoption of a “dual approach” to meet the educational
needs of the exceptional children. These report suggested that the children
with disabilities should not be segregated from normal children; rather,
integrated education should be adopted. The Kothari Commission observed that
“many handicapped children find it psychologically disturbing to be placed in
an ordinary school” (Education Commission, 1966, p. 109) and in such cases they
should be sent to special schools. The Sargent Report also endorsed similar
recommendations. Thus both these reports stressed the need to expand special
and integrated facilities.
As human beings special
children also have equal rights to live in this world. An exceptional child has
the same right to accept and understand as normal children. So they should get the same educational
privilege. Since these children are special they need a special environment,
which is suitable for their needs and satisfaction. So special education and
special schools are a must for them. Psychologically, special schools will help
them to remove their frustration and tension and will infuse a new spirit of
self-confidence in them. They will get special care and training in special
schools. Hence, special school is unavoidable in their life.
LIST
OF SPECIAL SCHOOLS IN KERALA
The following table gives an idea
about the special education facilities in Kerala. The details are only limited.
There may be more number of schools providing special education facilities in
Kerala. The details are collected from internet, there can be errors also.
|
Sl. No.
|
Name of the
School
|
Focus Area
|
Address
|
District
|
|
1. z
|
Abhaya
|
Rehabilitation
Center for Mentally Ill
|
Varada,
Nandavanam
|
Thiruvananthapuram
|
|
2.
|
Achipliackal
Good Hope School for the Hearing Impaired
|
Special
School for the Hearing Impaired
|
Karuvamprum,
Ernad
|
Malappuram
|
|
3.
|
Alphons
Social Center
|
School
for MR
|
Kidangoor,
Angamaly
|
Ernakulam
|
|
4.
|
Asha
Bhavan
|
VTC
for PH
|
Annamanada
|
Thrissur
|
|
5.
|
Ashakiran
Association for Mentally Retarded Persons
|
School
for MR
|
Amlapuri
|
Kozhikode
|
|
6.
|
Ashanilayam
|
School
cum VTC for MR
|
Ponkunnam
|
Kottayam
|
|
7.
|
Ashanilayam
Social Service Center
|
School
for MR
|
San
Damiano, Puliyannoor, Pala
|
Kottayam
|
|
8.
|
Association
for Welfare of the Handicapped
|
Institute
for MR Children
|
M’Square
Complex,Pavamani Road
|
Kozhikode
|
|
9.
|
Athani
JMJ EM Integrated for the Blind
|
Special
School for the Visually Impaired
|
Athani,
Chavakada
|
Thrissur
|
|
10.
|
Bethania
Rehabilitation Centre for Disabled Women
|
VTC
for MR
|
Kumarapuram,
Medical College P.O.
|
Thiruvananthapuram
|
|
11.
|
Calicut
School for Handicapped
|
School
for PH
|
Kolathara
|
Kozhikode
|
|
12.
|
Charitable
Society for Welfare of Disabled
|
Centre
for MR
|
Sneha
Bhavan, Pirovam
|
Ernakulam
|
|
13.
|
Chavara
Special School for the Mentally Retarded
|
Special
School for MR
|
Koonammavu
|
Ernakulam
|
|
14.
|
Chavaranivas
Special school for the Deaf and Dumb
|
Special
School for the Speech & Hearing Impaired
|
Iritty,
Thalassery
|
Kannur
|
|
15.
|
Chenkal
Marthoma School for the Deaf
|
Special
School for the Hearing Impaired
|
Chenkal
|
Kasargod
|
|
16.
|
Deepthi
Centre
|
Special
School for MR
|
F.C.
Provincial House, Aruvithura
|
Kottayam
|
|
17.
|
Don
Bosco Speech and Hearing
|
Special
School for the Speech & Hearing Impaired
|
Karakundu,Thaliparamba
|
Kannur
|
|
18.
|
Emmaus
Villa
|
Special
School for Mentally Handicapped
|
Thonichal,
Nallurand P.O., Mananthavady
|
Wayanad
|
|
19.
|
Enathu
Deaf School
|
Special
School for the Hearing Impaired
|
Enathu,
Adoor
|
Pathanamthitta
|
|
20.
|
Eranhipalam
Karuna Speech and Hearing School for Deaf
|
Special
School for the Hearing Impaired
|
Eranhipalam
|
Kozhikode
|
|
21.
|
Jagathy
Govt. School for Blind
|
Special
School for Visually Impaired
|
Jagathy
|
Thiruvananthapuram
|
|
22.
|
Jagathy
Govt. VHSS for Deaf
|
Special
School for Hearing Impaired
|
Jagathy
|
Thiruvananthapuram
|
|
23.
|
Janey
Centre
|
School
cum VTC for MR
|
Pishari
Temple Road, Eror
|
Ernakulam
|
|
24.
|
Jaycee
Society for Rehabilitation of the Handicapped
|
Institute
for MR Children
|
Dharmadam,
Tellicherry
|
Kannur
|
|
25.
|
Kalaketty
Assissi Blind School
|
Special
School for the Visually Impaired
|
Kalaketty,
Kanjirapally
|
Kottayam
|
|
26.
|
Kasargode
Blind GS
|
Special
School for Visually Impaired
|
Vidyanagar
|
Kasargode
|
|
27.
|
Keezhmad
School for the Blind
|
Special
School for Visually Impaired
|
Thottumugham
|
Ernakulam
|
|
28.
|
Kerala
Rehabilitation Institute for the Physically Affected (KRIPA)
|
VTC
for Disabled
|
Chunangavey,
Erumathala P.O., Aluva.
|
Ernakulam
|
|
29.
|
Kottappuram
HKCHM Blind School
|
Special
School for Visually Impaired
|
Kottappuram,
Ottappalam
|
Palakkad
|
|
30.
|
Kudayathur
Louis Brail Memorial Model School for the Blind
|
Special
School for Visually Impaired
|
Kudayathur
|
Idukky
|
|
31.
|
Kunnamkulam
GS for Blind
|
Special
School for Visually Impaired
|
Kunnamkulam
|
Thrissur
|
|
32.
|
Kunnamkulam
GS for Deaf
|
Special
School for Hearing Impaired
|
Kunnamkulam
|
Thrissur
|
|
33.
|
Kunnamkulam
Snehalayam HS for Deaf
|
Special
School for the Hearing Impaired
|
Kunnamkulam
|
Thrissur
|
|
34.
|
Madonna
|
Day
Care Centre for MR
|
Potta,
Chalakudy.
|
Thrissur
|
|
35.
|
Malapparamba
Assissi School for the Deaf
|
Special
School for the Hearing Impaired
|
Palachode,
Thirurangadi
|
Malappuram
|
|
36.
|
Manakkala
CSI HSS for Partially Hearing
|
Special
School for the Children with Partial Hearing Impairment
|
Manakkala,
Adoor
|
Pathanamthitta
|
|
37.
|
Manikkamangalam
St.Clare Oral School for Deaf
|
Special
School for the Hearing Impaired
|
Kalady
|
Ernakulam
|
|
38.
|
Mankada
Kerala School for the Blind
|
Special
School for the Visually Impaired
|
Mankada,
Pallippuram
|
Malappuram
|
|
39.
|
Manovikas
|
Special
School for Mentally Handicapped
|
Pallisserikkal,
Sasthamcotta
|
Kollam
|
|
40.
|
Mannackanad
OLC Deaf School
|
Special
School for the Hearing Impaired
|
Mannackanad
|
Kottayam
|
|
41.
|
Marian
Service Society
|
Special
School for MR
|
Mary
Land, Muttikulangara
|
Palakkad
|
|
42.
|
Mattancherry
Fr. Augustinu Vicini’s Special School
|
Special
School for MR
|
Mattanchery
|
Ernakulam
|
|
43.
|
Mercy
Home Charitable Society
|
School
for MR
|
Anapara,
Chulliyodup
|
Wayanad
|
|
44.
|
Msgr.
Joseph Kandathil Memorial Charitable Trust
|
Reh.
Centre for LCP- Home for Severely Disabled
|
Greengardens,
Cherthala
|
Alappuzha
|
|
45.
|
Muvattupuzha
Assisi School for Deaf
|
Special
School for Hearing Impaired
|
Muvattupuzha
|
Ernakulam
|
|
46.
|
Nadakkuthazha
Rottary School for the Hearing Impaired Children
|
Special
School for the Hearing Impaired
|
Nadakkuthazha,
Vadakara
|
Kozhikode
|
|
47.
|
Neerpara
Deaf & Blind School
|
Special
School for Visually and Hearing Impaired
|
Neerpara
|
Kottayam
|
|
48.
|
Olassa
Blind School
|
Special
School for Visually Impaired
|
Olassa
|
Kottayam
|
|
49.
|
Ollur
Asha Bhavan School for Deaf
|
Special
School for the Hearing Impaired
|
Ollur
|
Thrissur
|
|
50.
|
Ottappalam
GHS for Deaf
|
Special
School for Hearing Impaired
|
Ottappalam
|
Palakkad
|
|
51.
|
Padma
Educational and Charitable Establishment
|
Rehabilitation
and Training for MR Children
|
Edavilangu,
Kodugallur
|
Thrissur
|
|
52.
|
Parappanangadi
Deaf School
|
Special
School for the Hearing Impaired
|
Parappanangadi,
Tirur
|
Malappuram
|
|
53.
|
Pope
John Paul Peace Home
|
Training
Centre for Profound MR Children
|
Peringandoor,
Ambalapuram
|
Thrissur
|
|
54.
|
Poomala
St. Roselose School for Speech and Hearing
|
Special
School for the Speech & Hearing Impaired
|
Poomala,
Sulthan Bathery
|
Wayanadu
|
|
55.
|
Prateeksha
Bhawan School for Mentally Retarded Children
|
School
for MR
|
Thodupuzha
|
Idukki
|
|
56.
|
Puzhakkal
Amritha Speech and Hearing Improvement School for Deaf
|
Special
School for Hearing Impaired
|
Puzhakkal
|
Thrissur
|
|
57.
|
Raksha
|
Day
Care Centre for MR and CP
|
Kochangadi,
Cochin
|
Ernakulam
|
|
58.
|
REACH-
Society for Remedial Education Assessment Counseling Handicapped
|
Special
School for MR Children
|
Green
Park, Peringavu
|
Thrissur
|
|
59.
|
Rehabilitation
Foundation
|
Special
School for MR
|
Manjeri
|
Malappuram
|
|
60.
|
Rotary
Institute for Children in Need of Special Care
|
School
for MR
|
Vazhuthacaud
|
Thiruvananthapuram
|
|
61.
|
Sanathana
Adwaitha Ashrama
|
Residential
cum VTC for MR
|
Karamana
|
Thiruvananthapuram
|
|
62.
|
Sanjose
Welfare Centre
|
School
for MR
|
Kanakkary
P.O., Ettumanoor
|
Kottayam
|
|
63.
|
Santhinilayam
for Handicapped Children
|
School
cum VTC for MR
|
Anthinad
|
Kottayam
|
|
64.
|
Santimargam
Social Welfare Society
|
Special
School for MR
|
HMT
Colony, Kalamassery
|
Ernakulam
|
|
65.
|
Seva
Niketan
|
Special
School for MR
|
Changanacherry
|
Kottayam
|
|
66.
|
Shilpa
Society for the Mentally Handicapped
|
Special
School for MR
|
Palluruthy,
Cochin
|
Ernakulam
|
|
67.
|
Shri.
P.R.S.Pillay Memorial Bala Vikas Trust
|
Institute
for MR
|
Peroorkada
|
Thiruvananthapuram
|
|
68.
|
Sneha
Sadan Complex
|
Special
School for MR
|
Pothiyakkara,
Kalady
|
Ernakulam
|
|
69.
|
Snehabhavan
Society
|
VTC
for Disabled
|
Irinjalakuda
|
Thrissur
|
|
70.
|
Snehanilayam
Special School
|
School
for MR Children
|
Kakkanad,
Cochin
|
Ernakulam
|
|
71.
|
Sneharam
Charitable Society
|
School
cum Training Centre for
MR
|
Manalur
|
Thrissur
|
|
72.
|
Social
Welfare Centre
|
Residential
School for MR Grown-up Girls
|
Arch
Bishop’s House, Thrissur
|
Thrissur
|
|
73.
|
Social
Welfare Centre
|
Residential
School for MR Grown-up Boys
|
Arch
Bishop’s House, Thrissur
|
Thrissur
|
|
74.
|
Society
for Rehabilitation of Mentally Deficient Children
|
Special
School for MR
|
Thottada
|
Kannur
|
|
75.
|
Society
of Daughters of St. Camilius
|
Special
School cum Training Centre for MR Children
|
Chungakunnu,
Kottiyoor
|
Kannur
|
|
76.
|
St.
Joseph’s Social Center
|
Educational
Institute for MR
|
S.Thuravoor,
Cherthala
|
Alappuzha
|
|
77.
|
St.
Joseph Mental Health Care Home
|
Rehabilitation
of the Mentally ill Persons
|
Pullazhi
|
Thrissur
|
|
78.
|
Thiruvalla
CSI VHSS for Deaf
|
Special
School and VTC for Hearing Impaired
|
Thukkalassery
|
Pathanamthitta
|
|
79.
|
Valakom
CSI School for Deaf
|
Special
School for the Hearing Impaired
|
Valakom
|
Kollam
|
|
80.
|
Vallappuzha
Buds School for the Hearing Impaired
|
Special
School for the Hearing Impaired
|
Vallappuzha,
Nilambur
|
Malappuram
|
|
81.
|
Varkala
Light to the Blind
|
Special
School for the Visually Impaired
|
Varkala
|
Thiruvananthapuram
|
|
82.
|
Vazhakkad
Karunya Bhavan School for the Deaf
|
Special
School for the Hearing Impaired
|
Vazhakkad,
Ernad
|
Malappuram
|
|
83.
|
Velliparamba
Rahmaniya Vocational HSS for Handicapped
|
Special
School for PH
|
Velliparamba
|
Kozhikode
|
|
84.
|
Vikas
Social Service Society
|
Special
School for MR Children
|
Payam
|
Kannur
|
|
85.
|
Vilayancode
Karunyaniketan School for Deaf
|
Special
School for the Hearing Impaired
|
Vilayancode
|
Kannur
|
|
86.
|
Villoonni
SH Njanodaya School for the Deaf
|
Special
School for the Hearing Impaired
|
Villoonni
|
Kottayam
|
|
87.
|
Vimala
Mahila Samajam
|
Special
School for MR Children
|
Muvattupuzha
|
Ernakulam
|
|
88.
|
West
Yakkara Sravana Samsara School
|
Special
School for Hearing Impaired
|
West
Yakkara
|
Palakkad
|
|
89.
|
Women’s
Welfare Centre
|
Residential
School for MR
|
Poozhikol,
Kaduthuruthy
|
Kottayam
|
|
90.
|
Young
Women’s Christian Association
|
Centre
for MR
|
YWCA,
Kollam
|
Kollam
|
STATISTICAL
ANALYSIS
As per the data collected, we are
giving a statistical analysis on the number of special schools in each
district. The following table shows the number of special schools in each
district of Kerala and it is represented by a pie-diagram.
|
DISTRICTS
|
NO. OF
SPECIAL SCHOOLS
|
|
Alappuzha
|
2
|
|
Ernakulam
|
15
|
|
Idukki
|
2
|
|
Kannur
|
7
|
|
Kasargod
|
2
|
|
Kollam
|
3
|
|
Kottayam
|
12
|
|
Kozhicode
|
6
|
|
Malappuram
|
7
|
|
Palakkad
|
4
|
|
Pathanamthitta
|
3
|
|
Thiruvananthapuram
|
8
|
|
Thrissur
|
16
|
|
Wayanad
|
3
|
Another
analysis
can be done with respect to the focus area and number of schools providing the
particular facilities. The table and the diagram are as below:
|
Special
Schools for
|
No. of
Schools
|
|
Mentally Retarded
|
38
|
|
Visually
Impaired
|
11
|
|
Hearing
Impaired
|
23
|
|
Vocational
Training Centres (VTC)
|
5
|
|
School
cum VTCs
|
5
|
|
Speech
& Hearing Impaired
|
4
|
|
Visual
&Hearing Impaired
|
1
|
|
Physically
Handicapped
|
2
|
|
Severely
Disabled
|
1
|
DETAILS OF SOME SPECIAL SCHOOLS
IN KERALA
JYOTHIS
SCHOOL:
Jyothis
is a Developmental Training School for children having Cerebral Palsy and other
developmental disabilities. Started in 2002, it provides developmental
therapies and parent education on disability. The Trust runs two schools at
Kottayam and Palai and together has strength of 46 children.
BUDS SCHOOLS:
The problems
flagged by the community were really an eye opener for the leaders of the
panchayat and Kudumbashree functionaries. It paved the way to plant the seed of
an idea to set up a special school for rehabilitation of the differently abled
children in the panchayat. Now
there are 31 Buds schools in the state registered under the people with
Disabilities act. These young children battle with disabilities including
Autism, Cerebral Palsy, blindness, deafness, and speech impairments due to
cleft palates. They are provided with medical attention, physical and mental
therapy, mobility equipment, hearing aids, individual vocational and
educational training and skills.
CHAVARA SPECIAL SCHOOL:
Chavara Special
School for Mentally Retarded, Koonammavu established in 1991 is the realization
of a long cherished dream of Vimala Province of the Congregation of the Mother
of Carmel (CMC), founded by Blessed Kuriakose Elias Chavara. It is owned and
managed by the sisters of Madonna convent as per the regulations of the
Travancore – Cochin Societies Registration Act (Reg. No. ER.311/94). The tiny
seed of this noble Endeavour sown in 1991 with 8 children has grown into a
rather big plant with 180 children. There is facility to accommodate 40
students, irrespective of caste or creed for training in daily living skills. The staff consists of the Principal, 5
trained teachers, 3 specialists for craft, Music & Dance and Physical
Education, one Vocational Instructor, one clerk and 7 Ayahs. Besides, the
selfless service of a Physician is ever available for our disabled children.
JYOTHIS SPECIAL SCHOOL, MAVELIKARA
It provides
a warm, caring home for children and young adults with special educational
needs from the surrounding area. Since 2002, many
international volunteers have brought their individual skills and talents
to the school, enriching the lives of the Jyothis children and staff. The
school caters for over 100 students ranging in age from 4 to 25
years, around half of whom are full time boarders. The students have a wide
range and variety of learning disabilities and many also have speech, physical
or emotional difficulties. There are 10 permanent teaching staff, 5
ayahs, 2 cooks, 2 drivers and a gardener at the school. Several of
the teaching staff, all the ayahs and the cooks live on site with the
boarders and are effectively on duty 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
DEEPTHY
SCHOOL
The primary purpose
of the school is to propagate the light of service to illuminate and enhance
the lives of the Special Children, their parents and the community at large.
Deepthi is a premier Special School in Kerala State of India, dedicated to the
education, training and development of the mentally retarded children. It is
located at Muhamma in Alappuzha district. There are about 75 students, most of
them staying in the boarding. The training at Deepthi is imparted free of cost
to the students, as they belong to very poor families struggling hard for their
daily bread.
ROTARY SPECIAL SCHOOL FOR
MENTALLY RETARDED, KANHANGAD:
The Rotary Special
School started as a challenge to provide some education to the otherwise
neglected mentally retarded children of the Kanhangad area. The
school is currently having strength of 65 children with eleven teaching staff
and four non-teaching staff. Children attending the school are mostly from
economically backward families. Many were not getting adequate attention to
their problems from the family because of the ignorance of the parents. They
are usually mild to severe affected children. However, the children show
remarkable improvement in all aspects after started attending the school.
Project Type: Disabilities
Primary Focus: children with disabilities
Secondary Focus: vocational training
Area: Rural
Number of Children: 65
Boy/Girl Ratio: 1: 1
SNEHA BHAVAN SPECIAL
SCHOOL
The school is for the differently abled
started functioning on 25th September 1989 at Piravom in the state
of Kerala in India. Snehabhavan gives emphasis for training the mentally
challenged children with the ultimate aim of making them self motivated to live
like any other ordinary citizen in the society. The school works as a day care
and training centre for the ‘differently abled’ mentally challenged children in
Piravom and the nearby grama panchayats. It runs mainly on donations from the
public and partially by the grant from Department of Social Justice and
Empowerment of Central Government of India. The school is has got all necessary
facilities for a special school including a well equipped Vocational Training
Unit.
SRADHA
Sradha was set
up to support severely mentally handicapped individuals - both children and "adults"
in Cochin, Kerala. While there are few such schools for mentally retarded
children in Cochin, there is a clear bias towards less mentally retarded
children: Most schools prefer not to deal with severe cases of mental
retardation due to the high level of specialist care required. In addition, the
schools are also rated on the level of improvement shown while working with the
children - which is necessarily higher in less mentally retarded individuals. Most
institutions and schools do not like to take on the responsibility of
adolescent or sexually mature individuals. Most schools typically do not admit
individuals above the chronological age of 18.
The
institutions typically offer the male individuals menial jobs. The families of
most mentally retarded females try to get them married once they grow up.
Sradha
is fairly unique in that it focuses on these "excluded" individuals
and has a stated aim of not turning away anyone who seeks help.
Project Type: Disabilities Primary Focus: children with disabilities
Secondary Focus: health and cleanliness
Other Focus: girls
Area: Urban
Number of Children: 36
Boy/Girl Ratio: 1: 2
CONCLUSION
More than most areas of policy with
regard to people with disabilities, the education sector has been relatively
progressive in policy terms. It has also in principle committed to a
progressive menu of options for delivering education to children with special
needs. However, it is clearly struggling to turn policy into effective practice
for a variety reasons. It seems that there is a major need to get the basic
right; identify children with disabilities more effectively make the content
and format of what they learn relevant and accessible; have resources available
with adequate outreach to teachers and children; and work through various
channels to convince families and communities that educating children with
disabilities is worthwhile.
Still there are people who believe
that challenged children are burden to their family and to the society. The
challenges faced by them are not because of their or their family’s fault.
After studying about the characteristics, their difficulties and their family’s
difficulties we feel empathetic for them.
Even though there are many
institutions providing facilities for the specially challenged many of the
challenged children and their families are unaware about it and some who know
about the facilities are not using them properly.
Besides these school-based programmes,
parent education and functional literacy programmes in non-formal centres, and
early intervention programmes mainly for infants and mothers are far effective
in enriching the experiences of disadvantaged parents and adults which may
become instrumental for changing their attitude towards the education of their
children.
By
this assignment, we came to know about the educational facilities provided to
the specially challenged children in our state. Thus this assignment was
helpful for us to understand about the disabled, their characteristics and
facilities provided for them.
§§§§§§
REFERENCES
1.
www.jyothisschool.org
Brochure of Jyothis School, Thirunakkara and Pala, retrieved on 28th
December, 2012.
2.
www.wikipedia.org/wiki/special_needs Special needs
- Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, retrieved on 28th December,
2012.
3.
www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/558532/specialeducation - Special
Education- Britannica online Encyclopedia.
4.
www.wikipedia.org/wiki/special_education Special Education
- Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, retrieved on 28th December,
2012.
10.
www.educationkerala.gov.in/schoollist/specialschools/pdf
- List of Special School in Kerala. retrieved on 28th December, 2012
§§§§§§
