City-based charitable trust CHILDReach, which runs a school for children with special needs in Santacruz, turned 25 this June.
Approximately 20% of children in India have learning difficulties. Many of them drop out of school and miss out on education as there are not many schools with trained teachers and staff to teach such children with special needs.
In this co-ed school, being run from six rooms belonging to BMC, there are three kinds of students — slow learners, mentally challenged and autistic.
Beginning with 17 students in 1999, today the school has 50 students aged between six and 22. The school also helps students clear their 10th and 12th Board exams through National Institute of Open Schooling.
“It is our endeavour to expose our students to new and different activities as they learn better that way. Outdoor visits, picnics, educational tours are organised for overall learning and growth,” said CHILDReach’s president Rukhsana Sholapurwala.
The school aims not just to educate children with special needs but also to create awareness in society about the needs of such children.
Sholapurwala said that the new education policy does emphasise on inclusive education, but there are not enough trained teachers to teach these children. Normal schools cannot do justice to the needs of these children unless they have teachers specially trained to teach such children.
“We have a high ratio of teachers to students – one teacher for five students — as our students require personal attention. We also have individualised study programmes as students need different programmes depending on their disability,” explained Sholapurwala.
Besides, the trust also runs a skill development programme and a polytechnic since the students need to be empowered with skills so that they can find jobs.
The polytechnic programme was started in 2016. “We want them to be socially competent and develop interpersonal skills for success,” said the trust.
In this programme, the students are taught life skills as well as basic home management skills, handicraft, computers, and photography.
Approximately 20% of children in India have learning difficulties. Many of them drop out of school and miss out on education as there are not many schools with trained teachers and staff to teach such children with special needs.
In this co-ed school, being run from six rooms belonging to BMC, there are three kinds of students — slow learners, mentally challenged and autistic.
Beginning with 17 students in 1999, today the school has 50 students aged between six and 22. The school also helps students clear their 10th and 12th Board exams through National Institute of Open Schooling.
“It is our endeavour to expose our students to new and different activities as they learn better that way. Outdoor visits, picnics, educational tours are organised for overall learning and growth,” said CHILDReach’s president Rukhsana Sholapurwala.
The school aims not just to educate children with special needs but also to create awareness in society about the needs of such children.
Sholapurwala said that the new education policy does emphasise on inclusive education, but there are not enough trained teachers to teach these children. Normal schools cannot do justice to the needs of these children unless they have teachers specially trained to teach such children.
“We have a high ratio of teachers to students – one teacher for five students — as our students require personal attention. We also have individualised study programmes as students need different programmes depending on their disability,” explained Sholapurwala.
Besides, the trust also runs a skill development programme and a polytechnic since the students need to be empowered with skills so that they can find jobs.
The polytechnic programme was started in 2016. “We want them to be socially competent and develop interpersonal skills for success,” said the trust.
In this programme, the students are taught life skills as well as basic home management skills, handicraft, computers, and photography.
Source Y.R -#Inclusive #education #kids #spl #Santacruz #school #shows
2024-08-18 11:07:00
