A major reason that puts off parents of children with special needs from sending their wards to school is the fear that their children might not be able to cope with the school environment. Simple things that we take for granted, like the school staircase or toilets, can throw big challenges to differently-abled students who may find it difficult to use these common amenities in school without help.
New projects
As a part of making the school environment more accessible for differently-abled students, the Integrated Education for Disabled Children (IEDC) cell of the Directorate of Public Instruction (DPI) is implementing a slew of new projects in the state this year.
This Model Inclusive School programme, being implemented under the Inclusive Education for the Disabled at Secondary Stage (IEDSS) scheme funded by the Central Government, will include developing special facilities for IEDC students in schools.
In the first stage, as many as eight schools in eight districts will be developed into Model Inclusive Schools under the Rs. 75 lakh-project. Each school, except GHSS Peruva in Kaduthuruthy, will be provided Rs. 10 lakhs each for being developed into Model Inclusive Schools while the latter will be provided Rs. five lakhs.
“The idea is to make both the physical and academic environment of the school more conducive to IEDC students. It is a very ambitious project and will encourage more and more differently-abled students to opt for regular schooling, which is the objective of integrated eduction,” said IEDC cell deputy director, R. Rajan.
Student-friendly
The Model Inclusive School project basically includes two components: academic and physical. The academic component includes appointing resource teachers, setting up resource centres, adapting teaching and learning materials, therapeutic services and providing orientation to parents and fellow students.
The physical component of the project includes creating a barrier-free environment for students like constructing student-friendly classrooms, adapted toilets, adapted seating, rails, ramps and more.
Apart from the Model Inclusive School programme, the IEDSS projects sanctioned to the State also includes other schemes like setting up therapeutic centres in 19 schools across the State at a cost of Rs. 1.4 lakhs each.
“The therapeutic centres will provide a big service, especially to physically-challenged IEDC students who will be provided services like physiotherapy and speech therapy. The most important thing about this scheme is that students will be provided these services free of cost.
“All differently-abled students from the locality, apart from the students studying in these particular schools, can avail the services of the therapeutic centre. This will be a big relief for parents of special children who otherwise have to pay exorbitant amounts for these services in the private sector,” said State Institute of Educational Management and Training Kerala director Johny K. John.
Other than this, setting up resource centres in eight schools and resource rooms in 30 schools are also part of the IEDSS scheme to be implemented in the State this year.
