Excellent write-up. Way to go.
On 1/13/16, REKHA REVATHY <[email protected]> wrote: > Dear All > Hope all are doing good. Below I am pasteing my article published in > today's Hindu Business Line. Hope all will like it. > Mix and match > Rekha Revathy > On inclusive education for the differently-able > The concept of inclusion is considered important in all fields > nowadays. Inclusive education for differently-abled children is one > such attempt to include children with various kinds of disabilities in > normal schools > The idea is that through inclusive education, differently-abled > children will get an opportunity to mingle with normal children from > an early age. It will help increase their confidence level, improving > their competency, and they will be able to boldly express their talent > before others. This will ultimately lead to bringing the > differently-abled into the mainstream at at early age > That said, there are many challenges in the effective implementation > of this programme. I was a blind learner in a normal school in Kerala. > I was fully unaware of my community in my childhood > As a blind person, I was not able to learn Braille. In many > situations, I ended up having to identify my issues and discuss them > with my parents and teachers. > In my case I was lucky enough to have cooperative and helpful teachers > when I was in elementary school. And I was also lucky enough to have a > little vision during that time. But not everyone is that fortunate > Here, the issue is that children may not be able to rightly > communicate their problems. And in many cases they will be hesitant to > express their problems. > A differently-abled child in a normal school requires special > attention on many fronts. Of course, many such issues can be avoided > by putting a differently-abled child in a special school. For example, > a blind child can learn Braille only in a special school > But that’s not possible for all such children. So there is a need to > find ways to provide for the special needs of differently-abled > children in a normal school itself, otherwise inclusive education > cannot be effective. > The teachers also need to be sensitised as well as trained to handle > mixed classes, which include the differently-abled. > For instance, even though I used to sit in the front row, especially > in mathematics classes, I usually ended up with lots of confusion and > doubt. When I reached the 8th standard, I started recording my classes > and learned by listening to themrepeatedly. > But teachers do not always say all the things they write on the > blackboard. And when I approached them with my doubts, they were also > confused about how they could help me. > There is a need for well-trained teachers, who can handle accessible > technology for differently-abled children and help them in tackling > their specific problems. Special coaching classes for > differently-abled children in accessible techniques should be given. > Special counselling should be given to parents of such children and to > teachers as well > It is important to think about providing all the facilities needed for > a differently-abled child in a normal school before sending them to > normal schools, rather than special schools.In my opinion — shared by > many differently-abled people — it is better to teach a > differently-abled child in a special school until 7th standard or so, > and then put them in an integrated system. If we could provide special > attention and facilities in a normal school itself, we can also make > them learn along with other children. > It is necessary to improve the infrastructure and quality of learning > and teaching in special schools because these changes can be > incorporated in regular schools gradually. > The writer is a bank employee > > > Thanks & Regards > Rekha > > > Register at the dedicated AccessIndia list for discussing accessibility of > mobile phones / Tabs on: > http://mail.accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/mobile.accessindia_accessindia.org.in > > > Search for old postings at: > http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ > > To unsubscribe send a message to > [email protected] > with the subject unsubscribe. > > To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please > visit the list home page at > http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in > > > Disclaimer: > 1. Contents of the mails, factual, or otherwise, reflect the thinking of the > person sending the mail and AI in no way relates itself to its veracity; > > 2. AI cannot be held liable for any commission/omission based on the mails > sent through this mailing list.. > -- Avinash Shahi Doctoral student at Centre for Law and Governance JNU Register at the dedicated AccessIndia list for discussing accessibility of mobile phones / Tabs on: http://mail.accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/mobile.accessindia_accessindia.org.in Search for old postings at: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ To unsubscribe send a message to [email protected] with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in Disclaimer: 1. Contents of the mails, factual, or otherwise, reflect the thinking of the person sending the mail and AI in no way relates itself to its veracity; 2. AI cannot be held liable for any commission/omission based on the mails sent through this mailing list..
