Celebrating Differences

Every human being is entitled to good quality education. The UNESCO reports that there are 72 million children in the world who are still not enrolled in school. The reason-exclusion. Poverty, marginalisation, lack of educational facilities and disabilities cause this exclusion. One-third of these are disabled children. From the child who is called fatso in school to one who is disabled, exclusion starts early in life. Their lives are institutionalised be it their education or work. This often leads to isolation and they are always treated differently in the name of caring.

Every person in the world is different. Inclusive education is about celebrating this difference. Accepting each child as they are and joining in a class activity together irrespective of the difference, each learning the same matter in their own way is what inclusive education aims to do.

The main goal of education is to see that all children are welcomed into school and are treated equally. Inclusive education looks to see how the education system can be moulded to cater to diverse kinds of learners. This means that everything from curriculum to teacher training needs to be looked into. Who will benefit are a whole group of learners irrespective of gender, class, or abilities. It means not just change in policies, but also changes in attitude and behaviour toward people with disabilities.

A center for inclusive education

Children with disabilities or learning difficulties are marginalized and sometimes even excluded from school. These children lead a life of low self-esteem and confidence as a result of this attitude. The Kochi based Raksha Society for the Care of Children with Special Needs has opened a new center exclusively for inclusive education at Paliyam Road near Mithra Supermarket in Ernakulam.

Ms. Elizabeth Philip, Principal and Project Coordinator is the Raksha Society says that the objective of this center is to facilitate smooth inclusion of children with various disabilities like learning disabilities, autism, mental retardation, cerebral palsy, and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in the regular classroom. To enable this the center offers services like assessment of various educational aspects of children going to regular schools, remedial education, providing guidelines for parents and teachers to facilitate effective learning, adapting textbooks to suit the child's learning ability, and study skills training. The center also organises awareness programmes on inclusive education and has a well-stocked information and resource center.

The center is run under the Raksha Institute for Special Education (RISE). Raksha has conducted resource rooms in other regular schools in Kochi and has professionally trained staff for this center.

The center also provides a school readiness programmes for children entering kindergarten. To start formal schooling, children are required to learn some basic skills. Most children are prepared for school when they are three or four years old. Some skills like toilet training, ability to eat on their own, showing appropriate social behaviour, and staying way from parents are learnt at home while others need to be taught. Children with disabilities need to be taught these skills. This center has specially qualified trainers who take each child's abilities into consideration and provide customised training to them. The center began functioning in May 2008 and children are currently taken on an individual basis by appointment. For any further information please visit http://www.rakshasociety.org/