The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Some students excel, others play truant

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Feb 12, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Some students excel, others play truant

By R. Sujatha

CHENNAI, FEB. 11. The tiny yard in Madhuram Narayan Centre for Exceptional Children bristled with activity as children and parents waited for their turn.

Participants at a sports meet included students in the 0-6 age group, divided into three categories. They had to show that they could gulp and chew, peel peapods, identify vegetables, string flowers and beads. There were the usual lemon-and-spoon race, the sack race and the running race.

The toddlers sat on the lap of women who coaxed the children to remove the mask from their face or eat a biscuit or pick and drop gherkins (kovaikkai). Other children transferred fruits and vegetables into bowls, threaded beads and rode tricycles.

As children lined up for every event at the eighth sports meet, ubiquitous volunteers and teachers were urging their wards to go on.

The teachers had "mixed up mothers and children" to prevent them from adversely affecting a child's chances in the contest.

Mothers become anxious and this can affect a child's performance, says Jaya Krishnaswamy, a coordinator. By allowing a mother to handle other children, she gains confidence in handling her child.

Autistic children are taught to concentrate by stringing beads, while mothers of infants are taught to assist their children in eating.

Quite a few children could be coaxed to finish their task, but there were some who refused to begin the job. In the running race event, some children gladly ran to the other end of the field. Others ran half way but made a U-turn. Some simply bawled their heart out.

Participants included students from the branches of Maithree Association and Avvai Kappagam, both special schools for exceptional children.

Indian test cricketer Hemang Badani took the salute at the children's march-past and the inaugural included lighting of the torch. Later, children participated in a drill followed by 23 different events.

The sack race and peeling the peas were inter-school events. There were also games for teachers and parents.

Kannan Pugazendi, director of Physical Fitness Foundation Academy of the College of Physical Education, YMCA, participated. Mr. Badani and Mr. Pugazendi gave away prizes to the winners.

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