The Hindu : Front Page : These are special students

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Feb 04, 2007
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These are special students

S. Sundar

INTERACTION: Collector S.S. Jawahar with the children at the resource centre in Virudhunagar. — Photo: K. Ganesan .

VIRUDHUNAGAR: Blackboard and treadmill in the same room; teachers and physiotherapist busy with their task.

Welcome to the day-care centres of Integrated Education for the Disabled, functioning at all the 11 blocks of Virudhunagar district. Here, children of school-going age double up as students and patients.

True to its meaning, `Sarva Siksha Abhiyan' attempts to provide education to all, immaterial of their physical or mental disability.

Most of the 3,000 disabled children are in regular schools. However, over 100 students with severe disabilities, who require special training, have been enrolled here.

The facilities and training fascinated the Collector, S.S. Jawahar, who visited the centre here on Saturday.

"Foremost importance is to set right their disabilities, before the actual education starts."

When a young mother, with tears rolling down her cheeks, expressed her gratitude, he was moved. She was happy that the six-month training had made her nine-year-old son attempt to walk, say "Amma, Appa" and also pick up things.

Another mentally challenged boy walked up to the Collector and expressed the wish that all his classmates be educated. "I will take all of you to America in an autorickshaw," he said. Along with the trainers, Mr. Jawahar was also overjoyed and could not stop hugging the boy.

The centre is a boon to poor parents. Treatment and training come free and they get paid to transport the children to the centre and back home.

"Early detection helps many children to overcome disability," the Chief Educational Officer, S. Nagaraja Murugan, said.

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