The Hindu : Kerala / Thiruvananthapuram News : Rousing reception to special children

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Tuesday, Jun 03, 2008
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Kerala

Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

Rousing reception to special children

Sangeeth Kurian

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Nine children were accorded a rousing welcome at Government School for the Blind at Vazhuthacaud on Monday to mark the opening day of the academic year.

The children hailing from various parts of the district, some of them from places as far as Karunagappally and Pathanamthitta, will receive special coaching till class VII, enabling them to progress towards the goal of becoming independent, mobile and self-reliant individuals.

Compared to the previous year, the school has registered an increase in the number of applicants this year. However, G. Thulaseedharan, headmaster of the school, said the stigma attached to special schools was dissuading a large number of parents of children with disabilities from considering special schools as better alternative to mainstream educational institutions.

“There is a misconception among a section of the parents to view special schools as orphanages that does not merit any respectability,” said Mr. Thulaseedharan. “This is not true. In reality, a special school provides more personalised attention to children than mainstream institutions.”

The limited number of students in each class, with less than 10 in each division, enables the school authorities to provide individualised attention to the students while imparting specialised skills such as reading and writing using the Braille system and providing computer training to them. “Learning Braille system requires sustained training. This is something which a child with visual disability often fails to receive in a mainstream school while sitting among a bunch of 40 children,” said Mr. Thulaseedharan.

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