Team Herald
MARGAO: The Project Leader of Beyond Boundaries project of Sangath, Percy Cardozo, while sharing the organisation’s three-year experience in Goa said that children were unnecessarily being referred to Institute of Psychiatry and Human Behaviour for learning disabilities when in reality the children had language problems.
“In higher classes the medium of instruction is English and that is really a problem with many children,” she said briefing media and lamented that teachers are not trained enough to realise the child’s problem and simply conclude that the child suffers from a learning disability.
Sangath started working with 10 schools in 2015 and 19 others joined the next year. But in the third year they worked with only 25 schools as four dropped out because of various problems.
The organization has distributed teaching aid and also promoted different teaching methods in the school it worked and as touched at least 1600 students.
Psychologist and Programme Director of Sangath Prachi Khandeparkar, disclosed that some programmes are even adopted overseas and cited Nepal as an example. Besides, Sangath offices at Pune, Delhi and Bhopal are also working amongst students.
“We are working with government agencies so that whatever work we have done continues,” she said, adding that in Goa they have signed a memorandum of understanding with the Health Department.
Percy added that Sangath undertook Remedial Education programmes in 17 schools and has by now trained seven teachers in remedial education.
