Differently abled children are part of the debate on whether such children should be placed in special schools or regular ones. Though the idea of special schools began in 1930 as they were being denied their educational needs, times today have changed and with it the need for having special schools. John (name changed) went to regular school and even graduated with a BA degree. Today he works at a nine to five job in a company in Goa earning a decent monthly income. When he was eight years old his parents were devastated to discover that he was autistic. His inclusive education however greatly helped his assimilation into mainstream society.
Currently only six schools in Bardez taluka and two private schools in South Goa have the much needed resource rooms. Resource rooms are special classrooms that aid children with disabilities in a regular school. Classes conducted here help children suffering from disabilities
like dyslexia. The more challenging life skills resource rooms deal with even more serious cases of cognitive disabilities, paying special attention to reading and writing skills. The curriculum in these resource rooms are the same
as that for regular students, the only
difference being the teaching methodology.
Government policies and laws have
made it possible for Goa to be one of
the first states in India to take a step
forward in inclusive education. The
Right to Education grants a child’s right
to education while The Disabilities Act
defines a disabled child’s right to education
in a regular school.
The truth however is that some
schools have refused admission on the
grounds of lack of staff. Two years ago
a child with a mild learning disability in
Canacona was denied education in a
regular school, with the school saying
it didn’t have special teachers to cater
to the child.
Giselle Lobo, chairperson at Towards
Inclusive Everywhere in Society (TIES)
says the main issue at hand is a human
rights one. “Every child has the right
to an education. By putting them in
special schools, you are denying them
their basic right. Secondly, when a
child is born into a household, he or
she doesn’t get to choose where and
how to live. They don’t get special advantages
just because they are disabled,
so why then the need for special
schools? Another crucial aspect is that
when a child is denied admission to a
regular school, these ‘regular’ people
and children are hidden from the world
of disabilities.”
The need, says Dr Nandita de Souza,
who works with the child development
centre Sethu, is for the child to be
given a welcoming environment with
trained teachers. “Depending on the
severity of the autism, some may need
full time special educator assistance
and others can do very well in the
mainstream class without special support.
Inclusive education is a right of
every child,” she says.
Although Nirmala Institute of Education
in Panjim offers a Bachelor of
Special Education course (B.Ed Spl) that
trains one to teach children with disabilities,
there are few takers for the
course.
Says Dr Marita Adam, a member of
Spandan, another NGO dedicated to
working with children with disabilities,
“Currently there are about 25 students
who graduate every year. There is a
need for more people to graduate from
this course. As of today, every single
person that graduates gets a job in
special as well as regular schools.”
Often it’s the parents who are to be
blamed. Lobo recalls a case where a
parent placed their child suffering from
autism in a resource room but since
she couldn’t pass Class 10, they shifted
her to a special school.
“Education is seen as something that
gives you a certificate. Very few people
have a broad picture that education is
a place where you learn, grow and have
important lifetime experiences. Here
in India, it is an all or none deal. If my
child can get a certificate its fine, if not
he’s no good,” says Lobo.
That being said, Lobo feels special
schools don’t and will not be shut permanently.
The concept of inclusive education
is relatively new in Goa. Thus
the need for special schools will continue.
“Even in the west, the number of
special schools have declined but they
haven’t stopped. Parents need to be
able to make a choice. If a parent feels
their child will cope better in a special
school, then so be it,” she says.
