Education broadly perceived as a seamless continuum of life long learning. Education develops basic skills and ability and fosters a value system conducive to and in support of national development goals both long term and immediate.
Children are unique. If we survey a busy play ground, we see a spectacle of the uniqueness. In a ball game some move very quickly and with better co-ordination than others. Some children are surrounded by admiring friends where as others sit alone on the play ground. The differences we observe on the play ground are more obvious than those we might see inside the class room. Notice Murali, Squinting at the black board as his teacher writes down an assignment. See how the teacher makes certain that Raju hears her direction. She has him sitting at the front of the room so that he can hear her more clearly. Ramu’s hand goes up when teacher asks a question. As he starts to answer, several children giggle. Ramu’s Speech is immature and he speaks with lisp. The assignment is story writing , Babu has been selected as paper monitor because of his good behavior. He is the bright pupil in the class. Savitha is sitting blankly when teacher looks at her she is a day dreamer . In the Mathew’s paper hand writing is illegible, and as usual there is word reversal. This time on appears no. YES these are unique children
Yes, the children in above examples are called as Exceptional learners or those who need an extra care and methods to teach them. This type of education is called as Exceptional Education.
The term Special Education or need based education refers to adoption of typical teaching approaches made to accommodate uniqueness of the exceptional learners. As generally considered, special education is not a total program which is entirely different from the education of ordinary children. Rather it includes those aspects of education which are specific in addition to the regular program for all children.
Objectives of Special Education:
The following objectives of special education should be borne in mind.
1. The most important goal of special education is to reach the maximum level of effectiveness in tool subjects.
2. Both physical and mental hygiene of the school children with disability are to be considered.
3. Preparation of curricular maters that strategically determine effective living for a particular type of children with disability.
4. Development of motivational patterns in the exceptional children which produce achievement in the school.
5. Interest in the disable for participation in the activities of the non disable is to be created.
6. Priority to be given to the development of a realistic self-concept in children with disability.
According to Sarva Shiskshana Abhiyan(SSA) there is a law which tells that every differently able child has a right to get education in the mainstream school. But the normal schools deny them the education and direct them to Special schools. Studies clearly show that if the special children are allowed to mingle with the normal children their IQ and motor skills improve drastically.
Who will take care of these situations and make differently able children and their parents comfortable. Do we really have such an education system where the parents of disable children find a refuge? Where the differently able children will stand on par with normal children? Is it not time we have an inclusive education system which is helpful for each and every child irrespective of their physical and mental status?
Above is the illustration of just an example of how differently able are treated in the society not only in field of education in every walk of life they have to face the normal man made challenges, such as staircases, toilets, sign boards, etc., Don’t we think twice to get any elderly or disable at home to the public places ? Only because they cannot move around independently.
Don’t we hear about the persons denying of jobs just because he /she is differently able?
Yes it is time not only for the Inclusive education system but also for the Inclusive Society where all the differently able can move around independently. We should wake up and see to it our physical environment such as public buildings are disable friendly .Only law or government alone cannot do the required changes we as public have to have the awareness about these persons. We happily support a person with crutches to climb the stairs but never think that a ramp with railing will make him totally independent!!!! We have to stop helping around and start creating a disable friendly environment it is just like teaching a person to catch fish instead of feeding him for one day. Our goal should be of long term instead of that moment.
We should join together to create a society which includes all with their special abilities even though it is slightly fractured. Being so called normal is it not our duty to take along with us these differently able persons so that our society is complete??
By the way many incomplete pictures will make a beautiful complete collage.
