NCERT package for special children out

NCERT package for special children out
SMEETA MISHRA PANDEY

NEW DELHI, FEB 21: The National Council for Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has developed a programme for Special Needs Children under the supervision of the Ministry of Human Resources Development. The guidelines will be followed by schools all over the country.

The framework recommends schools to develop adequate teacher and curriculum support to encourage inclusive education, that is, teach children with special needs in the same classroom as other students. It reasons that ``inclusive education is far better than learning imparted in a segregated setting. Societal requirement demands that children with disabilities should be educated along with other children in inclusive schools.'' The experts, who have formulated the programme after a four-year-long research, have based it on studies conducted on children with special needs.

``When disabled children are taught along with other children, both stand to gain. It helps in mainstreaming of disabled children and creating a positive attitudeamong the non-disabled children,'' says Prof Kusum Sharma of NCERT.The framework gives a detailed account of the procedure to be followed by such schools: ``The process of mainstreaming a child in inclusive school starts with the assessment of his/her educational needs and preparation of an Individual Education Plan (IEP) in consultation with parents. Learning then is focussed on the individual child and becomes learner-centered.''

The framework contains a list of definitive action to be taken at the level of teachers, curriculum specialists and other people associated with the school education. Instructions that will sensitise teachers to the needs of disabled children will be incorporated in the teacher training programmes conducted at national institutes. The lessons will equip teachers with special skills to cater to the diversity of an inclusive setting.

The programme necessitates bringing about appropriate modifications in the content and development of supplementary material for children withspecial needs. Working out evaluation procedures based on factual information for such children and mobilising community resources for supporting them is also mentioned in the programme.