Prabhat Special School for children with disabilities

Need:

In India, 90 percent of India’s estimated 40 million children aged 4-16 years with physical and mental disabilities are out of school. In Delhi, a recent study indicated that only 1% children with physical disabilities and 0.1% of children with intellectual disabilities received education of any kind – formal or informal. Despite the amendments made to the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act (2020) to include children with disability in the present educational system, such children continue to remain out of school.

Why disabled children are usually out of school

1. Most believe that children with special needs cannot benefit in a regular school system. This is a fallacy, since more than 66% of such children are educable till grade 5, provided appropriate modifications are made to their early learning experiences, and a strong pre- academic foundation is developed.

2. However, many disabled children who are out of school (especially those from the low-income groups) have not been exposed to a learning environment –according to reports, even anganwadi centers do not encourage their attendance, thus vital school readiness skills are left unattended.

3. Special Schools, due to high operational costs can serve and accommodate only a miniscule population. Besides, the vast distances in Delhi makes it expensive and time-consuming for parents to even arrange for their child to reach the school.

4. Disabled children in their early years require therapeutic interventions that may not be easily available, and hence vital years are lost, making the child overage for the class.

5. Working parents – with both parents working, children are usually left to fend for themselves or are entrusted to the care of the older girl child. When the child is disabled (disability and poverty are closely linked) the sibling parent can only provide physical care to keep them alive,with no other inputs.

When integrated with a diverse population, all children develop holistic and humane characteristics that hold good stead in adult life, with acceptance from the community. Parents are empowered (by virtue of the education their children have received) to ensure that their wards are not violated or mistreated.

The education of children with mental retardation, and other learning difficulties has been a neglected field.

Prabhat was set up to herald a “New Dawn” in the pedagogical process where the child is the pivot of the program. Thus, Prabhat works in the areas of early childhood and elementary school education with a clearly defined curriculum and with the use of specially designed work materials. Located in North Delhi (an area that is very poorly served for this population) the school works with 50 students in the age range of 3 – 18 years.

Facilities:

All essential support facilities like

 Physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy are available in house.

 Specially designed workbooks for Hindi and Mathematics, hands-on tool kits for early academic concepts specially structured by a psychologist have proved to be extremely effective as educational aids.

 Innovative teaching strategies like drama therapy, arts and media, and extra curricular sports are regular features.

 Outdoor activities, social skill training, survival skills training and behavior modification techniques used to develop the child into a holistic adult.

 Early stimulation activities, parent training sessions and regular parent teacher meetings ensure continued development at home. Implementation of current proposal

 Given the huge need it serves, this facility needs to be to be extends its capacity to at least 100 students .

 Up gradation of facilities, blackboard, books, toys, stationery and other basic educational requirements for children with special needs.

 Basic educational facilities for children between the ages of 3-14 years will be catered for.

 Basic physio/occupational and speech therapy facilities will be provided, and where required the children will be referred to advanced centers for treatment. In addition,

 Identify and provide educational and therapeutic facilities to over 100 children

 At the end of each year, efforts will be made to ensure their inclusion in mainstream schools or be further trained and educated in Prabhat Resource Center - in case of children with moderate and severe levels of disability.

Create a world of equal opportunities for children with disability through models of innovative and impact driven school education to provide a good start in life.