Govt to provide means to 2,300 special kids to pursue their dreams

The Inclusive Education branch of the Directorate of Education has identified around 2,300 Children With Special Needs (CWSN) in government schools who will be encouraged to pursue extra-curricular activities as per their “skills, merits, and abilities”.

Roshni, 15, a class 9 student at a government school in Kalkaji with an intellectual disability, had always struggled with academics. But after receiving a sewing machine from the Delhi government’s education department on Saturday, the teenager is excited at the possibilities it may offer.

Ajay Kumar Singh, state-coordinator of Inclusive Education for Disabled at Secondary Stage (IEDSS), said it was the first time that the department was working towards skills of disabled children. (HT Photo)

“I have been trying to work hard to do better in my studies but I enjoy sewing and cooking more. Now that I have a sewing machine, I look forward to making new dresses for my family. My school teacher said she will help me out,” said the teenager, a resident of Govindpuri.

In order to encourage Children With Special Needs (CWSN) to pursue skills or get trained in extra-curricular activities of their interest, the Inclusive Education branch of the Directorate of Education has identified around 2,300 such students in government schools who will be encouraged to pursue extra-curricular activities as per their “skills, merits, and abilities”.

The department will distribute items including musical instruments such as harmonium and guitar; sports items such as adapted basketball mobility chair, badminton, chess; assistive devices to enhance mobility and accessibility, and other items such as sewing machines among them. Officials at the Inclusive Education Branch said the department also plans to provide devices required to train in areas like swimming, cricket, self-defence, football, chess, dance, and painting among others.

On Saturday, Roshni was among the 20 students who received the first batch of devices and equipment during the delayed state level celebration of International Day of Persons with Disabilities by the education department.

Her father Santosh Kumar, 44, a shopkeeper, said, “She has been excited since Saturday because of the sewing machine. She had picked up the skill in her school and we noticed that she was good at it. She kept lamenting that she could be better if she got a sewing machine but we didn’t have one.”

Those with a musical inclination were also provided with musical instruments of their choosing. Rahul, 14, a class 7 student at a government school in Raj Nagar who is a visually challenged student, had shifted from a blind school to the public school in 2019. One of the things he missed at his new school was his harmonium lessons.

“We had music lessons in our old school and I had chosen to play harmonium because I had heard the sound of it in television programmes. But I had to move to my new school due to financial challenges and could not pursue music anymore. My teachers have now arranged for music lessons and the instrument. With practice, I may be able to build a career in this,” he said.

Ajay Kumar Singh, state-coordinator of Inclusive Education for Disabled at Secondary Stage (IEDSS), said it was the first time that the department was working towards skills of disabled children.

“The idea was to promote the skill and talents of CWSN children in addition to working on their deficiencies by giving them aid and assistive devices or appointing special educators. We needed to encourage such students and provide them with opportunities to hone their skills in other areas apart from academics. We asked our special educators in each school to identify such students and their areas of interest and then decided to help them nurture it by providing necessary instruments or devices,” he said.

Special educator Stuti Gaur, who has worked in top private schools of the city, said “leisure skill” is important for special children because it leads to social growth, recreational development, and improvement in language skills.

“These are government school students and may not have access to hobby classes and training [in extra-curriculars]. Once they have the devices, they can play around with it and music, sports, arts teachers of schools can help them in the skill areas. Along with creating an alternative career path for them, engaging students in these activities will improve their interaction skills as well,” she said.