Special students, schools in Maharashtra find a way in new normal

Teachers, parents and children with special needs try their best to overcome difficulties of online learning

After the state went into its Covid-19-enforced lockdown in March, 12-year-old Sara Malshe, a child with special needs, found it hard to cope with the new normal as schools were shut.

For children with special needs, adapting to the new normal of online classes is a tough battle as physical interaction with friends and teachers is vital. However, schools, parents and the children themselves are putting their best efforts to combat the situation. (ILLUSTRATION: Gajanan Nirphale)

“We send her to a special school where she has friends and teachers who encourage her every day. But when all social interactions stopped, she was really not able to cope. She would not sit for online classes and often had difficulty in getting instructions,” says Divya, Sarah’s mother.

For children with special needs, adapting to the new normal of online classes is a tough battle as physical interaction with friends and teachers is vital. However, schools, parents and the children themselves are putting their best efforts to combat the situation.

“Nine months into the lockdown, children with special needs have faced a lot of challenges. Initially, there were issues with getting them to attend online classes. But now with the help of parents and through the right use of technology, these children are trying to cope,” says Sunil Satpute, founder of Gharkul, a special school in Santacruz.

“We do a lot of sessions with them which are interactive in nature. But there are still about 50% students who do not attend them. When we ask their parents, they give us reasons like unavailability of network, compulsions of going out to work, among others. We are still trying our best to bring each and every child into the current learning mode, but the challenge is definitely big,” adds Satpute.

Geetha Sequeira, a special educator and a former teacher at Childreach, a special school, says, an online-only mode has turned out to be difficult for children with special needs.

“It is a nightmarish experience for them as they cannot eat lunch with their friends and have no outdoor sessions for physical education as they had in school. While this affects all kids, special kids are more affected as they already have learning challenges and need the support system at school,” she says.

Manjushree Patil, founder-director at Aatman Academy, an inclusive school in Thane, says the school has been able to get students acquainted with the new normal gradually.

“We need to first understand that children with special needs are a broad spectrum and the challenges vary depending on what category you are referring to,” says Patil.

For these students, online learning has been made an enjoyable experience by integrating everything from art to music into their classes. “Of course, there are times when children face difficulties in paying attention to online sessions, but then we rope in parents and ask them to support from home,” Patil adds.

Parents, however, say they prefer sending children to school once they reopen.

“At least for a few activities it would be nice to send the children [to school] if all precautions are taken care of. Children with learning difficulties also need to see their teachers once in a while, “says Kshama Mhatre, whose son Rian studies in a south Mumbai-based special school.

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