It is ensure that every child with special needs, irrespective of the kind, category and degree of disability is provided education in an appropriate environment i.e., all children learning together in the same class with appropriate networks of support.

Thrust of SSA

·        Providing integrated and inclusive education to all CWSN in general school

·        Open learning system and open schools

·        Non formal and alternative schooling

·        Wherever necessary, Home based education

·        Itinerant teacher model

·        Remedial teaching

·        Part time classes

·        Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR)

·        Vocational Education

·        Cooperative Programmes

Activities

·        Early detection and identification

·        Functional and formal assessment

·        Educational placement

·        Aids and appliances

·        Support Services

·        Teacher training

·        Resource support

·        Individualized Educational Programme (IEP)

·        Parental training and community mobilization

·        Planning and Management

·        Removal of architectural barrier

·        Research

·        Monitoring and evaluation

·        Girls with disability

Inclusion Competencies for Regular Teachers

·        Professional Knowledge concerning Exceptional Children

·        Classroom climate of Acceptance

·        Communication with Parents, Colleagues and Community

·        Assessment of the Student’s Needs

·        Classroom Management

·        Goal Setting

·        Resources for Classroom Learning

·        Instructional Techniques

·        Personalized Curricula

·        Evaluation of Student Progress

·        Out of School Experiences

Strategy for Education of CWSN

Awareness, early detection and identification

Identification of CWSN is carried out to know the number of CWSN in a particular district and to give an approximation of the kind of disability prevalent in the area, so that planning could be done accordingly.

Identification of disabilities/special need is done with the help of ALIMCO, PHCs, VEC, general teachers and resource teachers. The initial screening of CWSN enrolled in schools is done by general teachers, after being trained on how to identify such children in classrooms. Similarly, identification of CWSN enrolled in ECE/Anganwadi centers are also taken up with the help of anganwadi workers under the Department of Women and Child Development.

Following activities were undertaken during 09-10:

This comprehensive report outlines the experiences of IE under SSA of various districts in the Jharkhand state. It is an effort to capture the major achievements that have been made in the areas of training of teachers, counseling of parents, assessment and distribution of aids & appliances, seminars and sports events organized for disabled children. We have also tried to record the major initiatives taken to enhance reach to children with special needs and have tried to put how various issues are being tackled in districts to develop strategies to provide assistance for the teaching and learning of the children and what were the significant outcomes of the programmes organized.

Concluding Remarks

Integrated Education of the Disabled (IE) component made significant progress in the last couple of years in upscaling the IE programme, providing assistive devices and in strengthening resource support to children with special needs. IE was extended to all blocks and districts of Jharkhand state. It has reached to blocks and clusters of almost all the districts of the state now. Two problems have surfaced across the districts. The first is inadequate provision of aids and appliances to children with special needs. The second is shortage of qualified teachers. In order to address the first of these problems, SSA has entered into an agreement with ALIMCO (Artificial

Limbs Manufacturing Corporation of India) to conduct camps in project areas and provide aids and appliances. Districts have been asked to apply directly for assistance in this regard besides exploring convergence from other agencies, NGOs and corporate houses. RCI (Rehabilitation Council of India) is conducting training for teachers in special education and teachers trained under the foundation course are given provisional registration by RCI. Integrating and including children with special needs, is a huge task. But SSA is committed to completing the task because they only can UEE be achieved. In the process of imparting education to the disabled children it should be borne in mind that any philosophy or programme that aims to provide learning opportunities to these children does not depend on the characteristics of the child, but instead on the vision, commitment and reactivity of policy makers, administrators, educators and above all, families. Now Right to Education Act has been notified on 1st April 2010. The ultimate objective should be to create an environment that is conducive to learning and living for all children INCLUDING disabled.

(a)     Assessment Camps and Distribution of Aids & Appliances to Disabled Children under IED Programme

Background

When we look at a human personality, it is composed of seven faculties, which are intellectual , aesthetic ,emotional, physical, mental, spiritual and psychic. Weakness in any one of these faculties leads to some kind of disability or other. But a disabled child might be physically and mentally weak in one faculty, but excel in other faculties. It is these strengths of the disabled children that we should tap and focus upon. Every child is unique in his/her own way. All children have their weaknesses and cal l in someone disabled is a misnomer. What is required is to highlight the success stories of disabled children. This would serve a twin purpose. Firstly, it would lead to general awareness and secondly many myths that prevail that in the general community about disabled children will be dispelled.

Role of Teacher is Crucial in Assessment

In the entire process of assessment, the role of teachers is very important. The first step is that the teachers in the schools identify the disabled children in their classrooms. The resource teachers then visit the parents and children in the village and make a list of those children who have not yet been enrolled. These teachers then get in touch with the Anganwadi Workers and see if there are any disabled children in the ECCE centers. If they are below the age of 5, they are given the necessary pre integration training such as physiotherapy and speech therapy. Medical teams assess the identified children and decide the degree of the disability. Whether it is mild, moderate or severe and decide he help required to each child according to the percentage of disability.

Assessment Camps

Camps were organized throughout the district in the state to assess disabled children. For this convergence was done with health department in most of the districts. NGOs and experts in all the four disabilities were invited in the camps. Tie up for the supply of aids & appliances were made with ALIMCO. In some of the districts letters were issued by the district administration to the Chief Medical Officers to make arrangements for the assessment of disabled children invited during the camps. In order to collect the data of disabled children in each block of each district, the teachers were given special training with the help of revised checklists. Most of the blocks have completed the survey and lay screening of children with various disabilities. The services of local experts, doctors, psychologists, Etc. are ensured for the success of the assessment camps in terms of convergence in many of the districts of the state. A series of block level medical assessment camps were organized throughout the state under SSA with the technical support of ALMICO. The assessed children have been provided with the aids& appliances. It is good to note that in some of the districts, parents, doctors, class teachers, resource teachers, head masters, peers and the district rehabilitation officers are all involved in the identification of the disabled children. Looking at the disability nature of the child, districts have invited experts and doctors accordingly. In some camps districts have called ENT, eye specialist and orthopedic doctor.

Aids & Appliances Distributed

At the time of distribution of aids& appliances, resource persons give training to parents in the use of aids and appliances. NGOs are already in existences who are maintaining/repairing the aids and appliances in some districts. For the purpose of aids &appliances, convergence has-been established with National Institute for Orthopedically Handicapped. ALMICO and NIHH have been contacted by the districts for distribution of required equipment to the identified disabled children. This has been done in convergence with the local NGOs and assistance from ALIMCO. Each district has its own strategy in this regard .Parents are also be in oriented in the use and maintenance of different types of aids and appliances in the distribution camps. Following aids and appliances have been distributed in the districts;

·        Visual aids

·        Hearing aids

·        Orthotic appliances

·        Locomotors aids

·        Aids for MR Learning Disability (TLM)

Conclusion

There was a strong feeling among the parents that aids & appliances are not made available to all those children who are in need. The issue is not of intention but availability of appliances. This is an area where most of the district might have to work beforehand to make the parents satisfied. This is despite the fact that large sums of money have been provided for the provision of aids and appliances, but perhaps due to lack of convergence the actual supply is being prevented. A networking wittings is needed to speed up the process of the supply of aids and appliances.

(b)    District Level Annual Sports of Disabled Children

Background

Education for all has long been one of the cherished goals of national development reflected both in constitutional and policy commitments since independence. Despite planned concerted efforts this goal remains elusive due to certain 'disadvantaged' groups remaining out of the fold of the formal educational system. One such group is the 'disabled' who have unconsidered peripheral for almost four decades of planned development. It is obvious that Universalization of Elementary Education (UEE) cannot be achieved unless all children are brought into schools, retained and provided quality education that is equitable. Children do not only need education via the oreticalinstructional information but also practical life experience. The best way to mold ones character is through games and sports. Sports make children strong not only physically but also mentally and emotionally. Physically disabled children have shown unbelievable strength and have achieved unimaginable abilities. For example, using teeth for painting and writing in the absence of limbs is common amongst disabled children. Such admirable courage and dedication to succeed is seen in many disabled children. This is exactly the spirit which Calls for an action, some encouragement and a helping hand.

Focus of Sports Meet

There are many children in Jharkhand who have become disabled due tomanyun for tuna tereasons . Thousands of helpless children who have lost their parents and are crying for government help need immediate attention. Even if many have been able to cope up with life, their life is  still in darkness. Educations, health, love and understanding is far from their reach. India doesn't have a strong infrastructure for sports. Few privileges ones have been able to avail certain sports facilities. Disabled children only dream of such sports initiatives from government side. But Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan has recognized this gap and is dedicated in bringing joy into the lives of millions of disabled children located in different districts of Jharkhand. The focus of the annual sports organized in every district of the state was not on picking FASTEST , HIGHEST , STRONGEST……but it is about giving every SPECIAL child a chance to be cheered by onlookers, to be a part of a movement and feel as if he or she belongs. There is an instant sparkle in the eyes of children when they describe how they took part in the sports. The members of the SSA team who organized these sports said that participating alone can make a world of difference to the child. They recall how many of those who took part in the games came out of the experience with a new confidence and began responding with surprising success to their school curriculum. Some participants of previous years have since left their schools and have joined higher classes in other schools. Every child was excellent and talented. They just need to be given a chance and they will amaze everyone with what they can do. Such is the magic of these children which everyone witnessed.

Sports: A Platform to Show talent

The annual sports organized by various districts for physically challenged children were first of its kind in many districts. Good number of physically challenged boys and girls from across the blocks gathered at the district level sports meet and showed their talent. The children who took part have enjoyed the sports very much and were eager to show many more abilities of them on stage. Children took part in various competitions such as soft ball throw, biscuit race, colouring, spoon race, needle & thread race, find five in sand, inflating balloon till it bursts, musical chair, segregating chana and matar etc. Even visually challenged children took part in many events of the sports. They don't need sympathy from others but need encouragement to display their creative talent. The events like sprint, running towards the sound of the drum, short put for seniors, three legged race, discus throw and frog race was organized in different districts.

Boosted Confidence among Children

Disabled children have special needs. Their sports are different and emotional encouragement means a lot to them. All that a disabled child wants is a few words of praise and appreciation and given a chance he/she can do wonders. SSA provides the right equipment. Holds sports meets and teaches these children various games suitable for them. They are made aware of various personalities and inspire them towards reaching heights. District level offices of SSA, constantly takes up events and programs to bring real life sports and these children as close as possible. These events not only motivate them but also draw a personalized program for each child in order to develop a sense of self-worth and make him/her feel that he is just like any other child. SSA gives utmost attention to the effects of every thing that one can do on the mental and emotional setup of a child. Mentors, educationalist, thinkers and helper from every field pour in their support and help district authorities to make all these life changing events for the children. Sports events have made a mark in these children making them stand for themselves, fight against all odds and face with integrity, courage and confidence. Rural children need the most attention and SSA has been doing exceptionally well by providing sports facilities to disabled children.

Conclusion

Physically and mentally challenged students from across the district of Jharkhand had participated in the annual sports Meet event held in respective districts. The event, which was graced by civic dignitaries, the district collector and other important persons in different district saw how disabled children can do miraculous performance in sports events. Jharkhand needs to grow in many areas. Sports may be far away in its list of priorities. But disabled children have achieved admirable success in showing unbelievable courage and found out ways to showcase their talent. They draw, paint, sing, dance, play, make creative items and do many more activities. In no way are these children less than any normal child. Seeing their will power and dedication it becomes our duty to provide them with the best we can. A small smile, a small appreciative sentence and a caring hand is all they need. There is no disability than the disability of mind and emotional strength this is what they have been saying through their actions. The events ranged from a race to competitions, where visually impaired individuals also participated. The enthusiasm of the students was overwhelming and those who witnessed the event in different districts were moved with the never say- die spirit of the participants. The children set an example for all of us. Apart from the students from the schools, there were also several adults with disabilities who showed their talent despite their difficulties; they are as good as anyone else. The district level SSA authorities who have organized the sports were overwhelmed with the response as there were participants that had come from distant villages to participate in the sports event

(c)     Training of Teachers on IE

Introduction

The efforts of the government of India as well as state government over the last one decade has been aimed at providing comprehensive range of services for education of children with disabilities. The IE programme is now operating as a full-fledged programme under SSA. The SSA provides funds on the basis of per child allocation for special childr en and the interventions by government and/ or NGOs are as the part of plans for access, retention and quality elementary education. The programme attempts to break the rigidity and gives flexibility and discretion to implementing agencies to allocate the funds as per needs. The experience of implementing IED has indicated the need of partnership beyond Government agencies. Through constitutional provisions, PWD Act and other instruments, Government continues to be the main player in the field, the other partnersbeing NGOs, communities and others in the implementation of inclusive education.

Education of Children with Special Needs

SSA ensures that every child with special needs, irrespective of the kind, category and degree of disability, is provided meaningful and quality education. Hence, SSA has adopted a zero rejection policy. This means that no child having special needs should be deprived of the right to education. Under Integrated Education for Disabled Children special attention is being given to education of CWSN with an objective to integrate the handicapped with the general community at all levels as equal partners, to prepare them for normal growth and to enable them to face life with courage and confidence. Integrated Education for the CWSN provides educational opportunities for the disabled children in common schools, to facilitate their retention in the school system. The CWSN who are placed in special schools are integrated in common schools to acquire the communication and daily living skills at the functional level

Teachers Training

Education is the process of changing human behaviour. Teachers are the agents of that process. Many research

studies have given different reasons for the need to train teachers. Some of the most commonly accepted needs are;

·       To help in pre-service professional preparation and in-service professional development to promote excellence in teaching.

·       To motivate teachers to put in efforts to met the educational needs of all children.

·       To be sensitive to individual needs and learning styles of students.

·       To design solutions to pedagogical problems in local specific  situations using locally available material.

·       To help teachers acquire functional pedagogical intelligence.

·       To make teachers aware of the use of technology in special education.

·       To have access to information.

·       To take responsibility to make decisions.

Three days Training on IE

Three days training of teachers on IED was imparted to teachers in all districts of Jharkhand. A module has been prepared which has covered the following areas as stated below;

·        Concept of Integrated and Inclusive Education

·        Identification of all disabled children with the check list

·        Educational facilities for CWSN

·        Teaching methods for CWSN

JEPC has imparted training to teachers of all its districts in IE. Inclusive education or education of children with disabilities (CWSN) is a very important component of SSA in the state. In fact the objective of SSA to universalize elementary education cannot be achieved without educating children with disabilities. Since every school may have some CWSN, it is necessary for every teacher to understand what is meant by the terms inclusive education and children with disabilities. It is therefore made mandatory for teachers to undergo this training. By inclusive education is meant the education of all children (with and without disabilities) together in regular schools. It is an approach, which takes into account unique characteristics, interests, abilities and learning needs of all children. All schools have to be inclusive in their approach, so that children with disabilities have access to these schools that accommodate within them a child centered pedagogy capable of meeting the needs of all children. Inclusive schools perhaps are the most effective means of combating discriminatory attitudes, creating welcoming communities and achieving education for all. But it is important that, as far as possible, children receive the support they need to learn adequately. For example, a child who has some problems in seeing might have to be seated in front close to the blackboard. The term children with disabilities refers to all those children who have educational needs due to problems associated with that of vision, hearing movement, learning and mental retardation. To meet the needs of children with disabilities, regular schools need to reform in order to promote inclusion of all children and find ways of creating conditions that would accommodate pupil diversity and facilitate the learning of all children. In other words, inclusive education is the use of best classroom practices and effective management techniques.

·        Training and awareness raising.

·        Information sharing workshops.

·        More contact.

·        Positive role models.

Training Elements in the Module Training of Teachers has achieved the following objectives:

Acquainted Teachers with different Types of Disabilities/Special Needs:

·        Integrated education

·        Definitions of terminology

·        Identification criteria for different categories of disabilities

·        Classroom management of children with special needs

·        Behaviour management of children with special needs

·        Roles and responsibilities of general teachers

·        Sensitization of school children

·        Activities for general teachers

·        Guidelines for teacher effectiveness

·        Teachers understood the important special needs of children

·        They learnt how to identify children of different special needs

·        Acquired skills of classroom management of children with disabilities (CWSN)

As a teacher, it is absolutely necessary for everyone to know the most common types of disabilities/special needs that they can encounter in their classroom. The following important types of disabilities have been explained during the training in detail. 

·        Problems in seeing or vision problems

·        Problems in hearing

·        Problems in moving, in polio

·        Mental retardation

·        Significant problems in learning.

Issues Related to Vision

During training it was tried to explain about blindness and low vision to the participating teachers. It was clarified to them that Blindness means a child whose vision is so impaired that he/she cannot read. A child with low vision may be able to read with the help of magnifying equipment (special lenses) and may require minor adaptations in the teaching techniques but in the case of blindness this is not true.

Handling Classroom (A case of Visual Problem)

·        Teachers learnt how to use oral mode writing on the blackboard and have also learnt that when teaching is

         being done from a textbook, then in that case reading could be done either by reading the book or asking one

         of the students to read the book.

·        Giving plenty of verbal instructions while introducing a new concept in the class.

·        Using of concrete experiences had provided opportunities to teachers wherein students had associated words

         with tactile/touch experience.

·        Planning of activities where children can learn by doing.

·        How to make learning joyful and natural for visually impaired and ordinary children was discussed and explained.

·        How and why it is important to name a child while addressing him or her.

·        Making children aware of the presence of steps, if any, are present in the school.

·        Persuading other children to interact socially with the visually impaired child.

·       Persuading other children to accept the visually impaired child as a friend. Encouraging the visually impaired child

       to participate in as many physical activities as possible.

·       Asking the classmates to help organize work and other such materials for the visually impaired child.

·       Persuading the other sighted children not to make derogatory references to the child's visual impairment.

Similar to vision, problems related to hearing were also discussed in the training. A child who has difficulty in hearing sounds / conversation from behind or any other side is told as 'hearing problem child'. This issue is related to the moving problems of the child, therefore it has been kept under hearing problem as explained in the training.

 Teachers taught how to tackle hearing problems:

·    Ensuring that the child has got good look at teacher's lips.

·    Child sees the face of the teacher comfortably when he or she speaks. Ensuring adequate light on teachers face.

·    Seating the child in such away /she can view the blackboard very clearly.

·    Teacher should never cover his/her face with hands or turn back while talking or reading before the children.

·    Teacher should try not to show the class with your back to the window. The outside light creates a shadow on

     the lips.

·    Teacher should speak slowly and clearly in front and slowly of the child.

·    Never say anything to him/ her behind his/her back.

·    Speak in simple and clearly spoken words.

·    The words must try to build an association between what teacher said and the objects to which teacher is

     referring.

·    Do not stop the child if he/she uses his/her own gestures, to express himself/herself. Similarly a child whose mind

     is not developed fulyand shows inappropriate social behavior is known as a case of mental retardation.

 Problems in learning Identification of CWSN

Problem in learning is observed when a child shows marked difficulty in reading/ writing/ maths or in sustaining attention on a given task for a reasonable period of time. These children have major educational problems and are likely to drop out of school if they are not provided attention on time. During the training it was also tried to share the experience of identification of a CWSN. Some time we find that teachers do not know the need and problems encountered by children in their classroom. Some of the children in the classroom might exhibit problems mentioned above. Hence, it is felt important to make the teachers learn about how to identify such children. A simple checklist has been provided to help the teachers as given during the training.

Tips for Classroom management of CWSN

IED - Gaining Momentum Encouraging Teacher's Initiatives

As general education classroom include children with different need, therefore, teachers were made realized through the training the value of each child being unique. This part of the module had provided them some simple guidelines for teaching children with various special needs/disabilities. IE in Jharkhand has gained momentum. Most of the teachers have imparted the training in their respective blocks/districts. The pace of the progress would have to be accelerated so that this vital component in SSA picks up and thespecially challenged children could fully participate in the education process.The feedback received from various districts show that the number of  children with special needs is steadily increasing. While the enrolment in most of thedistricts had crossed the 90 to 95 percent, the precise reason for the remaining  5 to 10 percent not coming to school could be the special children other than  working children. The majority of them could be children with special needs.  Therefore, a very special effort needs to be made to bring more and more  children with special needs to schools and also o ensure that children with special needs who have already joined schools are provided adequate  support. It was encouraging to find that most of the districts had already begun  taking concrete action to bring children with disability to primary school, though the progress is uneven among the districts within the state of Jharkhand. It is expected that in the next 6 to 8 months a fairly large number of children  with disability would have joined regular primary schools. The districts have been   activated to provide special services for those children who for some reason   or the other cannot join regular primary school. The process of expanding  reach has been central to SSA and it has enabled the inclusion of many more  children with special needs in the ambit of primary education through a wide range of strategies. The presence of IE programme could be soon in each and every block very soon in SSA. This would ultimately lead to universalization of  primary education, which is one of the most cherished goals of SSA.

Teachers Admit: Attitude still the barrier

Children with special needs are enmeshed in activity restriction, social constriction and non acceptance by the community. These attitudinal barriers are culturally programmed and are fairly resistant to change. During the training of teachers it was said by the teachers that the main obstacles in implementing the programme are lack of knowledge and negative attitude. Teachers have accepted that it is the task of them to initiate and accelerate the process of change. But before a regular teacher can appreciate the special needs of these children, it was felt necessary for the teacher to explore his/her own attitudes and the depth of understanding of child variations which result in special needs .Teachers are helping in many districts to change the negative mindset of their colleagues and strengthening them with positive initiatives such as;

Training Outcomes

·        Awareness.

·        Acquired specific skills to handle children with special needs.

·        Teachers are made proficient in developing strategies like peer tutoring, ripple tutoring, child to child approach,

         cooperative learning,

         creative scheduling and use of learning aids.

·        Making Networks.

·        To become flexible .

·        Transferring skills/knowledge to others.

·        Improving overall performance of the child in school as well as at home.

·        Improving the lives of the child .

 Conclusion

Every teacher received training realizes that integrated education is nothing more than all kinds of practices that are ultimately practiced during good teaching. Developing teachers' classroom skills is seen as the key to good practice and a good training programme. A teacher needs to have high expectations that all students will meet the academic challenges and should think thoughtfully about all children. It is these expectations that sometime produce the unexpected. Teachers will want to realize that all of the children

in their school are 'all of our children'. They need to be integrated in their approaches for successful integration to happen. Integration implies diversity. Diversity is valuable. It is not just a reality to be accepted, tolerated or accommodated. It is a reality to be valued.

(d)    District Level Seminars on IE

Introduction

Chapter V of Persons with Disability (Equality of Opportunity, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995 says that appropriate Governments shall provide access to free education to every child with a disability until he or she attains the age of 18 years. A variety of options including integrated education, special schools and alternative schools have been attempted in SSA. One of the important components of DPEP is Integrated Education of the Disabled (IED). UEE cannot be achieved until 10 percent of children with special needs are made an important part of the regular mainstream. Different surveys on disabled children have yielded different estimates of the number of the disabled. However, National Sample Survey in 1991 estimated that 1.9 percent of the population in the country is disabled.  It is now accepted that about 10 percent of our school going age population have special educational needs. The current coverage is estimated at about 3 to 5 percent. In other wards, because of inappropriate strategies and perhaps inadequate awareness, progress has been halting and is grindingly slow.

District level Seminars

Eleven districts have organized the seminars focusing the IED issues keeping the local context and the cases in mind. In most of these seminars following points have been discussed;

1. Direct Services to Children

The first step is identification of CWSN for micro-planning of IED in terms of Visual Impairment, Hearing Impairment, Locomotor Impairment , Mental Retn , Learning Disabilities and Others. The next step involves formal and functional assessment of each identified child to determine the nature and extent of disability. This should be followed by preparation of individualized need based profile which delineates all the needs, special services required, duration of such services and evaluation procedures. After this the most suitable learning environment is to be identified for each child. All necessary required support, aids and appliances and learning material suitable to the special need of a challenged child should be provided. Finally, all schools must not only be barrier free and provide easy access to CWSN, but also be equipped with other facilities to take care of their special needs.

2. Support Services

There is need to generate awareness and appreciation of the potential and utility of the education of CWSN, and educate and sensitize parents, teachers, community leaders and the community as a whole. Parents of CWSN also need to be trained in coping with the disabilities of these children and helping them. Teacher training should form the backbone of inclusive education. Support services in the form of physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, counseling etc . should be provided in the resource room. SSA missions may also plan for Vocational Education of disabled children at Upper Primary Level. The planning of IED may include extra curricular activities like drawing, painting, dance, music, sports, craft and indoor games. Use of technology is also advocated in the shape of special aids and appliances, computer assisted instruction and development of low cost/no cost Teaching and Learning Aids using indigenous material. While taking care of the special educational needs of CWSN, it is also necessary to consider adaptations in the evaluation system.

3. Monitoring and Evaluation

This is an important aspect for assessing progress and providing improvement in the process. Therefore, an adequate and efficient mechanism needs to be in place for this purpose.

Brief Summary of the Seminars held in various Districts

The experts and resource persons invited during these seminars in various districts of the state spoke about the expectation of parents of CWSN and how they were belied or fulfilled by the different approaches to the educational needs of these children. Special Schools which admitted special children were supported by welfare services and provided specialized services in the form of Consultants, Therapists, and Special Educators. They, however, promoted segregation, and the children enrolled in these schools could not escape from social stigma, nor could the lack of role models be overcome in these schools. In regular schools, however, a CWSN would face other problems such as access, attitudes, teacher's apprehension and peer acceptance, rigid curriculum and extracurricular activities. Inclusive education would be considered a success if mainstream schools developed a positive attitude towards the educational needs of disabled children and increase access through simple adaptations. Apart from a general awareness in society, what needs to be done is teacher preparation and peer acceptance. Only thus can the diversity of the human condition be celebrated. Some of the experts emphasized on Inclusive Education through Open Learning. The widening inequity in education is related to the problem of access. Deprivation of education is also due to the rigidity of the formal system of education in terms of fixed time, fixed curricula, evaluation system and learning pace. In order to meet the challenges, it is necessary to look for alternative strategies and approaches, particularly to ensure not only access, but also freedom relevance and quality. Innovative educational leaders are now talking about more flexible and learner friendly educational methods, which automatically respond to individual learner needs.  Emphasizing on open learning the discussion during the seminars emerged with a promise to make education a really effective tool for the process of democratization and social justice. It is particularly characterized by removal of restrictions, exclusions, and privileges; by the accreditation of students' previous experiences, by the flexibility of the management of the time variable; and by substantial changes in the traditional relationship between teacher and students. It offers unique educational opportunities free from the constraints of time and space as well as rigidity of curricula. Inclusive education goes beyond physical presence of a child in the classroom situation; going through the same curricula as the nondisabled, appearing at the same examination with them and acquiring the same certificate. National Institute of Open Schooling is promoting inclusive education by registering children with disabilities through Accredited Institutions (AI) , Accredited Vocational Institutions (AVI), Special Accredited Institutions for the Education of the Disadvantaged  (SAIED) and Open Basic Education (OBE). Some of the disabled learners may like to stay at home or study at their working places. Open schooling may reach any group of person at any given c i r cums tance. Learning materials, audio-video cassettes, or working kit may reach at the doorsteps of disabled learners. In spite of in-built flexibilities in the open learning system and concessions given in the tuition fee, it could not attract a large number of the children with disabilities. The reasons may be numerous. Perhaps, the existing curriculum is not relevant or the evaluation system or often procedures n e e d r e v i s i o n . To enhance the access, retain them in the learning process and achieve development of the children with disabilities, NIOS has established a Cell for the Education of the Disabled (CED). In the dynamic changing environment and rapid technological advancement, open learning has to play a significant role not only to provide access, but to retain persons with disabilities in the learning process and achieve success. It is felt that the issues pertaining to relevant programmes, curricula and pedagogy are important and initiatives in these directions, especially for catering to the needs of learners with disabilities and the marginalized groups of children need to be addressed with seriousness. The formal, non formal, adult education, vocational education, special education and open schooling systems all have to optimize their services and support to promote the full and equal participation of persons with disabilities. The success of IE depends on how responsive is the general school system to the challenges of children with disabilities. Through a study of the existing training programme, it was found that teachers had a positive approach towards IE, but lacked knowledge and practical skills for teaching special children.  There was need for supportive materials for use by resource teachers and general teachers, and decentralization of training at block level and cluster level with more practical input.

The objective of the training is to develop Multi category Resource Persons (MRP) who can orient other teachers to promote the development of inclusive education in schools in rural society.

(e)    Counseling of Parents on IE

Introduction

India has a very large number of children with disability, most of who are still out of school. SSA is putting its best to bring such children in school. Universalization of elementary education cannot be achieved unless these 5 to 10 percent children who have physical or intellectual  impairments are brought to schools. This has also become a mandatory requirement with the passage of Persons with Disabilities Act, 1995. The role of society as a cradle for human life from birth till death applies universally, cutting across all manmade barriers including prejudice and ignorance. Perhaps no other section of society requires as much nurturance as the disabled children and their families, often steeped in fallacies and superstitions and fear of exceptionality. In order to enhance and intensify the process of integration of the disabled children into the community, it is strongly felt that the persons who are primarily affected by the disability, such as parents, siblings and other family members, must be made an active part of this crusade.

Parents Counseling :

General Briefing to Parents

Parents were given general briefing during the meeting/workshop called in different districts. As far as the child of 0-5 years old is concerned, they have been told during the counseling that to obtain an accurate diagnosis about the child. This information must be shared with siblings and relatives in the family. Then the parents must look for specialized services. They should also find meaning in exceptionality among the child and do not get bogged to stigmas attached to disability. Similarly when the child is 6 to 14 years old, parents must seek for educational services and assessment of educability of the child. They must adjust the child emotionally to educational implications. This could be achieved only if the parents look for community support/agencies around. The other important aspect is to plan for the future of the disabled child. Establishing a routine to integrate the child into family functions is also very important. Time to time parents must find some time to arrange extra curricular activities for the child.

Positive Interventions

Children with mild and moderate disabilities are generally integrable in the formal schools with little assistance and by providing conducive environment. The component of IED under SSA envisages intervention to:

1. Identifying the children (in-school and out of schools) with visual, hearing, loco-motor impairment, learning disabilities and mental retardation and bringing them to the elementary School, after giving them the required assistance through a school readiness programme including providing them with special aid / assistance for their education.

2. Creating a conducive environment for children with special needs in Elementary Schools and in society at large.

3. Sensitizing & orienting concerned people at all levels especially  parents and school teachers on intergrated education of impaired & disabled children.

4. Ensuring convergence of the available resources for furtherance of the objectives of IED.

5. Providing possible interventions in the areas of early detection of disability, parent counseling, screening, pre-schooling of children with special needs, etc.

Discussion Points during Counseling

After rigorous and continuous support through out DPEP period and now during SSA, IED has been taken up in all districts in Jharkhand. Gradually its coverage is expanding day by day in all the districts within the state. Parents are becoming aware of the provisions available and also about the initiatives taken up by the central and state government for CWSN. The counseling of parents is one of the most important activities to progress in the field of IED. For the better knowledge, awareness of disabilities and how to teach and help CWSN, parents of CWSN have been invited in all districts for counseling. Following points have been discussed during the parents counseling workshops held in different districts:

1. Current status of CWSN

2. Maintenance of care of aids/appliances

3. Teaching techniques

4. Orientation mobility and speech therapy

5. Formation of parental Groups

6. Listing beneficiary parents

Positive Response during Parental Counseling

Parents have been oriented to IED related information and the facilities being provided by SSA to such children in the district by organizing special mobilization camps at the CRC and the BRC levels. During the counseling meetings, special emphasis was laid on the problems of disabled children. Parents had interacted with the experts and discussed problems of  their children. Some of them have been called again for re-orintation to know in details about the disabilities, their identification and intervention. An information leaflet has been developed by various districts on preliminary symptoms of disabilities, medical assessment and aids and appliances required by the disabled children. The responses of parents during meeting in different districts were very positive and the major points discussed are as below;

·        It was explained how the role of parents is important for a disabled child.

·        The parents are told to accept their child with his or her disability.

·        A conducive environment must be created by parents at home for proper learning

·        Providing specific support services according to the nature and extent of a child's impairment

·        Promoting emotional acceptance by peers and sibling

·        Devising ways of encouraging interaction in play activities with other children in the neighborhood

·        Having a realistic expectation from the child

·        A combined parent-teacher effort to ensure that the child with a disability will benefit from school education

·        How the parents help the child with a disability to become as independent as possible is explained and

         discussed. This help children to feel good about themselves and improve their social skills.

·        Parents must foster feeling of self-esteem in the child with a disability.

·        Parents should never compare the performance of the child with other siblings.

·        All children have strengths and competencies and these strengths must be identified and reinforced

·        Parents who convey hope provide a major force in helping children with a disability  overcome his/her feeling of

         inferiority

·        Parents can help the child with a disability develop a feeling of responsibility and sense of making a contribution

         to the family

·        Parents can provide  opportunities for this child to make choices and decisions and promote self-discipline

·        Parents can help the child with a disability deal effectively with mistakes and failures.

·        Parents must also attend training programmes organized by different NGOs, SSA or by any other agency or by 

         the community.

Motivated Parents/Family Members

·        Bringing about an attitudinal change

·        Enhancement of acceptance

·        Providing relevant information

·        Helping in obtaining facilities

·        Monitoring school going, attendance and learning in school

·        Discussing difficulties , suggestive innovative ways and means of handling them and approaching appropriate

         authorities for solutions

·        Accepting referral services suggested by experts.

Conclusion

Parents of disabled children are special and do have a challenging task ahead of them. They perhaps have to show more patience and talent. During the parents counseling meetings & workshops, many of the parents of CWSN spoke about their expectation and how they were belied or fulfilled by the different approaches to the educational needs of these children. Special Schools which admitted special children were supported by welfare services and provided specialized services in the form of Consultants, Therapists, and Special Educators. They, however, promoted segregation, and the children enrolled in these schools could not escape from social stigma, nor could the lack of role models be overcome in these schools. In regular schools, however, a CWSN would face other problems such as access, attitudes, teacher's apprehension and peer acceptance, rigid curriculum and extracurricular activities. Inclusive education would be considered a success if mainstream schools developed a positive attitude towards the educational needs of disabled children and increase access through simple adaptations. Apart from a general awareness in society, what needs to be done is teacher preparation and peer acceptance. Only thus can the diversity of the human condition be celebrated.