Pune: Chinmay Mokashi cuts an unusual figure in a classroom on the south-corridor of Poona Night School and Junior College. Sitting on the bench with him is his mother and a girl busily noting down everything he dictates.
Chinmay suffers from cerebral palsy, a condition that makes it difficult for him to walk, talk and even hold a pen. But thanks to his mother's constant support, he will be attempting his Class X Board exams this year.
Manisha, Chinmay's mother, wakes up daily at 6 am. After completing household chores, she goes to work by 10 am. She returns home at 7 pm, only to take Chinmay to his night school at 7.30pm. Both of them return at 10.30pm.
"Life is hectic. But if I don't do this, my son's education will suffer. I don't know what the future holds for him, whether he will get a job or not... but we have to try our best," says Manisha, a government employee.
But not every disabled child gets the opportunity to pursue education. According to statistics, among students dropping out during the transition from primary to secondary and higher classes, "children with special needs" are most in number.
The Mokashi family has experienced the insensitiveness of school managements. "They don't want to take responsibility of such students. We had a very hard time getting Chinmay enrolled in a regular school. He studied in a day school till Class VII. The classroom for Class VIII in that school was on the upper floor, and there was no ramp or lift. We asked the school to reconsider the classroom for us, but they didn't care. So we got him enrolled in this night school. I think students and teachers here understand our problems and, therefore, are very cooperative," says Manisha.
Veera Gupta, of National University of Educational Planning and Administration (NUEPA), has a paper published in the IAFOR Journal of the Social Sciences. In the paper, she reveals that children with special needs (CWSN) start dropping out of school from Class V onwards. The education system retains just 12.02% of CWSN and, 5.3% of children with specific learning disability (SLD) in Class XII among those who had enrolled in Class I. The findings point out that CWSN are getting enrolled, but not being retained in the schools.
There are many schemes in place for inclusive education like barrier-free campuses, resource teachers, special training for regular teachers, toilets for CWSN etc. But most of them are only on paper. For example, Unified District Information System for Education data (2015-16) reveals that 70% schools do not have toilets for CWSN. Though over 85% schools have ramps, many are just at the entrance and not for access to upper floors or toilets
"Mathematics should not be a subject forced on CWSN students, as even with a writer, it is hard to solve problems or dictate math answers. The government, society and the school managements must understand that these children need all the support that they can get. Their life is already hard, so is ours. Compassion is all we need," said Manisha.
Chinmay suffers from cerebral palsy, a condition that makes it difficult for him to walk, talk and even hold a pen. But thanks to his mother's constant support, he will be attempting his Class X Board exams this year.
Manisha, Chinmay's mother, wakes up daily at 6 am. After completing household chores, she goes to work by 10 am. She returns home at 7 pm, only to take Chinmay to his night school at 7.30pm. Both of them return at 10.30pm.
"Life is hectic. But if I don't do this, my son's education will suffer. I don't know what the future holds for him, whether he will get a job or not... but we have to try our best," says Manisha, a government employee.
But not every disabled child gets the opportunity to pursue education. According to statistics, among students dropping out during the transition from primary to secondary and higher classes, "children with special needs" are most in number.
The Mokashi family has experienced the insensitiveness of school managements. "They don't want to take responsibility of such students. We had a very hard time getting Chinmay enrolled in a regular school. He studied in a day school till Class VII. The classroom for Class VIII in that school was on the upper floor, and there was no ramp or lift. We asked the school to reconsider the classroom for us, but they didn't care. So we got him enrolled in this night school. I think students and teachers here understand our problems and, therefore, are very cooperative," says Manisha.
Veera Gupta, of National University of Educational Planning and Administration (NUEPA), has a paper published in the IAFOR Journal of the Social Sciences. In the paper, she reveals that children with special needs (CWSN) start dropping out of school from Class V onwards. The education system retains just 12.02% of CWSN and, 5.3% of children with specific learning disability (SLD) in Class XII among those who had enrolled in Class I. The findings point out that CWSN are getting enrolled, but not being retained in the schools.
There are many schemes in place for inclusive education like barrier-free campuses, resource teachers, special training for regular teachers, toilets for CWSN etc. But most of them are only on paper. For example, Unified District Information System for Education data (2015-16) reveals that 70% schools do not have toilets for CWSN. Though over 85% schools have ramps, many are just at the entrance and not for access to upper floors or toilets
"Mathematics should not be a subject forced on CWSN students, as even with a writer, it is hard to solve problems or dictate math answers. The government, society and the school managements must understand that these children need all the support that they can get. Their life is already hard, so is ours. Compassion is all we need," said Manisha.
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