Building manpower

Equal opportunities in all areas and integration into the mainstream is what the disabled people have been asking for years and access to the normal schools rather then restricting oneself to special schools is the first step towards it.
However, it is understood that in order to create a congenial atmosphere in schools and to ensure that ample care is taken of the needs of the disabled children the school teachers need to be sensitised and trained to handle these ‘differently abled’ individuals.Realising this need the Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI) has introduced a short-term ‘foundation course for in-service teachers’. The programme has been offered in distance learning mode in association with the Madhya Pradesh Bhoj Open University (MPBOU). According to Major H P S Ahluwalia, chairman, RCI, ‘‘The aim of RCI is to train specialist and create human resource for teaching children with disabilities in all categories.
The whole idea is to bring people with disabilities into mainstream and make them economically viable citizens of society. We are launching this foundation programme, encouraged by the success of our B Ed Special programme, which aims at creating teachers for specifically teaching disabled children.’’ The duration of the foundation programme is three months and it will include contact classes of three weeks. According to G Guru, faculty member, MPBOU, ‘‘Teachers will make community visits as a part of the curriculum as they need to know how to deal with parents of disabled children and educate them on taking care of these special children.
The curriculum will include inputs on early intervention as well, which will dwell on encouraging a normal life for disabled children right from the pre-nursery, nursery level.’’ Almost 200 centres all over India, with an enrolment capacity of 40 students each, have been recognised to impart this programme. The fees for the programme is Rs 1,500 and the certificate will be awarded by MPBOU. Ahluwalia said: ‘‘We are looking forward to even schools nominating teachers to undertake this course.’’ Email: rehabstd@ndc.vsnl.net.in Visit: www.rehabcouncil.org