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The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : An experiment in inclusive education
A small experiment is touring the country — children in more than 10 cities have been part of the quest that stopped by Chennai on Saturday. “Is inclusive education possible at all?” asks Diana Tholoor, founder of Bangalore-based Chrysallis Performance Arts Centre, to a group of teachers from mainstream and special schools.
After a workshop and session with a mixed class, the teachers reply with a cautious positive. They are quick to point out additional requirements — charts and other pieces of visual aid for hearing-impaired students, the need to verbalise all that is written down for the blind — all of which would require special training.
“This is an experiment to find out if inclusive education is possible, what form it could take and what support teachers would require, besides helping to improve awareness,” Ms. Tholoor explains. She hopes to conduct similar sessions in 24 cities before putting together her findings to bring out modules or lesson plans for inclusive classes.
The focus is on integrating students with vision, hearing and speech impairments with mainstream children, mostly in the pre-teen age group.
Special educators point out some of the problems this could entail.
Vinnarasi of Little Flower School for the Deaf lists the special exercises they give children, including lip reading, concentration improvement and conversation sessions. “If these children do not receive the same special attention in mainstream schools, they are likely to fall behind,” she says.
Ms. Tholoor has not decided either way yet. She is sure, however, that a method can be developed for teaching an inclusive class. Whether it would affect performance levels of students positively or negatively is a question that is likely to take another year to settle.
Chrysallis has come to Chennai previously to help mixed groups of children make placards demonstrating friendship.
Schools that participated in the programme on Saturday included Shanthi Rehabilitation Centre, Little Flower Convent for the Blind, Little Flower Convent for the Deaf, Montford Community Development Centre, St. Raphael High School, Santhome Higher Secondary School and Rosary Matriculation School.
A small experiment is touring the country — children in more than 10 cities have been part of the quest that stopped by Chennai on Saturday. “Is inclusive education possible at all?” asks Diana Tholoor, founder of Bangalore-based Chrysallis Performance Arts Centre, to a group of teachers from mainstream and special schools.
After a workshop and session with a mixed class, the teachers reply with a cautious positive. They are quick to point out additional requirements — charts and other pieces of visual aid for hearing-impaired students, the need to verbalise all that is written down for the blind — all of which would require special training.
“This is an experiment to find out if inclusive education is possible, what form it could take and what support teachers would require, besides helping to improve awareness,” Ms. Tholoor explains. She hopes to conduct similar sessions in 24 cities before putting together her findings to bring out modules or lesson plans for inclusive classes.
The focus is on integrating students with vision, hearing and speech impairments with mainstream children, mostly in the pre-teen age group.
Special educators point out some of the problems this could entail.
Vinnarasi of Little Flower School for the Deaf lists the special exercises they give children, including lip reading, concentration improvement and conversation sessions. “If these children do not receive the same special attention in mainstream schools, they are likely to fall behind,” she says.
Ms. Tholoor has not decided either way yet. She is sure, however, that a method can be developed for teaching an inclusive class. Whether it would affect performance levels of students positively or negatively is a question that is likely to take another year to settle.
Chrysallis has come to Chennai previously to help mixed groups of children make placards demonstrating friendship.
Schools that participated in the programme on Saturday included Shanthi Rehabilitation Centre, Little Flower Convent for the Blind, Little Flower Convent for the Deaf, Montford Community Development Centre, St. Raphael High School, Santhome Higher Secondary School and Rosary Matriculation School.