For the society to tap the fruits of integrated education, teacher-trainees should be equipped with the techniques of teaching differently-abled children, said M.N.G. Mani, CEO, International Council for Education of People with Visual Impairment, and managing trustee, UDIS Forum, at a function held here on Monday.
He was speaking at the ‘Awareness Programme on Disability Management’, which the Department of Special Education of Avinashilingam University had conducted in association with the UDIS Forum and with support from CBM, an NGO.
Mr. Mani said that with a large number of differently-abled students going to regular schools under the Sarva Siksha Abiyan programme, as part of the integrated education programme, it was imperative that the teachers at the schools were equipped to teach such students.
The success of the integrated education programme depended on their ability to teach such students, he said.
The right way to equip the teachers was not conducting refresher courses or seminars when they were on the job. It was to train them in the techniques when they were students of teacher training colleges. And doing so would be in conformity with the National Council for Teacher Education norms, which had said that one in every seven faculty should have the necessary qualification to teach courses on teaching persons with disability. In short, pre-service was required and not in-service training.
R. Indrani, principal in-charge, Government College of Education for Women, delivered the inaugural address. R. Chandra, dean, Faculty of Education, Avinashilingam Institute for Home Science and Higher Education for Women, delivered the presidential address. Premavathy Vijayan, professor and HoD, Special Education, welcomed the gathering.
And, G. Victoria Naomi, associate professor, Special Education, proposed the vote of thanks.
