In an attempt to raise awareness about mainstreaming more special children with different mental disabilities to regular schools, officials of the School Education Department organised a human chain in Pallavaram on Wednesday, in connection with World Down's syndrome Day.
School children, members of voluntary organisations, teachers and officials of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) took part in the human chain formed on Grand Southern Trunk Road between Maraimalai Adigal Government Higher Secondary School, Pallavaram, and Chromepet.
Speaking to The Hindu , special educators and physiotherapists who teach special children at day care centres in Pallavaram and Medavakkam near Tambaram, said the level of awareness among the general public on mental health and illness was very low. Many parents refuse to send their children with disabilities to schools. The Right to Education Act, 2009, resolved to ensure that every child attends schools and hence the awareness programme.
The day care centres in Medavakkam and Pallavaram are run by SSA under its Inclusive Education for the Disabled programme and a little more than 50 children visit them along with their parents every day.
After a morning prayer, the children are given warm-up exercises, yoga, physiotherapy and lessons through an interactive audio-visual method. A nutritious lunch is provided to them along with milk and snacks every day. Twice a week, children are given eggs.
At present, only a few children in these day care centres have Down's syndrome, according to the officials and volunteers from Keelottivakkam Grama Sangam, the voluntary agency helping the School Education Department of Kancheepuram District with this project.
Officials said a beginning was made on Wednesday adding that a series of programmes to cover all areas in the southern suburbs of Chennai would be taken up in the weeks to come. Enrolling all children with Down's syndrome was not only a responsibility of government agencies, but also that of parents, neighbours, elected representatives and other members of the society, officials added.
