With the end of the academic year just a couple of months away, schools have already begun sounding out parents of children with specific learning disabilities to look for other schools for their children.
Naturally, that has them worried. Some of them have managed to reach out to Blink Foundation and 3R Research & Technology, in a desperate measure to see if anything can be done at all.
“If children with learning difficulties study in schools that are not inclusive or institutions that refuse to pursue necessary interventions, they are often asked to leave at the end of the school year,” says Arun Fernandez, managing director, Blink Foundation, and 3R Research & Technology. 3R inaugurated a new learning centre at Nungambakkam on Monday and Mr. Arun, who was diagnosed with dyslexia when he was 13, said that the centre aims to create a better learning environment for children with Specific Learning Disabilities (SLDs).
With the use of assistive technology, skill development, a specially-designed curriculum and remedial tutors, the centre will cater to children with learning difficulties as well as motivate students of classes 10 and 12 to take up the board exams through the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS).
Celebrating learners
In India, one in 5 school-going children have SLDs and in Chennai , the foundation has seen it in nearly 10 % of children in the schools, where they screened for SLDs. While there are a few inclusive schools, Mr. Arun said that more mainstream schools should attempt to understand children with learning difficulties and celebrate all learners.
“We have set up 3R labs in four schools in the city and these are well defined learning spaces where children with learning difficulties can learn reading, writing and arithmetic with learning aids and study modules under tutors,” he explained.
M.P. Subisha, who works with Business Development at 3R Research said that in schools, they create awareness among the faculty members and also address the parents. “After the screening process, we speak to the parents of children who have learning difficulties about the interventions that can be taken,” she added.
Unity Public School in the city has a 3R lab on campus being used by 60 students. “Even if we carry out a screening and inform parents that their children might have a learning difficulty, there is still some resistance from their side with regard to making the necessary interventions. Through the lab which functions during class hours, we hope to have a more inclusive environment where the needs of all our learners can be addressed,” said Nisar Ahmed Shariff, CEO, Unity Group of schools.
As a next step, the Blink Foundation is working with the National Institute for Empowerment of Persons with Multiple Disabilities towards validating an informal screening tool which parents can use a to identify children at risk of SLD.
"This is not a labelling tool but can be used by the parents to identify if their children are at risk. Through this, we're hoping there is early identification and intervention ," Mr. Arun added.
