School games in State to be made inclusive

New module to ensure participation of differently abled

Participants of a residential camp at the Government Vocational Higher Secondary School for Girls, Nadakkavu, trying out new games to ensure inclusive school games.

School games in Kerala will soon turn inclusive, making it easier for differently abled children to be part of them.

In a revolutionary move, probably for the first time in the country, the State is changing its school games module and designing new games that everyone can be part of.

Kozhikode will be the first district to implement it on a pilot basis.

“There is no point discussing inclusive education when we organise desperate games for differently abled children. Here, we are trying out novel games in which physical disabilities do not matter,” said A.K. Abdul Hakeem, Kozhikode District Coordinator of Samagra Siksha Kerala.

A three-day residential camp to this effect is under way at the Government Vocational Higher Secondary School for Girls at Nadakkavu here. Three members from each of the 15 block research centres in Kozhikode district, including a trainer, a resource teacher and physical education teacher, are taking part in the camp where the new games are being tried out.

Some of the games include wheelchair basketball, foot volley and sitting volley. “We will have games that suit children with each of the specific disadvantages. The participants of the camp will train the students in these games and prepare them for the next school games where competitions will be held based on the games,” said Mr. Hakeem.

The resource persons for the camp include experts from the National Council of Educational Research and Training, veteran sportspersons and physical education teachers.