Education and training to the mentally retarded
include teaching self-dependence, gaining control over natural body rhythms,
keeping the body clean, bathing, cleaning teeth and dressing one-self. Their
I.Q. being very low, a great care has to be taken while teaching the mentally
retarded.
The education and training of these children
differs a lot from that of normal children. Their syllabus has to include
self-dependence, etiquettes, conversation, everyday activities etc. While
chalking out their syllabus their level of I.Q. and behavioural problems
have to be considered. Their home environment is also required to be weighed
while chalking out the syllabus. Since there is no safe method to teach
these children, each child is a class by himself requiring special attention.
It is truly a herculean task to inculcate self-independence
among the mentally retarded children.
In the pursuit of facing challenge
In view of the gravity and seriousness of mental
retardation and the intricacies involved in the methods aimed at dealing
with it, a great care and caution has to be exercised while forming the
groups of children depending upon their level of I.Q. for the purpose of
their education and training. With the active involvement of parents and
trained teachers, we plan lessons to be taught to them every week and keep
on revising these lessons off and on depending upon the progress of the
children and, if necessary, to keep on shifting a child from one group to
the other so that he finds the group congenial and education and training
meaningful.
In order to understand the views of eminent personalities
in the field of mental retardation and also with a view to get acclimatised
with the results of research conducted by similar schools or organisations,
our teachers are deputed to participate in the conferences/seminars/conventions
organised by the institutes/government, semi-government and autonomous bodies.
Our teachers participate in such seminars, conferences, conventions etc.,
submit their reports to the trustees and deliberate on new topics/methods
learnt by them, among themselves and with the Principal ultimately with
a view to amend or revise our methodology in the larger interests of education
and training of the mentally retarded. Besides, we also organise the conferences,
seminars etc., in our own school inviting dignitaries to speak on certain
occasions in order that our teachers get an opportunity of exchanging their
views with authorities in the field.
In order that the parents of mentally retarded
children should not consider our school as an escape for them from these
children, we grant vacation to the school during summer and Diwali so that
the children can stay in the midst of their family for a long time without
interruption and nurture the feeling of being very much a part of the family.
The mentally retarded children are also deputed to participate in the various
tournaments/events organised by government/semi-government and autonomous
bodies as well as other social service organisations and schools. The mentally
retarded children are afforded an opportunity to present their individual
performance and/or group performance in the field of art, acting, dress
competitions, drawings, dance competitions, cultural programmes and also
outdoor sports events like running etc., or in-door sports like carrom etc.,
in order to get them exposure to the outside world with a view to inculcating
in them the feeling of self-confidence.
Assessment of Success
Currently, we have 120 mentally retarded children
undergoing education and training within the age range of 4 -18 years. Out
of the total number of 120, 79 are boys while 41 are girls within the I.Q.
range of 21 - 66. They are grouped in 12 divisions under the charge of 15
teachers of whom 14 are female teachers, assisted by seven members of non-teaching
staff making a tally of 22 teaching and non-teaching staff. We have classified
our students according to the nature of their mental retardation like mild/moderate/severe
mental retardation, down syndrome, epilepsy, cerebral palsy, birth asphyxia,
hyperactive etc. and also on the basis of the progress achieved in attending
to daily routine activities, etiquettes, conversation, group compatibility
etc. We have further classified them according to their requirements of
special case/need like speech problem, language problem, therapy, meningitis
etc.
After students attain the age of 18 years, according
to the rules of the government obtaining in this behalf, they are required
to be transferred to Sheltered Workshop. While in the school for mentally
retarded, we try to take utmost care to ensure that the child after attaining
the age of 18 can undertake some gainful activities preferably of the monotonous
nature so that they can draw earnings, though marginally. It stands to the
credit of the school that five mentally retarded students after leaving
the school were in a position to secure petty jobs on their own elsewhere
on the recommendation of our school. We are also happy to record that five
others have been placed most comfortably and gainfully.
Introspection without a sense of complacency
The trustees of 'ASTITVA' are fully aware that
I.Q. level of any mentally retarded child cannot increase even a bit inspite
of the voluminous efforts directed towards the end. It has therefore been
our constant endeavour to activate his other faculties which may be subtle
so that the mentally retarded child can atleast be trained to attend to
his day to day activities and make a modest earning lest he is considered
a burden on the family and/or the society of which he is very much an integral
part.
With this broader objective in view, our process
of research and development in the field of mental retardation is under
way continuously without interruption. We consider each child as a class
by himself and a subject for research in mental retardation. We firmly believe
based on the results of our research that if one faculty of any individual
is dormant, the other faculties are bound to be capable of getting activated
to make good the deficit only if we work towards the end with enthusiasm
and missionary zeal without the slightest sense of complacency.
