Challenges of the Challenged..

Every educated and rational individual will opine that a physically and mentally challenged child should be offered all opportunities that a so termed “normal “one gets. But how far does this concept relate in real life. And of all the chances that we are talking about, perhaps the most important one is that of learning. It is a very unfortunate fact our society does not treat these “Special Children” equally. Even today when we boast of living in an advanced world discrimination and negligence involving education of such kids are rampant. It is time to not only applaud initiatives like “Taare Zameen Par” but actually incorporate its essence of innovative techniques and methods of teaching and attitude of equality at a mass level.

However, in recent times there is a shift of attitude towards the education of challenged children and it is accepted by experts that each child should be allowed to learn in his own way rather than being forced to follow rigid pre set standards. The concept of Inclusive learning is also making waves. It connotes that all children should be allowed without restriction to participate equally in all education programmes. Such a system of education defines these children as ones with special needs rather than using terms such as “handicapped” or” impaired” which lays down a positive attitude and a sense of acceptance of these children.

Technology and special teaching methods has come a long way in aiding “Challenged Children”. Various technological aids are being used to help such children teach and communicate. In many cases the special children are so challenged that they cannot even emote or communicate at the basic level. Hence , the need of technical support is vital. These specialized technologies are often called assistive technology because they consist of equipments or software that is used to maintain or enhance functional capabilities of a challenged child. Assistive technology includes hardware such as scanners, adapted keyboards, hearing aids, and software such as speech recognition and thought organization. At the base level, assistive technology generally consists of the following devices facilitating access:

• To a standard PC

• To and of manipulation of the written word.

• To and of manipulation of the spoken word.

• To devices that compensate cognitive deficits.

Electronic reading aids are also employed which can scan and translate printed text into a computer readable file that can be read with Braille display or magnification software. Even Electronic libraries are set up to further assist the teaching aids.

Different teaching methods are employed keeping in mind the type of challenge a child is facing. This makes the process of teaching more individual friendly guaranteeing personal attention to the need of each child. The most widely used teaching techniques are Braille and Sign language.

Braille system is mostly used to teach visually impaired children. It is writing system which enables blind and partially sighted people to read and write through touch. Braille has been adapted to write many different languages and is also used for musical and mathematical notation.

Sign language is a mode which uses manual communication, body language, and lip patterns to convey meaning instead of sound. It often involves simultaneous combination of hand shapes, orientation, body movements and facial expressions to express the speaker’s thoughts in a smooth and fluid manner. The use of Sign language is developed mostly in Deaf communities. There are hundreds of sign languages that are being used across the world.

Bal Kalyan Sanstha Pune, founded in 1979, is a Recreational and Cultural Centre for disabled children in the state of Maharashtra, India. It began its journey during a time when educating disabled children was important, but the recreational needs were not being met due to lack of funds and space. Government officials, social workers, and teachers worked together in order to get the Sanstha up and running. Today 1200 to 1500 children attend the center weekly from areas in and around Pune.

To sum up it will be apt to say that there is ample availability of technology to support the education of Special children. But the major factor is a change in mentality towards their education requirements. The services of Non Government Organizations and Government policies do exist. It is the use and implementation of these policies and services that are of vital importance.

Corporal Punishment..

Corporal Punishment- this term has been a bone of contention among parents, students and educational authorities. Recently, the news channels and newspapers have been flooded with cases of brutality that children face in schools. The public have been shocked and outraged but largely unaware of the many forms in which corporal punishment manifests itself. We need to ask ourselves whether its justified that the young kids are exposed and are victims of such kind of violence. When imparting such forms of punishment do the school authorities take into account the psychological damage that can take place? And perhaps the most shocking fact is that often the punishment children face at home can be equally damaging and can also range into corporal punishment. The combination of such trauma in both school and home can lead to serious damage to the child.

Awareness is very important about this concept. Technically speaking, Corporal Punishment is the deliberate infliction of pain intended to punish a person or to change his behavior. United Nations has undertaken a campaign called” Global Initiative to end all Corporal Punishment of children”. This campaign has set a target to prohibit all forms of violence against children by the year of 2009 including the types they face in their homes. It is a very unfortunate fact that even well meaning many parents also imparts such punishment that is damaging to the kids. Punishment is given by way of correction. But physical damage often does more harm than good. Use of force is justified to transform unacceptable behavior of a child and to express symbolic disapproval so that it is not repeated. But the force must be used in such a manner that it does not inflict any bodily harm.

Race and gender are very significant factors which determine corporal punishment. Statistically speaking, the boys are administered more violent forms of punishment than the girls in home. Even in schools punishment of male students are likely to be more aggressive and severe. Even the possibility of the boys being hit for the same infractions is more than that of the girls. In fact, statistics show that the socio economically weaker children face more corporal punishment. Research proves that such action is potentially counter productive for children and even more so for the boys who in all likelihood tend to develop rebellious attitude. Imparting corporal punishment may for some time persuade one to show compliance but in most cases it does not generate positive long term effects.

Smacking or spanking is the most common form of corporal punishment that takes place at home. In schools this extends to being hit by canes or being slapped. Opponents of Corporal Punishment argue that such form of chastisement is equal to abuse. Psychological research has proved that such sentencing causes deterioration of trust bonds especially between parents and children. It tends to polarize the Parent-Child relationship, reducing the amount of spontaneous cooperation on behalf of the child. The bond between a teacher and a student is more fragile and tentative than the one between parents and off springs. It becomes absolutely vital on the part of the teacher to ensure that the form of chastisement is proper and for the improvement of the child. Disciplining strategies that are used in educational institutions and at homes should not be physically and emotionally hampering to the child.

The attitude of the three parties involved could not be more contrasting. Children believe that such forms reprimand should not be implemented on them. If they are at fault at any point of time, it should be considered as a part of their learning curve. It has to be altered and not penalized. The teachers and educational boards often say that some strict form of disciplining is very crucial and they are for the betterment of the child and are not destructive in nature. Parents generally belong to a very different class in this argument. The most frequent words are that the schools are unjustified to chastise their kids in such an aggressive manner but their own form of punishment cannot be wrong.

History has been witness that children facing severe physical punishment was considered normal curriculum of school. However now it is considered a violation of human rights of children. Therefore the time has come to be actively participate against such social norms that allow young kids to be sufferers of such vicious penalties for their missteps.

Thoughts Of A Lost Soul..

I walked straight and narrow,

I walked far and wide;

I meandered solitary and alone,

I paced with strangers aside.

Never could I grasp joy in my numb fingers,

Neither could I ever sigh in contentment;

No romance for me in the arms of a lover,

No mother’s love caressing me in my ailment.

Worlds were in harmony & the Gods feasting,

& my soul was bleeding, one humble drop at a time;

Lightning struck; the lands trembled with wrath of heavens,

That rage soothing wounds of a lifetime.

The shredded soul stares as enlightenment creeps in,

I am not of this world; I do not belong in this age;

Born perhaps a century earlier, a mere mortal instead of mighty power,

Maybe a century late, an ignorant spirit in place of a sage.