Peace through Special Education

an article by Rajudeen

Peace through Special Education is the theme of the latest attempt by Service Civil International - Sri Lanka Branch in its persevering efforts to contribute in some little way to the much needed peace effort in the country.

120 primary school teachers belonging to the Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim Communities have been identified to under go a 12 day training programme in the identification of special needs children in their class rooms.

Mentally handicapped children are the most neglected and discriminated lot among the disabled. Many children go undetected, uncared and neglected. Very often they are detected very late thus rendering rehabilitation very difficult or even impossible.

The goal of this programme, which has received funding from Cordaid and INTO Ireland, SCI proposes to empower these teachers with a much needed basic knowledge of identifying them as searly as possible and refer them to the professional so that they would receive the necessary advice and support.

The teachers belonging to all communities would have the opportunity to meet and interact with each other - sharing their culture and good practices and alsos the engage in joint activities.

The children attending the pre-schools also will have opportunity to meet with their counterparts in the Sinhala, Muslim and Tamil pre-schools and to apprecciate the need to understand and appreciate one another culture.

Very unfortunately the educational methodology in Sri lanka has brought about deep divisions among the the ethnic communities by promoting and practicing seperate schools for the different ethnic groups and the chances of children of different communites meeting one another is very rare. The unfolding tragedy in Sri Lanka is very tragic indeed. LETS CONTRIBUTE IN SOME LITTLE WAY FOR PEACE AND JUSTICE TO PREVAIL OVER DEATH AND ANARCHY.

DISCUSSION

Question(s) related to this article:

Children with disabilities, How can they contribute to the community?

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The philosophy behind the AIKYA Recreation Centre is explained as follows by its founder, Parvathy Viswanath:

Children with disabilities, because of their unique emotional and psycho-educational needs, stimulate the creative talents of parents, teachers and professionals who work with them.

Art as a therapy is used as a medium to help the child express his innermost thoughts and feelings.  Usually the art therapist lets the child express his creativeness uninhibitedly by making the environment as non-threatening and safe as possible. The child is encouraged to let his guard down and empower himself through self-exploration and interpretation. There are no fixed standards or goals, nor are there models, rules or standards. The emphasis is on the process and not on the end product. The therapist acts as a facilitator and does not expect the child to adapt to a given environment. Instead the environment is brought to the child. . ...more.

This report was posted on March 22, 2009.

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