A school of love for differently abled

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Many educational institutions think twice before admitting a differently-abled child. But Radha Devi decided to plod a different path by setting up an institution for them. “Denying education to a child in the name of being differently abled is a crime as far as I am concerned. So, I always wished to initiate a venture to facilitate education to them,’’ Radha Devi says. There was a strong driving force behind her to do so. The Manager of Keraliya Vidyabhavan Educational Trust decided to venture into something different when a set of parents in the CBSE school under her management objected to admitting physically and mentally challenged students to study with their kids. Thus was born Keraliya Vidya Bhavan Special School near Vandithadom, a few kilometres away from the city.  While attending a training camp on coaching children with disabilities conducted by Indian Overseas Bank, she met Sreekala S - now a teacher with the institution - who had a formal grounding in horticulture therapy training, to teach people of this kind. Their ideological similarities led to the inception of this special school in January 2011. The students in the school are given training under horticulture therapy in which they will be involved in various activities close to nature, like planting and watering saplings on their own for their physical and mental well-being. Light weight sponges are given to students to soak water and drip it to the plants. Doing physical activities in the training can impart strength to the physically weak external organs like hands and legs.   In a serene atmosphere away from the hustle and bustle of the city, children play, learn and enjoy in a world of their own. From three-and-a- half-year-old Karthik to 27-year-old Gireesh, 17 ‘kids’ sit under one roof in an idyllic setting. Among them, two are admitted to standard one and others are given informal education in executing some basic aspects like taking food, greeting others, using toilets and the like. Two teachers and two supportive staff ensure quality care to students who are autistic, physically and mentally challenged. Constant interaction with the parents help teachers in being updated with the status of the kids and device new strategies to tackle their problems. Says Sreedevi Sunil, mother of a eight-and-a-half-year-old Sudev Sunil, ‘’my boy finds it difficult to stand erect on his legs. After giving exposure to various activities through the training at the school, he has improved a lot from what he was before.” All expenses, including salary of staff, maintenance and management of the school, are met by the KVB Educational Trust, providing free education. The College of Agriculture, Vellayani, is providing the technological transfer to the school. “As the school approached us, we provided them with adequate adaptive techniques. The knowledge for how to adopt various strategies to develop the exceptional children is what is intended with the therapy,’’ says Beela G K, Assistant Professor in the Department of Home Science at the College of Agriculture, Vellayani. “Satisfaction of students and their parents is our primary concern. At present, the school is in its nascent phase and we need to bring more amenities and infrastructure for better performance in future,” Radha Devi says.