Friday 26 / July / 2024
Muscat: A workshop entitled, “Inclusion-A step towards a barrier-free environment,” was held at the Indian School, Salalah on February 27.
Inclusive education is based on the simple idea that every child is valued equally and deserves the same opportunities and experiences. This means being fully aware that the key to creating a successful inclusive programme is to educate ourselves and others about how every student in the classroom gets the chance to reach his or her full potential.
The Indian School Salalah has always been active in facilitating learning for the Special Needs Group, which was done through the one-day workshop, organised for the teachers handling classes from kindergarten to Class 5, in the school’s AV room. Parents, as well teachers from Indian school Thumrait, were also a part of the stimulating workshop.
The session was graced by the presence of Ram Santhanam, president of the School Management Committee, Dr. Ernest, vice president of the School Management Committee, Dr. Debashish Bhattacharya, member SMC and chairman, CCA committee, Vinay Kumar member, SMC, Jonathan Solomon member, SMC, Dr. Lovely Eugene, the occupational therapist at the Sultan Qaboos Hospital, Salalah, Principal T. R. Brown, Vice Principal Omana Mathews and Assistant Vice Principal S. Srinivasan.
Librarian Pushkala welcomed the guests and the distinguished resource persons. Sumana, a member of the Mathematics faculty introduced the resource person Sujatha Sriram, a special educator, counsellor and consultant in inclusion, from Chennai, India.
Sriram began the session with motivating words for teachers by saying that the inclusion is a big challenge, but is possible if the teachers are confident and believe in themselves. The participants were taken through the goals, principles and benefits of an inclusive education. Sriram stressed that teachers are the key to the success in inclusion and that they play a vital role in identifying special needs groups. She also discussed in detail the various skills to be observed by teachers at the primary level. She explained that teachers have to observe the speech, fine motor skills, gross motor skills, eye-hand coordination, attention, hyperactivity, impulsivity, reading, writing, comprehension, visual skills, memory, organisation and language problems.
She illustrated this point by making the participants do activities, and understand the needs of the special need group. Sriram also stressed that if a child’s intelligence can be identified, then teachers can accommodate different children more successfully.
She then dealt with the topic “Profiling Multiple Intelligence,” where she explained the nine aspects of Multiple Intelligence or MI.
To identify MI, the participants were asked to think and mark the parameters for identifying their intelligence. She then assigned a group activity where the participants had to make a lesson plan on the given topic using two types of intelligence. The teachers came up with functional lesson plans.
In the final session Sriram summed up by saying, “Inclusion is a world that works for everyone.” She highlighted that inclusion is important as, “Every child has the right to education.”
She further stated that some of the benefits of inclusion for children are friendship skills, peer models, problem solving skills, positive self-image and respect for others, adding that the involvement of parents in inclusive schools should not be underestimated. She concluded with a striking message – “How do we conclude– ‘Just Include,’” and that schools should be ‘SAFE-Schools Are For Everyone.’
After Mythili Narayanan, the Primary in-charge, thanked all participants, SMC President Santhanam, accompanied by Dr. Ernest and Principal Brown presented a memento to the resource person.
The workshop concluded with a vote of thanks proposed by Ponni Baskar and was deemed extremely informative, motivating and an enriching experience by the participants.
She illustrated this point by making the participants do activities, and understand the needs of the special need group.
Sriram also stressed that if a child's intelligence can be identified, then teachers can accommodate different children more successfully and according to their orientation towards learning. She then dealt with the topic “Profiling Multiple Intelligence,” where she explained the nine aspects of Multiple Intelligence or MI.
To identify MI, the participants were asked to think and mark the parameters for identifying their intelligence. She then assigned a group activity where the participants had to make a lesson plan on the given topic using two types of intelligence. The teachers came up with functional lesson plans.
In the final session Sriram summed up by saying, “Inclusion is a world that works for everyone.” She highlighted that inclusion is important as, “Every child has the right to education.”
She further stated that some of the benefits of inclusion for children are friendship skills, peer models, problem solving skills, positive self-image and respect for others, adding that the involvement of parents in inclusive schools should not be underestimated. She concluded with a striking message – “How do we conclude– ‘Just Include,’” and that schools should be ‘SAFE-Schools Are For Everyone.’
After Mythili Narayanan, the Primary in-charge, thanked all participants, SMC President Santhanam, accompanied by Dr. Ernest and Principal Brown presented a memento to the resource person.
The workshop concluded with a vote of thanks proposed by Ponni Baskar and was deemed extremely informative, motivating and an enriching experience by the participants.
