A school invited the department where I work, to conduct a workshop for teachers to create an awareness about children who have learning related needs in a class room! They were teachers and volunteers!
I have been used to this form engagement with teachers at schools at Chennai and Vellore earlier. It is the first time, this happens at Kolenchery.
What encourages me about this is that this school is getting ready to establish a resource room for children who need help in the regular class room and is even ready to plan for a new stream of learning for children who need a modified class room environment.
It is happening at a time, when I visit the Bangalore Baptist Hospital once a month to support them to start a child development centre and an early learning centre for developmentally challenged children. The hospital has a plan to link this with the local schools as well.
I have often dreamt of connecting child health departments in hospitals with local schools to support children who have medical needs because of which their learning gets compromised.
I heard from a family that their daughter missed thirty seven days in school year due to upper respiratory infections, each time for three or four days. Following their decision to treat her for vitamin D deficiency, provide pneumococcal vaccination, oral penicillin prophylaxis for three months and use of a nasal anti-allergic spray, the frequency of respiratory infection dropped to just one in six months. She did not miss the school any day in those six months.
I wish there would be collaboration between teachers and medical team in an active and cordial way so that children feel supported to enjoy schooling and class room activities!
M.C.Mathew(text and photo)
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