Director Samagra Shiksha exploring new technology for their education: CEO Pulwama

Pampore: A distribution cum fitment camp for aids and appliances for students with disabilities was concluded on Friday in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district.
Chief Education Office Pulwama in collaboration with ALIMCO under the banner of Samagra Shiksha organised the four-day distribution cum fitment camp during which the officials distributed various assistive devices to 366 Children With Special Needs (CWSN) in the district.
The Chief Education Officer Pulwama Abdul Qayoom Nadvi distributed aid and appliances among 115 children with special needs at the Government Boys Higher Secondary School Tral on Friday.
Officials from Tral, Lurgam and Awantipora education zones of the district and other officials departments, besides parents and relatives of the children, were also present on the occasion, officials told Kashmir Reader.
The CEO told Kashmir Reader that they provided aid and assistance to the specially-abled children and that during the four-day distribution cum fitment, workshops were also held in four places in the district.
Among the total CWSN 1487 identified, 366 students were selected for aids and appliances with different kinds of disabilities and were provided 629 appliances of various types of aids and assistive devices.
These beneficiaries were identified during the assessment camps conducted at different education zones of the district which includes Pulwama, Pampore, Drabgam and Tral last year.
“We provide training to general line teachers on how to teach children with special needs,” Project Director Samagra Shiksha, Deep Raj told Kashmir Reader, adding that they sought the assistance of special educators and resource persons from the Government of India.
The director said that they want to ensure the availability of two special educators and resource persons per zone for educating children with special needs.
“We also want to ensure availability of the latest technology for these children,” he said, adding that they launched an applications app which is helping them a lot. He added that they will ensure such facilities which these children can use at their home level to have access to quality education.
He said that last year they identified 4,990 children who needed different aids and appliances. In Pulwama, we distributed assistance appliances and devices among 366 children with special needs, he added.
The government stands with the parents of CWSN and will help them in achieving their goals.
Mohammad Ayoub, a parent from Pampore, told Kashmir that the children with special needs are given monthly assistance of Rs one thousand.
“We request the government to increase this monthly financial assistance,” he said, adding that they appreciate the Chief Education Officer Pulwama and zonal educational officers Pampore for holding such special camps.
The parents also requested for providing electric vehicles to their wards and also keep a special provision for their education.
“Our children possess talent and the government should frame an education policy for them to nourish their skills,” said another parent.

BILAL HABIB