When the meritorious SSC students in the cities across the state were
celebrating their success in exams, there was a bunch of twenty six
students from the special school at Anandwan who took time to react. 13
deaf and mute and 12 blind students cleared the Standard X board exam
with two getting 75% marks, informs Dr Sheetal Amte, who runs the
school.
"Dharti Todase got 75.8% and Gokul Pardi 75% marks while
six others have attained more than 70%. It is a commendable feat as
these children study against heavy odds," says Amte.
These physically challenged children hail from extremely poor
families where they are considered a burden. So the parents leave them
at the residential schools just to get rid of them. "But our residential
facilities are only till Standard VII. After that these children have
to return to their homes." This is what makes this achievement all the
more commendable. "The children have to drop out after class 7th. To
appear for Standard X examination they need to resume studies after
three years. They take the exams through Form 17 which permits them to
appear externally," says Amte.
"Underprivileged disabled children
bear the maximum brunt of apathy and indifference of the society,"
feels Amte. There are no residential facilities for higher studies for
such children. "Since last ten years we are trying to accommodate at
least 20 to 25 children for the class X board exams in our school. But
it is a difficult work. Members of our faculty Sanjay Penche and others
teach them pro bono," informs Amte.
Only 1% of disabled children
are able to pursue their studies beyond class X. That's because they
require conducive environment, compatible living space, trained teachers
and other facilities to be able to do so. It speaks of the grit of
these students that many have completed their LLB courses and are now
employed.
"This year we have already got 22 blind students and 15
deaf and mute students and six more may join," informs Amte. Her major
concern is lack of funds. "We hope to make these children economically
independent so that they can live with dignity. This is possible only
when they can pursue higher studies." Amte says that she needs financial
aid for this project which would take care of boarding and lodging
facilities of students, the salary of the faculty and teaching aids and
stationary material. "We have space for up to 50 children but don't have
the required funds to keep them with us," she says.
Source : TOI , 5th July 2013
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