The passion and dedication which the teachers of Kolkata’s showpiece school display for mainstreaming challenged children is in conformity with a growing global movement for inclusive education Established as recently as 1998 under the aegis of the Rajpal Khullar Memorial Trust to provide quality education to all children, with a special mission to mainstream challenged students, Kolkata’s Akshar School bills itself as a “co-ed inclusive school firmly rooted in the culture of India”. The moving spirit behind the school who has made the right of “all children to be included in the mainstream” of primary and secondary education his top priority is Deepak Khullar, chairperson of Akshar and a successful Kolkata-based restaurateur who believes it’s time to move away from stereotypical norms in Indian education. “There was an evident void in the education system when it came to quality education for special children. Akshar was born out of the urgent need for an institution that would provide all children the right to be included in the mainstream,” explains Khullar. Teaming up with accomplished educationist Neena Singh and wife Kavneet, a skilled special educator, he set up Akshar as an inclusive school ab initio. And the Khullars’ effort to establish a breakthrough school with special emphasis on mainstreaming challenged children is supported by Prof. Yashpal, well-known scientist and former chairman of the University Grants Commission (the chief patron of Akshar) and a host of other notables including trustee and vice chairperson of the Spastics Society of Eastern India, Sudha Kaul. “Standardised assessments are inappropriate for children with learning disabilities; hence we assess their potential and make our evaluations based on research and practical work by renowned educators and doctors worldwide,” says executive director Neena Singh. Adds principal Kavneet Khullar: “Right from the start our dream was to provide a platform for regular and special children to mix and grow together thereby contributing to each other’s development. In Akshar we set individual goals for students with special needs whom we welcome rather than discourage into mainstream education.” Currently this caring and compassionate school affiliated with the Delhi-based Council for Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) offers personalised education to 380 kindergarten to class IX students instructed by 32 teachers. Each class whose strength is restricted to an upper limit of 24 students, includes three special needs children. “The ceiling restriction on the number of children per class enables teachers to cater to the specific learning requirement of every child. Moreover each class functions with a trained teacher assisted by a co-teacher, both implementing the curriculum mandated by CISCE. The role of the co-teacher is to supplement the efforts of the class teacher by assisting special needs children, who are given additional tuition in specially-equipped resource rooms as well,” says Kavneet. Although the Khullars and the school are committed to integrating special needs children, they are appreciative of the patience and talents of teachers who have qualified as special educators. “There will always be children for whom mainstream education is not feasible. Children with severe learning disabilities, major physical handicaps or…
Akshar School, Kolkata
EducationWorld November 04 | EducationWorld