Srimati Kamla Mehta Dadar School for the Blind, Mumbai

Founded by the American Marathi Mission 107 years ago, SKMDSB is widely acknowledged as the country’s premier primary-cum-secondary school for visually challenged girl children India perhaps has the largest population of visually challenged people worldwide whose number is estimated at 15 million. Of this huge number, according to the National Association for the Blind, more than 3 million are children of school-going age. Unfortunately only 10 percent (i.e 300,000) of them are in school and/or receiving any type of education. The remaining 90 percent have to fend for themselves combating poverty, social prejudice, illiteracy, unavailability of Braille teaching-learning materials and specially trained teachers. Moreover a major cause of pervasive illiteracy among the visually challenged is government indifference and private school managements who callously refuse to include them in mainstream education. In the circumstances, the efforts of special schools for visually challenged children assume critical significance as they offer them education and also showcase their learning abilities. One such pioneer institution is the Srimati Kamla Mehta Dadar School for the Blind (SKMDSB), in central Mumbai. Founded 107 years ago by the American Marathi Mission, SKMDSB is widely acknowledged as the country’s premier primary-cum-secondary school for the visually challenged. A Maharashtra government-aided institution, this kindergarten-class X school offers free education as well as boarding facilities to 170 visually challenged girl children from underprivileged families, some from as far afield as Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat. The school follows the Maharashtra state board curriculum and students write the class X SSC board examination. The 170 students are instructed and attended to by a staff of 60, of whom 22 are teachers. “Our objective is to provide visually challenged girl students with all-round education which will equip them with the skills to pursue higher education and integrate in mainstream society as independent, productive citizens. SKMDSB teachers are specially trained by the National Institute for the Visually Handicapped to deliver classroom lessons using Braille textbooks and appropriate teaching-learning materials. Our overriding objective is to enable our students to integrate with mainstream education and ultimately with society. To help smooth this process we have an arrangement with our neighbouring Saraswati High School which follows a policy of inclusive education. SKMDSB class IX and X girl students attend classes in the Saraswati School with regular students. Our experience indicates that two years of mainstream schooling prepares our girls for college education,” says Shyama Chavan, principal of SKMDSB since 2001. A school and college champion in badminton and table tennis, Chavan has a B.Ed degree in physical education from Mumbai University. Promoted by American missionary Anna Miller in 1900 as the American Mission School for the Blind to cater to the large number of children who had lost their vision during the devastating Sholapur famine of 1887-1888, the school was rechristened the Srimati Kamla Mehta Dadar School for the Blind in 1986. In its 107-year-old history, the management of the school has changed hands many times and weathered several financial crises. Currently it is run by the Blind Relief…