Special needs kids of Indian schools excel in boards

Several students scored above 90 per cent for the Class X boards, while Class XII students scored equally good marks

Times News Service

MUSCAT: The immortal words of the late Stephen Hawking— “Disability need not be an obstacle to success”—have been proved right by 52 Indian school children with Special Education Needs (SEN) who passed their board examinations this year with flying colours.

Out of the 30 SEN children who appeared for the Class X board examinations, five scored more than 90 per cent, with the highest scorer David Saju Pulickal achieving 97 per cent. Other commendable achievers were Dharshan Ramakrishnan (95.2 per cent), Allan Benoy (94.4 per cent), Kushi Arora (93 per cent) and Jedidia Thomas Abraham (91.6 per cent). Two others have scored above 80 per cent and most of the remaining students have been placed in First Class with 60 per cent and above.

The results of the Class XII examinations were equally magnificent for the SEN children. Among the 22 children who appeared for the examination, Archit Prasad Kane topped the list with 92.6 per cent, while Hemin Hemantkumar Maharaja (91.6 per cent) and Abhirami Ajithkumar (85 per cent) attained the second and third positions respectively.

The Indian Schools in Oman ensure that no child with special needs is denied admission to mainstream education. Recognising that each child has unique learning potential, as well as distinctive developmental needs, Indian schools here provide individualised support through specially trained teachers and assistive devices.

As part of the inclusion process, the schools also modify the existing infrastructure and teaching methodologies to meet the requirements of students with special needs. While SEN students continue to attend lessons with the rest of the class, they are also directed to counsellors and special educators, who in turn work with other teachers, viceprincipals and staff who have undergone intensive training to understand inclusive education.

The resource training focuses on the identification of students’ needs and equips these resources with classroom management strategies. Parental intervention also plays a major role in supporting children with personalised learning needs.

“The results, as they say, speak for themselves. Once again our children have proven their mettle against all odds. This gives further motivation to practice inclusion on a larger scale across all Indian Schools in Oman, in the years to come. These children will also be an inspiration for all SEN children in lower classes and their anxious parents,” remarked Dr Baby Sam Samuel, Chairman, Indian Schools in Oman.

Some of the students who have cleared the Class X and Class XII exams this year with excellent results have faced Learning Disabilities (LD), Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Savant Syndrome, Attention Deficit Disorders (ADD) and various other special needs.