Seminar on “specific learning disabilities”
Children with learning disability are the most vulnerable group, Pramila Manoharan, Assistant Project Officer – Education, UNICEF Officer for Tamil Nadu and Kerala, said here on Wednesday.Speaking at a seminar on “specific learning disabilities” organised by the Department of School Education at the Corporation Boys High School, Siddhapudur, she said educators should take care of learning disability. The potential of children with learning disability was hidden; the teachers should make an effort to uncover it, she added. According to the United Nations convention on child rights, the child has the right to full development.Though Tamil Nadu held the second place in school enrolment according to the Annual Status Educational Report, it lagged behind Bihar in educational achievement.In Tamil Nadu, 53 per cent of the children could not read and write. Fifty seven per cent of them could not do basic mathematics, according to the report.
With the support from the private sector, the concept of leaning disability could be taken to a larger group of students, Ms.Pramila added. G.Bakthavathsalam, Chairman, K.G.Hospital, who delivered the keynote address, said teachers should identify and correct the future of their students.“Not everyone is fortunate to study in affluent schools. And the best schools in India do not always produce the best of students,” he said.He urged the teachers to change their attitude towards teaching.“Teachers have the ability to convert an ordinary student into an extra ordinary individual,” he said. They should create an empathetic environment in the classroom and also stress the importance of character building and civic education.
Chief Education Officer S.Karmegam said the field of learning disability was largely neglected.Even the teacher training programmes did not include any material on specific learning disorders.There was an absolute need for sensitisation of teachers on the problems faced by certain children in the learning process.The aim of the seminar was to bring together professionals working in the field of learning disability and parents and equip them with the skills required to tackle the problem, he said.
