Mukkam: The special schools under the Department of General Education in Kerala will not adopt the revised curriculum this year too. The reason for this is that the teachers in special schools are not given the necessary training at the district and school levels. Officials maintain that there are no funds to provide the required training to the teachers.

The government had previously announced that the curriculum prepared by SCERT would be implemented this year in special schools for children with intellectual challenges. Following this, resource teachers were given state-level training last May. An institute based in Thiruvananthapuram is responsible for training teachers at the school level. However, this training was not provided. Union leaders of special schools held discussions with the Kerala Minister for Education and officials concerned twice, but to no avail.

Developing a new curriculum and providing training to teachers is part of improving the quality of public education. However, teachers in special schools have not received effective training for the past five years. The last training teachers received was an online class offered during the Covid pandemic, over two years ago. 

Meanwhile, training for teachers of BUDS Schools, which operate under the auspices of local government bodies, may take place this month. The teachers will receive training with the cooperation of Kudumbashree.

Importance of training

The importance of training and a proper curriculum for teaching differently-abled children cannot be overstated. These children have unique needs that require tailored instructional approaches, specialised teaching strategies, and adaptive technologies to ensure they receive an equitable education. Proper training equips educators with the skills and knowledge necessary to understand the diverse challenges and strengths of differently-abled students, enabling them to create an inclusive and supportive learning environment.