Solid steps needed for special children's rehab

ISLAMABAD - Federal Government has not taken any step for the welfare of the disabled persons during last three years and even no legislation was made in Parliament in order to bring back the special people in mainstream.
An inauguration ceremony of first Skill Development Community Center (SDCC) for physically challenged/visually impaired and underprivileged segment of society held here on Tuesday.
This event was organized by ‘PAYAAM’. Senator Muhammad Talha Mehmood, Chairman Senate Standing Committee on Interior was the chief guest of this ceremony. While Basit Subhani, President PAYAAM, Mian Aim Zafar, Consultant/ Project Manager - Payaam Rahatain, Rahia Khan, Psychologist/ Project Manager - Payaam Sehyut, Najam Mustafa, Chairman Quran Academy and large number of children with various disabilities along with their parents were present on this occasion.
According to details, it was ‘PAYAAM’s’ first Skill Development Community Center (SDCC) under its project ‘PAYAAM Mustaqbil’ (Independent Living for Disabled) for the advantage of special people who hardly ever get any opportunity to demonstrate their hidden talent.
It was informed that the objectives of establishing SDCC was to emphasize technical and job-oriented studies, to make the disabled a productive constituent of the society, facilitating with equal opportunity to the deprived females, enabling the use of Information Technology as a key tool to promote excellent education, making development to rural/ urban slums and underprivileged population and encouraging community to make their best participation to mitigate these plans. It was further informed that in the newly inaugurated SDCC, free computer education would be given to the physically challenged, visually impaired persons to make them beneficial part of the society.
“Not only computer education will be given in these SDCCs but also Quran will be taught here along with other skills such as arts and handicrafts etc”, Senator Muhammad Talha Mehmood said. While addressing the participants of this welcoming event, Talha Mehmood said that it was sad as the Ministry of Social Welfare has no emphasize on welfare of the special persons and to provide them their due rights.

Social welfare service complex for special children.

SIALKOT, July 25 (PPI): The trendy Sialkot business community has set up a social welfare service complex for providing different silent services to the special children.This complex includes a school to accommodate around 300 special children and a boarding house for them having a capacity for 80 children.This school is well equipped with all kinds of facilities to make special children productive organs of the society. As a part of their commitment to social development the industrialists of export oriented Sialkot city have been running a school namely "The Light" for giving better and advanced education to the region's special children.

A HISTORICAL AND EVALUATIVE STUDY OF SPECIAL EDUCATION IN PAKISTAN

The development of special education network in historical perspective and the nature and quality of services being offered to special children in Pakistan has been studied and evaluated in this research work. The measures for improvement have also been recommended. To achieve this the various instruments were designed. The interviews of the special educators, support professionals, parents of special children and special persons were conducted. The records of the schools were consulted. The samples were taken from rural as well as urban areas of Pakistan and all the provinces. The research work includes the analysis of historical pattern of development of special schools for all major categories of special children in Pakistan and the provinces. The separate graphs and charts showing trends and of development and distribution in each region )Pakistan as a whole, Punab, Sindh, Balochistan, North West Frontier Provinces and Federal Capital Area) and for each sector (Federal Government, Provincial Government and Non-government Sectors) and for each category (Hearing impaired, visually impaired, Mentally retarded and physically handicapped) are drawn. The analysis of population of special people and schools-age special children and the special children studying in schools has also been carried out. The areas focused for investigating the weaknesses and strengths of the infrastructure include early intervention programmes, educational assessment and placement procedure, availability of special teachers and support professioanals, Special educational needs, system of examination and evaluation, teachers training programmes, mainreaming, provisions in government plicies and legislation. The special schools system evolved in Pakistan as early as first decade of twentieth century however the schools are not in sufficient numbers to cater all the special children. The early intervention programmes in Pakistan are not very well organized The assessment procedures at schools have been discussed and tere is a great room for improvement. The assessment tools need to be standardized for which government support is required. The special needs including equipment and books are not available in sufficient quantity. Most of the schools follow curriculum designed by committees comprising of teachers of special schools under the guidance of National Institute of Special Education. The instructional approaches and strategies are diversified which is common in all countries. The minimum qualification forany professional related to special education is not defined. The average students teacher ratio ranges from 6 to 1 in some categories of special children to 11 to 1 in the other which indicates the shortage of teachers. The parent involvement in the education of special children is the least. The vast majority of parents of special children of all categries and special persons are not fully satisfied with the education being given to their children. The associations of the special people, specially visually impaired and hearing impaired and physically handicapped have played a pivotal role in changing the lives of the special people in Pakistan. The role of non-government organizations (NGO) is very significant in the development of special education in Pakistan. The facilities to support higher education for special people in colleges and universities are not available. The mainstream schools do not have teachers and equipment to accommodate special children. The long term planning is required to mainstream special children. There will be financial implications also to implement any such scheme. The teacher training programmes offered by universities and other institutions are quite satisfactory. The universities offer Diploma, Masters degree and Ph.D. programmes in special education. Many other non-government and government organizations offer in-service teacher training programmes. The policy for the Education and Rehabilitation of special children has not yet been finalized. The vocational training being provided in most of the school is of pre-vocational nature. The trades are limited. The parents and special persons are not fully satisfied with the provisions of vocational training facilities.