Alternative education for children with learning difficulties

Status: Completed | Number of beneficiaries: 175 children

Project duration: 34 months, March 2017 – December 2019

Location: Pondicherry, India

Project financed under a framework agreement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg

 

Project co-financed by

Local partner

Satya Special School is a non-profit organization created in 2003, which develops a wide range of care and support for children and young adults with disabilities who need special needs. Thanks to its numerous facilities, methods of care and training program, Satya has developed an expertise in the direction of children and young adults with disabilities, whether they have autism, trisomy 21, cerebral palsy, mental retardation or multiple disabilities. Satya conducts therapies such as physiotherapy, speech therapy, music therapy, hydrotherapy, yoga, group therapy, dance therapy, play therapy, and of course, professional training programs for employability, just as an important part of training parents.

 

The problem

In India, the school enrollment rate has increased in recent years to officially reach 96.4%, but the quality of teaching and student monitoring has not been improved. The result is that many children remain illiterate despite their schooling. This is particularly the case for children with special needs, who are not considered at school: children with learning difficulties, children with disabilities and children of prisoners who do not benefit from support from their parents.

Objectives / Activities

The project aims to offer child-friendly solutions according to their situation. Activities put in place:

  • Support course for children with learning difficulties
  • Opening of a school for children with special needs because of a disability, in order to avoid dropping out, so that they can join the public school afterwards
  • Creation of a mentoring program for the children of prisoners to provide the framework and support needed to succeed
  • Opening of five resource centers by the end of the project, in which specialists can intervene to identify and guide children’s difficulties, and inform and train parents and teachers to take care of the specific needs of children.

Beneficiaries

  • Direct beneficiaries: 175 children: 125 children with learning difficulties or disabilities, and 50 children of prisoners
  • Indirect Beneficiaries: Parents and teachers who will benefit from training.