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Providing mentally disabled kids in Kashmir an education

Rural families with disabled children are viewed as being 'cursed by God'
Providing mentally disabled kids in Kashmir an education

The parents of Neha Kumar have noticed a marked improvement since she enrolled in St. John's School for the Mentally Disabled in Mandal village in India's Kashmir state. (Photo by Umar Shah)  

Published: April 22, 2016 09:41 AM GMT
Updated: April 22, 2016 09:54 AM GMT

Far from the city's bustling noises, 11-year-old Neha Kumar tries to copy a Hindi letter from the blackboard. A year ago, Neha's parents admitted her to St. John's School for the Mentally Disabled after she was diagnosed with a learning disability.

Her father Manglesh Kumar, who lives in a rural village in India's Kashmir state, was devastated when doctors told him the prognosis. They told Kumar and his wife that their child would be able to carry out self-care tasks with reasonable supervision.

When people in Kurmar's village learned of his daughter's situation, it was unanimously agreed that God had cursed his house.

"All of a sudden we became a sought of taboo. People didn't allow their children to even play with my daughter," says Kumar. "When I tried to enroll her in a nearby school, she was denied admission."

Local people consider mentally disabled children a curse of God because of the sins of their parents, says Kumar. The entire family is ostracized and not invited to functions because of the child, he says.

It's a situation experienced among both Hindus and Muslims, he believes.

According to the latest census, Muslim-dominated Kashmir has 367,000 disabled people. Among them are 24,879 individuals who have been categorized as mentally disabled, 30 percent of whom are  children.

Rashid Nazir, a social activist, says before the onset of an armed insurgency some 30 years ago, the state had several facilities to care for disabled children. Now there is only one education facility run by the state. 

Around 50,000 people including militants, civilians and army personnel have been killed in the ongoing conflict. As some of the local people fight for independence, the region also witnesses skirmishes between India and Pakistan.

"When the violence began the government's attention went to help its victims and much of the other welfare schemes were ignored," says Nazir explaining the state's lack of facilities for educating mentally challenged children.

 

Students rehearse a performance and learn life skills at St. John's. (Photo by Umar Shah) 

 

The lack of facilities resulted in Jammu and Kashmir Diocese establishing St. John's five years ago in Mandal village, 30 kilometers west of Jammu city.

The school provides preference to children from poor families like that of Kumar's and offers a free education. It is the first such facility in a rural area of the state.

The only other private facility is in Srinagar city, which mostly caters to city people.

Father Premful Tigga, the school's manager, says St. John's location was chosen to make it easier to provide help to poor rural families.

"The school now has 150 children but every year, we see the numbers growing up and we are developing the overall infrastructure with the latest technologies," says Father Tigga.

The priest says parents have huge expectations for the school.

"We are trying our best. The parents themselves are witnessing a lot of change in their children," says Father Tigga.

He says the school also aims to change how mentally disabled children are seen in local society.

"The society must not treat these kids as a taboo. They are actually very gifted and have much capability," says Father Tigga.

 

St. John's principal Sister Therese Francis in her office. (Photo by Umar Shah) 

 

School principal Sister Therese Francis says she has dedicated her life to her students.

"They need special care and attention. They can't be bundled in a congested classroom and taught like some other kids," says Sister Francis.

The school has four main grades and tries to integrate its students with children from mainstream schools, says Anju Bala, a teacher.

The pre-primary section of St. John's teaches children basic skills, including how to eat and drink properly.

At higher levels they are taught to differentiate colors and learn the alphabet in Hindi and English. They learn to write their names and count numbers after two-to-three years of initial training.

Sister Francis says St. John's teacher student ratio is 1:6 so specific attention is given to each child.

"There are children with severe mental retardation. They cannot speak at all. You have to understand their gestures so that you understand their needs," she says.

Kumar wants more schools and facilities like St. John's to help children like his daughter Neha.

"I found a lot of change on Neha's overall behavior. She can now call me papa and can write her name," says Kumar.

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