‘Malda to have resource hubs and centres for differently-abled children’

Malda: Malda is going to have two multipurpose resource hubs and 15 resource centres for the education of the differently-abled children already included in the general education system. The state government has decided to set up one hub for each sub-division and one centre for each block in all the districts of Bengal. The objective of the initiative is the rejuvenation of inclusive education, education of special children in general educational institutions. The Education department of Malda district has aimed to inaugurate all these hubs and centres by March 5. As a part of this programme, Malda Sadar Sub-Division multipurpose resource hub was inaugurated on Saturday at Narhatta Gopeshwar Satiar High School campus in English Bazar block.

Jamil Fatema Jeba, Additional District Magistrate (education), inaugurated the facility in presence of Soumya Ghosh, district education officer and Pankaj Das, district coordinator of Special Education Cell of Samagra Shiksha Mission (SSM). Das said: “A total of 15 model resource centres, one in each of 15 blocks and two multipurpose resource hubs in two sub-divisions of the district have been set up in Malda. For these two hubs, Narhatta Gopeshwar Satiar High School in Sadar Sub-Division and Samsi Agril High School in Chanchal Sub-Division have been selected.”

Ghosh said: “For students with special needs from pre-primary level to higher secondary level, the multipurpose resource hub will work. Psychological counselling, speech therapy, physio and occupational therapy will be provided to these students with the financial support of the SSM.

There are a total of 5,442 students with special needs registered in different schools in Malda district. By conducting a survey, 816 blind students have been found in 416 schools, including primary and high schools. A special training camp for teachers has also started from March 1.”