PROGRAMMES RELATED TO CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS
Inclusive Education• SCERT organiseda convergence workshop which aims at converging all the activities /functions coordinated by different agencies for the well being of Children with Special Needs. The programmes conducted in the field on inclusive education by all the agencies were discussed and action plan was developed for the academic year 2017-18. Later a meeting was conducted to review the activities conducted.• SCERT conducted a research project namely ‘Thuna-Interventional programme for scholastically backward children’ during the academic year 2017-18.This project intends to provide training for individualized learning which is given in the school itself once in a week with one or two periods each. The project Thunaaims to solve the scholastic backwardness by identifying the students in the upper primary classes who are scholastically backward.The programme is conducted in the two upper primary schools in Vithura and ChirayikilGramaPanchayat of Thiruvananthapuram district.SCERT and General Education Protection campaign aims at enhancing the quality of general education through this programme.• The SCERT has planned a comprehensive project for finding solutions for challenges faced by Children with Special Needs in the field of education,health and rehabilitation. As part of this, SCERT decided to develop a Vision Paper focusing on the existing challenges and the need for building inclusive, barrier free,right based education for all Children with Special Needs of Kerala.
Visual Impaired • The SCERT with the technical support of KELTRON developed a software for the Visual Impaired for typing in Malayalam, English Tamil, Kannada and Tamil calledSharadha Braille Writerusing six keys of the computer keyboard. Later in collaboration with Keltron a module for training was developed based on the above software for the empowerment of teachers. State level training programmesfor special school teachers was also conducted by SCERT.• A guideline/manual for conducting practical lab work at the higher secondary level for science batch (Physics, Chemistry, Botany, Zoology, Computer Science) students of the state were prepared and handed over to the Higher Secondary Department.Hearing Impaired • Based on the curriculum developed for the general schools, the curriculum has been adapted for the hearing impaired for the class V to X. Subsequently the adaptation has been made in the textbooks for all subjects which was reflected in the teachers handbook. Training module with respect to the adapted books was developed and in the vacation training was given to all the teachers of special schools.• Apart from this, based on the study conducted by the SCERT, a curriculum was developed for the Hearing Impaired at the Primary Level (Class I-IV). An entry-level books (Malayalam, English and Mathematics) for Class 1 were also prepared as a preparatory programme. Accordingly all the teachers teaching in class I & II were given training based on the entry level books. As continuation of the above, the text books development for class I is in progress. Sample units have been developed and conducted tryout in special schools.Intellectually challenged• SCERT Kerala conducted a Status Study of the Intellectually Challenged in Kerala. Based on the recommendations of the study the government entrusted SCERT to develop a unique curriculum for this group. A unique curriculum was developed for the intellectually challenged at the primary level. Based on this a package has been developed by the SCERT for the Intellectually Challenged Children of age group 7-11 which included curriculum handbooks for teachers, workbooks for students and activity based resource CD for the transaction of the books. The curriculum aims at developing different abilities, skills and attitudes; the activity package ensures full participation of students. Eight books for teachers and corresponding eight workbooks for students were developed. The resource CDs for the package was developed with the technical support of KELTRON.
Guidance and counselling
Education aims at promoting optimum development of students in all spheres. Guidance and counselling in harmony with the goals of education ,aims to facilitate maximum personal development of children in all spheres of life. In its attempt to meet the needs of all students ,guidance and counselling makes education a meaningful and satisfying experience.
The national curriculum framework (NCF 2005) views guidance and counselling as part of curriculum. In this view guidance and counselling functions can be carried out through the curriculum by integrating guidance philosophy and practices through curricular offerings ,thereby adopting a pro active and preventive approach.
Guidance and counselling not only helps students to develop an understanding of oneself and of others, it also support the student to deal with their personal-social, academic and career related concerns. It facilitates development of effective study habits, motivation, identifying learning or subject related problems, helping students to see the relevance of school years in life and for future, developing skills ,right attitude and interests to help making a choice in career etc. Guidance and counselling thus promotes holistic development of every student. This signifies the need for every teacher to become a ‘guidance minded’ teacher and carry out his/her functions with guidance mind.
The main concern of this department is to promote educational research and research based policy perceptives for quality improvement of school education. The department promote and support research in priority areas of school and teacher education.
The department undertakes many research based programmes such as studies related to curriculum and textbooks, teacher education, special education ,educational guidance and counselling ,ICT education , population education , education of children with special needs, education of tribal students and coastal students.
Evaluation of in service courses for teachers and head teachers, studies related to continuous and terminal evaluation, impact of curriculum and learning materials at D.Ed level, impact of the implementation of ICT at school level, studies in the areas of population education and special education are the main programmes carried out by this department. Documentation of the major programmes is another major task of the department. The department also assesses the effectiveness of textbook materials and teaching methods whenever there is a revision in the curriculum and textbooks. It carries out research studies in various aspects of teacher education programmes and changes are effected based on the feedback collected.
Other functions of the Department are:
- Funding research projects carried out by individual researcher affiliated to school education.
- Providing academic support in schools to improve quality education
- Doccumenting the academic excellence (Mikavu) from schools and disseminating the same to reach out the beneficiaries
- Documentation of the major programmes conducted by SCERT
- Preparation of evaluation reports connected to the programmes of SCERT
- Providing feedbacks to the concerned authority based in the research studies to improve or restructure the existing pattern
- Disseminating the information related to educational research in the field of school education
- Conducting seminar for disseminating the research results
- Preparation of Research Journal ‘ Kerala Educational Journal’ (KEJ)
- The major research projects carried out by the department during the year
- Assessment of the Implementation of Kerala Curriculum 2013 at Primary Level
- Educational Problems faced by Secondary Students- Base Line Study
- A Study on the Feasibility of Grace Mark
- A Study on National Achievement Survey
- Teacher Education in Kerala- A Status Study
- Impact Study of Health Education and Life Skill Programmes Conducted In Selected 93 Schools
- An Intervention in the Scholastic Performance of Tribal Students
- ‘Thuna’- A Special Research and Intervention Programme for Scholastically Backward Children
- A Study on the Effectiveness of NuMATS Project
- ‘Ende Malayalam’-Language Nourishment Project at Secondary Level
- Study on the Evaluation of Educational Initiatives done by SSA
- A Study on the Impact of Student Police Cadet (SPC) Project
- A Study Based on ORC on the Impact Study of Health and Life Skill Education
- A Status Study on Pre Primary Teacher Training Institutions
- Academic support to Selected Schools –An Interaction Based Research Study
- A Project to Enhance Research Aptitude Among School Teachers
- Documentation and Dissemination of Best Practices in Schools
Malayalam wing under Curriculum division of SCERT develops textbooks of Malayalam from class I to XII and supporting materials to teachers. While preparing curriculum and materials SCERT keeps the following principles:
language acquisition principle
other modern pedagogic and linguistic theories
In view of language propagation, Malayalam as the official language of the state, the institute is taking part in many activities. SCERT has played a vital role in the preparation of rules for the implementating Malayalam Education act 2017.
SCERT has published textbooks for promoting Malayalam among Tamil and Kannada mother tongue children. Textbooks for other boards for promoting Malayalam learning has been developed and published in the website of SCERT.
SECRT has taken steps to enrich the language ability of secondary school students by implementing a research project named Ente Malayalam in the year 2017.