Kerala: Rs 20 crore to revamp school for deaf

Thiruvananthapuram: A slew of improvements await government VHSS for the deaf, Jagathy,  the first-ever special school in the state for children with hearing and speech impairment.  A Rs 20-crore development plan will be implemented in the school.  Education Minister C. Raveendranath announced  at the concluding ceremony of its platinum jubilee celebrations on Monday that  this year, classes VIII, IX, X, XI and XII will be made  hi-tech.  

"The government is committed to ensuring that children with disabilities get education. Their distinct talents need to be discovered and their limitations understood so that they can be brought to the mainstream. Children with hearing impairment would need more visual aids. So, high-tech high school, higher secondary and vocational higher secondary classrooms will ensure that visual aids are available for these children," he said.

The school's master plan was presented to the minister by PTA president Sreekumaran Nair. The plan is to construct a main block and administrative  block, as well as renovate the hostel building  without cutting a tree on the compound. The project  estimated to cost Rs 20 crore  is planned in phases. The school hopes for support from the state government. During its platinum jubilee year, a school development committee was formed.

Former state planning board member G. Vijayaraghavan was appointed as its chairman. An architects' firm conducted the digital mapping of the school land. The speeches were translated to sign language by a teacher for the children's sake.  VHSC director A. Farooq said that everyone has limitations. "I, for one, have not learned sign language nor Braille. That is my limitation," he said. The speeches ended to visual applause  with children waving their raised hands.