Due to the commitment of the Handmaids of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Society, Dilkhush, a complex of education institutions for the mentally challenged has survived for more than three decades despite numerous adversities It is the second oldest school for special children in Mumbai. Located in an old style bungalow in Juhu, a western suburb of Mumbai, is the Dilkhush complex of education institutions which house a school for mentally challenged children, a teachers’ training centre, and a workshop run by and for mentally challenged adults by former students of the institution. Despite a perennial funding crunch, government interference and difficulty in recruiting trained personnel, Dilkhush has survived for over 30 years due to the commitment and dedication of its promoters and managers — The Handmaids of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Society. Dilkhush comprises three institutions: the Dilkhush Special School for mentally and physically challenged children; the Dilkhush Teachers’ Training Centre which trains teaching aspirants to work with challenged children, and a Workshop, where mentally challenged teens who have graduated from Dilkhush learn and practice skills such as needlework, carpentry, cooking, painting cards and paper art. The best output of the workshop is marketed. In sum Sacred Heart Society’s holistic vision for the development of mentally challenged children is beginning to pay off. Recently the J.W. Marriott Hotel hired five graduates of the institution. “This is a first-time breakthrough. We are confident it’s the beginning of a trend,” says Sister Noella Pereira, principal of Dilkhush. The Dilkhush Special School admitted its first batch of 15 students in 1971 with the specific purpose of facilitating the comprehensive development of mentally challenged students. Currently the school has a capacity of 100 students aged between five and 14 years. Children are admitted on the basis of the availability of seats at each IQ level. The school’s curriculum comprising functional academics and co-curricular activities aims to promote the all round development of each child and the development of self-care and social and pre-vocational skills. An individualised education plan (IEP) is drawn up for each child which is calibrated periodically during the year. This plan includes the teaching of subjects such as oral language, reading, writing, maths, time and money management and general knowledge. “These subjects are taught only if they have functional value for the child, which means that the theoretical knowledge gained should be of practical use. The curriculum also includes acquisition of pre-vocational skills, which the child will need either for use in the Dilkhush workshop and/ or in post-school workplaces,” says Sr. Pereira. To this end each class at Dilkhush is run by a qualified special educator (minimum qualification: a diploma in special education recognised by the Rehabili-tation Council of India). The school is divided into 11 classes, focussing on need-based academic, vocational and self-help skills. “These classes are not organised along the lines of a regular school for normal children. There is no pressure on students and each child is encouraged to develop varied skills at her own pace according…
