SCHOOL IS COOL: Students in a classroom at Alokdhara.Picture by Sanjoy Chattopadhyaya

Two-year-old Tiyas Chakraborty loves the slide that leads to a playing area full of balls. Her classmate, Pritha Gupta, who suffers from pervasive developmental disorder, likes to press her cheek against the vibrating bubble tube as she gazes at the toy fish floating in the water inside.

The kids are in a classroom at the inclusive preschool, Alokdhara, that caters to those with learning disabilities, especially autism, along with mainstream children. The school, nestled in Rajdanga Main Road, Kasba, opened its doors in October.

It is an initiative of NGO Parent Circle Time Autism Identified (PACTAI). “We want to create an environment where both special and mainstream children receive equal opportunities,” said Krishna Roy, founder of PACTAI and the force behind Alokdhara (www.pactai.org).

The Montessori section, for children above two, has a sensory room for special kids, with a trampoline, a sensory walker and bubble tubes that act as a calming device.

Special educators, including speech, language, occupational and sensory therapists guide students. To ensure that all receive adequate attention, the student teacher ratio is 1:1. The school also offers training in life skills to adolescents above 14 with mental and physical disabilities. They learn to read the calendar and tell time, to button clothes, bolt the door and take art and drama classes.

“Many parents are in denial of the special needs of their children. Others have inhibitions about sending their children to schools with special kids. We want to break the barrier between the two,” said Seema Bahri, a director of the school.

Agreed Sudeshna Chakraborti, another director: “Mainstreaming those with disabilities is as important as letting regular children interact with them.”

Pritha is benefiting from the classes. “She already responds to her name and follows instructions. We hope to admit her to a regular school next year,” said Trisha, her mother.

–– Jhinuk Mazumdar

(Some names have been changed on request)

Actors, young and fine

Students stage a play at the inter-school theatre competition Tiner Talowar organised at Khardah Rabindra Bhavan in October

Kasturi Chakraborty, a Class IX student of Adamas International School, loved the Rahara Bhavanath Institution for Girls play, Ghyangasur.

“It was hilarious and the acting by Labani Sarkar as the Raja was superb. St Augustine’s Day School’s Shakti on environmental issues had some good choreography, but there was little novelty in the messages and it was repetitive,” reasoned Kasturi. She was part of the jury at Tiner Talowar, the annual inter-school theatre competition held at Khardah Rabindra Bhavan on October 29 and 30.

A remarkable aspect of the festival, organised by Sukhchar Pancham, is the jury of students from classes IX to XI. Along with Kasturi were Sidhant Sarkar of The Aryans School, Ankita Mitra of Belghoria Mahakali Girls’ High School, Sulagna Chatterjee of St Augustine’s and Rituparna Sengupta of Rahara Bhavanath Institution for Girls.

Tiner Talowar is intended as a bridge between students and teachers. In the 15 years of its existence, Sukhchar Pancham has been conducting theatre classes in over 50 schools and colleges.

On stage were plays by three such schools. Na Sundar by Ushumpur Adarsha Uchha Vidyalay for Girls, and Ghyangasur and Galilieor Durbin by Belghoria Mahakali. The last introduced some fine young actors. The presentation, with suggestive costume and props, captured the conflict between the church and the scientists, Copernicus, Bruno and Galileo. But these, like the inaugural play, Chokmoki, by a Kalyani group on Acharya Prafulla Chandra, were not in competition.

St Augustine’s Shakti, replete in physical acting and costumes in blue, green and white silk representing the stages of the river Ganga, easily outshone The Aryans’s Marksheet Hajam and Abak Jolpan.

On the final day, the jury announced the marks awarded to the groups and discussed their merits and flaws with the performers at the open forum.

The prizes will be awarded at Pancham’s adult festival, Darshaker Darbar, in December.

–– Sebanti Sarkar

FAIRY TALES FOR FUN

Kids have fun at the Children’s Day celebrations of preschool Kangaroo Kids in New Alipore on November 9. Called ‘The Festival of Fairy Tales’, the programme saw teachers acting out old favourites like The Three Little Pigs and The Little Mermaid. Picture by Anindya Shankar Ray