Through building education facilities and creating specialists, the government is working on expanding education facilities across the country for children with special needs.
Talking to BSS, Director (Admin and Finance) of the National Foundation for Development of the Disabled Persons Md Hamidul Haque said the government is working relentlessly to ensure proper education and health support for the children with special needs.
To this end, he said, the government has already given MPO(Monthly Pay Order) recognition to 74 institutions while another 50 institutions are waiting to be brought under the MPO-system.
Moreover, around 1,500 educational institutions have applied for the recognition, he added. Principal of the Proyash Institute for Special Education Colonel Mahbub Alam Sikder said, “Proyash” is a specialized organization that values the holistic development of all children with special educational needs through multidimensional programmes.
The institute established to serve children with special needs is being considered as one of the biggest institutes for the children with special needs in South Asia for its infrastructure, coverage of target people and spectrum of services, he added.
He informed that Proyash is running similar programmes in Jashore, Bogura, Chattogram , Rangpur, Savar, Cumilla, Sylhet and Ghatail area. He said Proyash has created an opportunity by providing services for developing the full potential of each individual with special educational needs through implementing multidimensional programmes and promote their dignified life and empowerment.
“The positive initiative of Bangladesh Army has been contributing remarkably in achieving Sustainable Developmental Goals (SDGs) of government and expanding intervention and educational facilities in the remote areas of the country,” he added.
Mahbub Alam Sikder said Proyash Institute of Special Education, as a one-stop service, ensures an appropriate intervention and health service to the children and young adults with special needs to make them capable of leading normal life.
“Proyash provides multidimensional services that are required for the intervention of these children. The institute provides five main programmes in which special education programme is the main one and the four others are supportive ones,” he added.
Throughout the country, he said, a total of 11 branches of Proyash are providing special education for 1180 students with a view to creating an inclusive and child-friendly environment.
The institute established to serve children with special needs is being considered as one of the biggest institutes for the children with special needs in South Asia for its infrastructure, coverage of target people and spectrum of services, he added.
He informed that Proyash is running similar programmes in Jashore, Bogura, Chattogram , Rangpur, Savar, Cumilla, Sylhet and Ghatail area.
He said Proyash has created an opportunity by providing services for developing the full potential of each individual with special educational needs through implementing multidimensional programmes and promote their dignified life and empowerment.
“The positive initiative of Bangladesh Army has been contributing remarkably in achieving Sustainable Developmental Goals (SDGs) of government and expanding intervention and educational facilities in the remote areas of the country,” he added.
Mahbub Alam Sikder said Proyash Institute of Special Education, as a one-stop service, ensures an appropriate intervention and health service to the children and young adults with special needs to make them capable of leading normal life.
“Proyash provides multidimensional services that are required for the intervention of these children. The institute provides five main programmes in which special education programme is the main one and the four others are supportive ones,” he added.
Throughout the country, he said, a total of 11 branches of Proyash are providing special education for 1180 students with a view to creating an inclusive and child-friendly environment.
By following the system of central Proyash, he said, these branches are providing education, health and vocational training in the remote areas.
“A total of 256 teachers, 45 therapists and 227 employees including teaching assistants, administrative officers and staff are serving together for the children with special needs,” he added.
The principal informed that Proyash was the first organisation to introduce special educational system in Bangladesh.
“It has imparted training to children with special needs to develop their efficiency. The organisation has made outstanding endeavors to create a relevant framework of special education to match with the mainstream education,” he added.
He said Proyash has adapted programmes to organize the classes of children aged between 6 to 16 years in accordance with their need, type, efficiency (aptness) and age.
A comprehensive curriculum is also formulated to cope up with the existing curriculum, he added.
Now, he said, they are offering eight programmes related to the education, therapies and other support services for the children with special needs.
The programmes are – Certification on Disability Management and Education (CDMED), Post Graduate Bachelor of Special Education (BSED), Post Graduate Diploma on Speech Language Therapy and Audiology (PGDSLT), Certificate on Disability Management and Education-Executive (CDMEDE), Bachelor of Education (Hons’) in Special and Inclusive Education, BSc (Hons’) in Audiology and Speech Language Pathology, Masters of Special Education (MSED) and MSc in Audiology and Speech Language Pathology (MSCASLP).
Mahbub Alam Sikder said the Austrian Development Agency (ADA) and the Austrian hearing implant company MED-EL contribute to the improvement of diagnosis and rehabilitation of hearing impairment in Bangladesh.
He said the ADA and MED-EL are supporting Proyash to increase the number of local experts through a new BSc study programme for Audiology and Speech Language Pathology under the national initiative.
“With the assistance of the international project partners the set-up of the study programme will be an achievement for us and I am sure it will be highly beneficial for our students,” he added.
Principal of the Madras ENT Research Foundation’s Institute of Speech and Hearing Prof.
Ranjith Rajeswaran said MED-EL works with three main local education partners: CMH Dhaka (Combined Military Hospital) and Proyash Institute, National Institute of ENT and Hospital and Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU).
The involved local institutions set-up training programmes for Audiology and Speech Language Pathology on different levels, supported through know-how of the international experts from the World Hearing Center (Poland) and the Madras ENT Research Foundation MERF (India), he added.
ADA-Project Manager Christian Steppan said, “Thanks to the expertise of our partners from India and Poland as well as the Austrian Development Agency’s support we have now launched a bachelor degree programme for audiology and speech language pathology, a school screening programme and a train-the-trainer course.”
These actions will significantly increase the availability and skills of hearing-healthcare professionals in Bangladesh, he added.
