Starting this year, Special Education Needs students in Samdrup Jongkhar Primary School will be able to learn various life skills for self-sustenance. The school management has included zero-waste craft in the curriculum for Special Education Needs students. The teachers underwent a zero-waste craft training to equip the students with such skills. The three-day training ended today.
12 teachers from Samdrup Jongkhar Primary School learned how to weave baskets from waste materials.
Samdrup Jongkhar Initiative, a civil society organization, trained them.
Now, these teachers will teach the skills to the Special Education Needs students back in the school.
Teachers said they have decided to include zero-waste craft in the curriculum due to the availability of the raw materials.
“We will be able to provide skills to students with Special Education Needs. Secondly, we can teach students about waste management and encourage them to take up zero-waste crafts,” said Chimi Wangmo, a teacher.
“We are starting with the pre-vocational classes for students with disabilities. So, for them, this opportunity that we are trained right now can develop capacity within us so that we take them back to classes and these students will benefit in terms of engagement, creativity and also to give them a livelihood in future times,” said Norbu Kelzang, another teacher.
There are about 50 Special Education Needs students in Samdrup Jongkhar Primary School.
However, the school has identified only 11 students who will be receiving life skill training as they face challenges in keeping up with the mainstream curriculum, even after attending regular classes.
Apart from zero waste craft, the school is planning to provide other skills such as tailoring, cooking and weaving.
Kinley Wangchuk, Samdrup Jongkhar
Edited by Tshering Zam
