Kerala Education Department prepares audio-visual texts to teach tribal bed-ridden girl

In a novel attempt to provide education to a bed-ridden girl belonging to the Cholanaikkan tribe in Kerala’s Malappuram district, the Samagra Shiksha Kerala program of the general education department has prepared 30 audio visual texts in the tribe's own distinct language.

The 12-year-old girl, Meenakshi, is the elder daughter of Mani of Poochappara in Nilambur, who was killed in a wild elephant attack inside the forest early last month.

Unlike other tribal communities, Cholanaikkans live deep inside the forests and have limited connections with the mainstream society.

After the death of her father, the forest department officials have shifted Meenakshi’s family from the forest region to a guest house where they are currently staying.

The tribal girl’s education is being taken up by program officers of Malappuram district with regular weekly visits to her place, SSK state project director Supriya A R told PTI.

The SSK is providing home-based education to 6,168 students across the state and virtual classes are also being arranged for them besides house visits, she said.

State program officer Sindhu S S said Meenakshi is responding well to the talking texts within a short period.

The girl had maximum vulnerability as she had never gone out of her home due to her physical condition, she said.

The Cholanaikkans use their own distinct language, belonging to the Dravidian family with similarities to Malayalam and Kannada. The talking texts are prepared in this language exclusively for Meenakshi.

The talking texts prepared for Meenakshi are named in Cholanaikkan as "Thanka, Bana, Belli" (moon, sky, and star).

"This is the Kerala model of inclusiveness in education," state General Education Minister V Sivankutty said in a Facebook post.

"The SSK under general education department has prepared 30 audio visual texts for the specially-abled girl in her own language as she does not understand Malayalam," the minister said in his post.

(PTI)