Abstract
Special school is a well-established mode of education for the disabled in India, whereas integrated education is a relatively new phenomenon. In view of the size of population of the visually impaired, integrated education is considered to be a feasible system for wider coverage. It is, therefore, felt need of the time to assess the efficacy of the two systems.
The present study is an attempt to assess the efficacy of the two systems using a sample of 1200 visually impaired school children drawn from 4 Zones covering 8 States in India. The variables included in the study are academic achievements, social maturity, self-esteem, communication skills, prevocational skills and competencies in Braille, mobility, daily living skills as well as use of assistive devices using appropriately developed measures.
Preliminary findings suggest effectiveness of special school system in the areas of competencies and academic achievement, whereas mixed trends were found on others. Conclusive findings will be available in May 2000. The findings may help the educational planners to work out strategies for qualitative improvements of the two systems.
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