TRUST ACTIVITIES:

Mahatma Shikshan Sanstha is presently running two schools and one health care centre as follows-

1. Matimand Mulanchi Shala-Phaltan-School for the Mentally retarded.
2. Mook-Badhir Vidyalay-Phaltan-School for the hearing and speech impaired.

Sanstha is running Primary School at Boratwadi, which is very backward and drought prone area. It is a great challenge to attract the children in the area for education purpose and involve them in academic activity. Sanstha is conducting this hard work for more than 25 years. The school is now grantable.

Mahatma Shikshan Sanstha is running two schools for that part of the society, which is often neglected by the society as far as educational movement in concern. This part of society is related to those person who are mentally retarded and who are hearing impaired. One should not forget that these persons also have right to take education and serve themselves. What is needed is a helping hand

To run schools for mentally retarded person and hearing impaired person is the great challenging job in the rural area like Phaltan. A lot of awareness needs to be created in parents of these types of children. Sanstha has taken lot of efforts for finding out such students from small villages, creating awareness amongst parents, bringing these students to the school and educating them properly.

SCHOOL FOR MENTALY REATRDED-PHLTAN

School for Mentally Retarded is popularly known in Phltan as Matimand Mulanchi Shala. The school is situated in the Shivajinagar area of Phaltan. School is established on 24th march 1984. School is transferred to Mahatma Shikshan Sanstha from 1st April 1990. The school is running smoothly.

This school is first school for mentally retarded person in Phaltan Taluka and only the second in Satara District. One should appreciated such efforts of Sanstha.

Lot of hard work is needed to run this type of school at Taluka level. Trustee and staff of the school devotedly working for the betterment of life of mentally retarded person.

School is carrying various types of academic activities such as Nursery, Pre-Primary, Primary, Secondary and pre-Vocational. All these activities are to educate the student.

School also provides training related to small handicraft such as making of office files, book binding etc.

School also provides facilities of speech therapy and physiotherapy. At the same time it tries to boost the students in sports, arts and dramas.

Many students have achieved prizes in various competitions. For example students are getting first prizes in drawing competition, Nilesh Karve has obtained first rank in the state in 'Tabala' competition for three times.

Qualified teaching staff of six people is working in the school. Also various doctors and experts visit school on regular basis.

Trustee and staff of the school are taking lot of efforts for running the school. Various surveys are conducted to find out such type of children, parents awareness programme are carried out and education activities are carried out.

SCHOOL FOR HEARING AND SPEECH IMPAIRED-PHALTAN

The school is known as Mook-Badhir Vidyalay in Phaltan School was established on 15th August 1990. School is recognized by the Commissioner Handicap welfare under the Disabilities, Equal Opportunities and Protection Rights Act-1995.This is the only school of its kind in Phaltan Taluka.

Scholl provides education of Languages, which is absent in such type of children, Speech and Hearing. At the same time lime normal students regular subjects like Mathematics, History, Geography etc are also taught here in the school, In the school test like test on audiometer, training for use of hearing aide equipment , etc are also conducted I n the school.

At present staff of five qualified teachers available in the school.

Students of schools achieved various proud moments for the school. In the year 1992-93 drawings of two students were send to London and Japan a glorious achievement. Every year students participated in various sports and arts competition and try to show the world that they are equal to normal students in all parts of life.

FUTURE PLANS

Sanstha is actively involved in providing best facilities to these students. Trustee of the sanstha are planning for further best facilities and are trying to solve the hurdles.

OWN BULDING

At present all these schools do not have their own buildings. These are running in the rented buildings. Sanstha is planning for construction of its own building. This is very essential for mentally retarded and hearing-impaired students. Because the building should be suitable not only for teaching purpose but also for providing proper treatment to these children. Construction of rooms should be suitable for various therapy carried out for mentally retarded student and also for providing facilities such as group hearing facility etc. to hearing impaired students. Construction of building is already started. with eduction school supports students in other activities.students participated in sports and drawing competition.Students make handicraft articles like candles,greeting cards ,small carntens,jewellery items,book marks,flowers,decorated panati(lamp) & many other.These all things exhibited by school before Diwali Festival. Students got training of marketing by this activity.School training to teach students awareness about environment water,tree plantation,cleanness & kitchen garden.

HOSTEL FACILITY

School for mentally retarded and school for hearing impaired are the only school available in the Phaltan taluka as well as in the nearby area. However many children who are mentally retarded or hearing impaired can not take advantages of this facility due to distance problem. Children in the near by area such as Vaduj, Man, Koregaon, Pusegaon can take advantages if hostel facility is provided to them. The hostel facility also needs to be provided carefully taking into consideration their disabilities. Trustee are planning for this hostel to be made available at the earliest. The hostel needs to be well equipped for staying purpose, foods purpose and medical treatment purpose.

TRANSPORTATION FACILITY

Some of the parents in the nearby villages are not sending their mentally retarded children or hearing impaired children because of transportation problem. Trustee are planning for providing School bus facility to collect these children daily and after school hours sending them back to home.

TEACHING EQUIPMENTS

These schools are different from normal schools, Hence different kinds teaching equipments are required. Such as Group Hearing Aid with Induction Loop system, Audiometers, Acoustic room for Speech Therapy, Group Hearing Trolley etc. These equipments should be sufficient as per strength of students.

OTHER FACILITIES

Sanstha is also considering other facilities like Clinic Center for mentally retarded children providing education up to secondary level to hearing impaired students providing vocational training to these students so that they can earn for their equipments.

Sanstha started to provided hostel facility for these deaf(hearing impaired) students.but it is primary stage (provided all exclusive facility is so many difficult without economic help.) Trustes are planning to provide all exclusive facility.