The Central School for the Deaf

The Central School for the Deaf

The Central School for the Deaf, popularly known as CSD, is a primary school i.e. only upto the 4th std. It has Nursery or Pre KG sections (2-3 years), Jr. K.G. (3.5-4.5 yrs.), and Sr. K.G. (4.5 yrs +)

Unlike regular schools the focus is not on the traditional 3 R's - Reading, Writing, Arithmetic but the child is taught to ‘listen, learn and speak’ At CSD we have 2 mediums of instruction English (3 classes) and Marathi (7 classes). CSD is against the use of sign language. Once the child is ready to enter secondary school i.e. 5th std. the focus changes to academic i.e. subject wise curricula, until such time has she or he is integrated or mainstreamed into regular school for children with normal hearing. This mainstreaming or integration is facilitated by our ‘School Readiness Programme’ for those children who are going to be integrated.

The School today has about 70 children. Education is totally free – no fees are charged. A nutritious fresh salad is given to the children every day. We also provide daily, a cup of milk and bananas to all the children. In addition, free cords and batteries are also supplied. A school bus is available at a very nominal charge.

What we do at CSD

At CSD, we give free education to all children.

At present CSD has 60 students from age three onwards, while at Maitri there are 12 infants from seven months of age upwards. We provide a special language-oriented environment for the children with qualified teachers and well-equipped classrooms.

Free Education

We provide a special language-oriented environment for the children from 7 months onwards (at Maitri) and from 3 years (at CSD) with qualified teachers and well-equipped classrooms.

Balanced Meals

We also give our children a mid-morning snack of milk and bananas and a balanced meal, at no extra cost, to ensure that they get good nutrition and are alert and attentive at school.

Safe Pickup / Drop Off

Our school bus shuttles between 12 stops everyday, picking up children to give them some respite from otherwise long travel hours. It also sees them through field trips, overnight camps and picnics.