Bala Vihar Training School

  Established: 1971

A pioneer in the field of special education, GOS Bala Vihar Training School was started in 1971 with the goal to train special educators who would facilitate learning  by intellectually challenged persons. It is one of the first training schools of its kind in India and the first in South India.

Over these past 50 years, GOS Bala Vihar Training School has trained over 3000 special educators and facilitated trained human resources in special education. Alumni from GOS BVTS are successfully employed as special educators in various schools in Chennai and other parts of Tamil Nadu. Some ex-students are making a difference to special children across the world from the U.S.A, Singapore, Malaysia, Middle East to Venezuela.

Teaching special needs students' requires a completely different skill set from teaching normal children. The students are also taught how to identify different learning disabilities and how to help such students.

The School also organises awareness programmes to educate the general public about special needs’ children. They talk to them about the importance of early detection in children and the need for special education for them to make them self reliant and independent adults.

Bala Vihar Training School offers two well recognised courses in special education:

• Diploma in Special Education – Intellectual Disability/ IDD/Mental Retardation
  • Eligibility: Minimum Std XII pass with 50% aggregate and should pass the All India online Aptitude Test (AIOAT) conducted by the RCI.
  • Duration: 2 years
  • Issue of Application & Prospectus: Online application available at www.rehabcouncil.nic.in from March to April 2^nd
  • of.seats: 25.
  • The course is recognized by the Rehabilitation Council of India.
• Ed Special Education – Intellectual Disability /Mental retardation
  • Eligibility: Minimum qualification is UG degree
  • Duration:  2 ½ years
  • of .seats : 50 (25-English Medium & Tamil Medium)
  • The course is recognized by Rehabilitation Council of India and the Study Centre is Tamil Nadu Open University

Bala Vihar Training School takes great pride in the achievements of its students, many of whom have topped their courses at the All India level and received gold medals.

Dr. Jayanthi Narayan, a distinguished personality in the field of Special Education is a student from the first batch of Bala Vihar Training School. After passing out from BVTS, she did her post graduation in Special Education at the State University of New York and returned to India to complete her PhD. She went back to the U.S. to do her post doctoral thesis from Boston College on a Fullbright fellowship. 
As the Founder and Head of Dept. of Special Education at the National Institute of Mentally Handicapped she developed the curriculum and instructional strategies for children with mental disabilities. She has worked on 18 research projects and has published 22 manuals and 24 articles in peer journals (9 in international publications). She has made 4 video films and worked in developing ten different software for use by mentally challenged children.  

As a member of various sub committees of the Rehabilitation Council of India she has made immeasurable contribution to policy decisions at the national level and standardised curricula for various courses in Special Education around the country.  

Presently she is working as a Special Education consultant within India and neighbouring countries. She conducts staff development programs and helps organise community-based rehabilitation programs in the area of mental retardation. 

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Kalpana is the mother of a hyperactive child. She joined GOS- Bala Vihar Training School to be able to help her child better. On joining the course, she came to know how special education can help the differently abled children lead a normal to near normal life.

Kalpana was the All India topper in 2018 and won the Gold Medal in D.Ed SE(ID), a course recognised by Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI) . 

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D Indra has not let her circumstances hold her back., She completed B.Ed SE(MR)  from GOS BVTS. She is serving children with Special needs and growing organic rice and fruits in her village, Sirunallur, Tamil Nadu. She runs Prem Illam, a shelter home of Prema Vasam, an organisation for children with disabilities.

Indra has received the Malala award for the Best Social Worker

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Anbu Selvi, completed her D.Ed SE (MR) in 2014. She wanted to be a special educator and help children with special needs achieve their potential.

She has been working as a Special Educator in GV Special School, Chidambaram. Anbu Selvi received the SANTHOG Best Teacher Award in 2017. This award is given to outstanding teachers who have made a difference in the student community. 

She has been appointed as an Advisor for the Skill Development of Multiple Disability under SIPDA scheme organised by NIEPMD."