Home                      D.F. School for Blind Children

Frequently Asked Questions

 

Q1. What and where is the School for Blind Children?

A.    The D.F. Blind School is located in Kolkata (Calcutta), India, and was founded in 1988.  It currently serves   

       around 130 blind and visually impaired students, ranging from ages 2 through high school. The children stay at the School during the academic year.

 

Q2. Who pays for the operating costs of the School?

A.   All costs, including teacher salaries, are taken care of by the generosity of donors. There is no charge to   

      the students’ families to attend the School.          

 

Q3. Where do the students come from?

A.   Most of the children come from families who live in the rural areas of the est Bengal, Jharkhand, and Bihar     

      provinces of India. Some of these children have no family or have been abandoned. Of the nearly 130 students, about half are boys and half are girls.

 

Q4. What services are provided at the School?

A.   The School’s purpose is to educate, rehabilitate, and integrate blind students into their original communities.  

      During the academic year, the children stay at the School where their room, board, and healthcare needs are

      all provided for through the generosity of donors.

 

  The students attend school on a full-time basis during the academic year, learning math, reading, geography, 

  music, dance, Hindi, English, and Bengali (the native language for most of them). Of course, they also read 

  and write in Braille. And, they also get practical training on life skills, such as seamstressing.     

 

  The School also believes it is important for the children to understand and maintain their cultural heritage. 

  Visitors to the School are typically welcomed by student dancers and musicians dressed in traditional Indian

  garb, and treated to performances reflective of the students' cultural traditions.    

 

Q5. What are the backgrounds of the teachers?

A.   The dedicated Staff members of the School have wonderfully diverse backgrounds, bringing with them a variety of religious and cultural experiences.  The Headmaster grew up in the streets of Kolkata. Some of the teachers themselves are completely blind.

 

Q6. What is the greatest need at the School right now?

A.   The biggest need at this point is to build a new dormitory building for the girls. The plan is to build a               

      130-student facility – which would double the size of the School and also make it the largest School for Blind

      Children in ndia.

 

       In addition, the children need a playground designed for their very special needs.     

 

Q7. How can I find out more about the School?

A.    Please visit The Starfish Children’s Fund website at www.starfishchildrensfund.org.