SDM Mangala Jyothi Integrated School at Vamanjoor marked 25 years under the administration of SDM Educational Society, Ujire, with a two-day silver jubilee celebration on November 28 and 29. The institution, established in 1981 as a dream initiative of the late Mohini Appaji A Nyack, was set up to bring children with disabilities into the educational mainstream through integrated schooling.

In 2000, the responsibility for further developing the school was handed to SDM Educational Society under the presidentship of Poojya Dr D Veerendra Heggade. Since then, the management has focused on expanding facilities and programmes for children with a range of disabilities alongside their peers in the general classroom.

The school currently follows the state curriculum in Kannada medium while integrating students with hearing impairments, physical disabilities, low vision, mild intellectual disabilities, learning disabilities, and autism with regular students.

According to the institution, 355 students are enrolled at present. The school reports consistently strong SSLC results and says its students have participated in and won honours at state and national level events. It has also worked with the Education Department to conduct district and state-level activities, including workshops and other programmes on inclusive education.

To support students’ academic and personal development, SDM Mangala Jyothi provides services such as speech and hearing training, physiotherapy, autism interventions, art education, and vocational skill training.

The silver jubilee events were organised under the guidance of Dr Heggade, with the management presenting the milestone as an opportunity to underline the importance of dignified, mainstream education for children with disabilities.