Malnutrition

MALNUTRITION

Malnutrition or malnourishment is a condition that results from eating a Diet in which nutrients are either not enough or are too much such that the diet causes health problems. It may involve Calories, Protein, Carbohydrates, Vitamin or minerals. Malnutrition is often used specifically to refer to under nutrition where there are not enough calories, proteins or Micronutrients. If under nutrition occurs during pregnancy or before two years of age, it may result in permanent problems with physical and mental development.

       I.            Causes of Malnutrition

i)       Diseases: Malnutrition can be a consequence of health issues such as gastroenteritis or chronic illness can cause malnutrition through decreased nutrient absorption, decreased intake of food, increased metabolic requirements, and direct nutrient loss Parasite infections lead to malnutrition

ii)    Dietary practices: Decreased nutrient absorption, decreased intake of food, increased metabolic requirements, and direct nutrient loss.

iii)  Poverty and food prices: Poor socioeconomic position was associated with chronic malnutrition since it inhibits purchase of nutritious foods such as milk, meat, poultry, and fruits.

iv)  Agricultural productivity: Local food shortages can be caused by a lack of arable land, adverse weather, lower farming skills such as crop rotation, or by a lack of technology or resources needed for the higher yields found in modern agriculture, such as fertilizers, pesticides, irrigation, machinery and storage facilities. As a result of widespread poverty, farmers cannot afford or governments cannot provide the resources necessary to improve local yields.

v)    Future threats: Climate change is of importance to food security, with 95 percent of all malnourished peoples living in the relatively stable climate region of the sub-tropics and tropics. Small changes in temperatures can lead to increased frequency of extreme weather conditions may reduces the productivity of many crop species.

   II.            Symptoms of Malnutrition

·         Face	Moon face , simian facies
·         Eye	Dry eyes, pale conjunctiva, Bitot's spots , periorbital edema
·         Mouth	Angular stomatitis, cheilitis, glossitis, spongy bleeding gums, parotid enlargement
·         Teeth	Enamel mottling, delayed eruption
·         Hair	Brittle hair, broomstick eyelashes, alopecia
·         Skin	Loose and wrinkled, dry, follicular hyperkeratosis, hypopigmentation, poor wound healing
·         Nail	Koilonychia, thin and soft nail plates, fissures or ridges
·         Skeletal	Deformities usually a result of calcium, vitamin D, or vitamin C deficiencies
·         Abdomen	Distended - hepatomegaly with fatty liver, ascites may be present
·         Neurologic	Global development delay, loss of knee and ankle reflexes, poor memory

III.            Steps to prevent Malnutrition

1)      New technology in agricultural production such as Green revolution will reduce poverty by increasing income as well as open up area for diversification of crops for household use which succeed in breaking the cycle of poverty and malnutrition.

2)      Breastfeeding in the first two years and exclusive breastfeeding in the first six months could save from malnutrition.

3)      Fortified foods with micronutrients that can be sold to consumers such as wheat flour for Beladi bread in Egypt or fish sauce in Vietnam and the iodization of salt are examples.

4)      Population control measures will help to distribute the fair distribution of resources which will curtail the ratio of malnutrition.

5)      Food sovereignty is the right of people to define their own food, agriculture, livestock, and fisheries systems, in contrast to having food largely subjected to international market forces.

6)       Increase access to health facilities to rural parts of the world. These facilities could monitor undernourished children, act as supplemental food distribution centers, and provide education on dietary needs.



NCF and KCF

NCF, KCF AND ITS RELEVANCE IN EDUCATION

CURRICULUM FRAMEWORK

A Curriculum framework is an organized plan or set of standards or outcome based education that defines the contents to be learned in terms of clear and definable standards of what the student should know and be able to do.

The framework is the first step defining clear, high standards which will be archived by all students. The curriculum is then aligned to the standards and students are assessed against the standards. as compared with traditional education, which is only concerned about delivering content, a standard based education reform system promises that all will succeed if, all are held high expectations. When the standards are reached, there will be no Achievement gap where some groups are allowed to score lower than others, or the disabled are offered different opportunities than others. All will meet world class standards and be qualified for good colleges and trained for good jobs which pay good wages. In a Traditional education system, the curriculum was defined by those who created textbooks rather than government bodies which assembled groups of stakeholders to create standards based on consensus of what students should know and be able to do.

NATIONAL CURRICULUM FRAMEWORK

The National Curriculum Framework (NCF 2005) is one of four National Curriculum Frameworks published in 1975, 1988, 2000 and 2005 by the National Council of Educational Research and Training.

The Framework provides the framework for making syllabus, textbooks and teaching practices within the school education program in India. The NCF 2005 document draws its policy basis from earlier government reports on education as Learning Without Burden and National Policy of Education 1986-1992 and focus group discussion. After wide ranging deliberations, 21 National Focus Group Position Papers have been developed under the aegis of NCF-2005. The state of art position papers provided inputs for formulation of NCF-2005. The document and its offshoot textbooks have come under different forms of reviews in the press.

The approach and recommendations of NCF-2005 are for the entire educational system. A number of its recommendations, for example, focus on rural schools. The syllabus and textbooks based on it are being used by all the  schools, but NCF-based material is also being used in many State schools.

NCF 2005 has been translated into 22 languages and has influenced the syllabii in 17 States. The NCERT gave a grant of Rs.10 lakh to each State to promote NCF in the language of the State and to compare its current syllabus with the syllabus proposed, so that a plan for future reforms could be made. Several States have taken up this challenge. This exercise is being carried out with the involvement of State Councils for Educational Research and Training [SCERT] and District Institutes of Education and Training [DIET].

The document is divided into 5 areas:

1. Learning and knowledge
2. Perspectives of NCF
3. Curricular area, school stages and assessment
4. School and classroom environment
5. Systematic reforms

Relevance in vocational education

• To make learning a joyful.
• It emphasize on learning without burden.
• Move away from textbooks to be a basis for assessment.
• To remove stress from children.
• It recommends major changes in the syllabus.

• To develop a sense of self-reliance an

• To develop a child centered approach.
• To promote universal enrolment and retention up to the age of 14.
• To inculcate the feelings of oneness, democracy and unity among the students.
• The curriculum is enabled to strengthen our national education and to enable the new generation re-evaluate.
• J.P. Naik, has described equality, quality and quantity as the exclusive triangle for Indian education.
• It has ensured that irrespective of caste, creed , religion and sex all are provided with a standard curriculum.

KERALA CURRICULUM FRAMEWORK

The existing curriculum in Kerala is based on Kerala Curriculum Framework 2007. Activity oriented learning is emphasized in the syllabus and the teaching process is student centric. teachers role is more like that of a scaffolder than that of a guide or instructor. even though there were serious concerns about the existing syllabus, it was later well admitted and appreciated by experts all over India. It has certainly brought about a positive change in clads rooms and the benchers who were not responding getting involved.

There may be a need for revision of syllabus as periodic revision of syllabus inevitable. But this is that it should be carried out after elaborate preparation and deliberation. Prior to the formation of a framework, discussion with all teacher organization is needed. The main contention against the present curriculum reform is that it is being done without extensive discussion on the framework and textbook revision is progressing and nearing completion.

Discussions at various levels were conducted before the finalization of KCF 2007. This is not done in the care of present curriculum revision. KCF2007 was introduced with the strong support of NCF 2005 which was a paradigm shift from the existing system. Curriculum reforms should be multi faceted and comprehensive.

 RELEVANCE IN VOCATIONAL EDUCATION

Though as a part of educational policy of 1986, extensive planning for vocational education had been done. In order to implement vocational education effectively, there must be thorough changes in all fields of education such as curriculum, text books, teacher training, monitoring, evaluation etc.

In Kerala, there are 3 types of institutions in vocational education sector.

1. Technical high schools
2. Technical high schools and higher secondary schools under IHRD
3. Vocational higher secondary

The approach of KCF to vocational education includes;

• An activity-based curriculum that equips the learner to acquire self-confidence and self-sufficiency should be introduced
• The learner should be given opportunity to interact with his peers and society.
• The learners should utilize their reasoning ability to analyze and react to learning experience.
• The learner should be able to choose a vocation of their choice from the high school level.
• Vocational education should be given more importance at higher secondary level.
• Academic subjects should also be included.
• As part of the course, the learners must visit various institutions that are related to their particular vocation and must get trained. Hospitals and industrial units should be utilized for this purpose.
• Workshop training should be provided with the assistance of experts and the local work units.
• Dairy farm should be ensured where courses on agriculture and cattle rearing are given.
• Case study should be carried out to understand the issues in the job market.
• Opportunities should be made to hold interviews with experts in the field  and there should also be provision for conducting short term projects.
• Scope for practical application should be given more importance than learning theory.

CONCLUSION

It can be concluded that knowledge and labor are complementary. We must realize the value of labor in developing and transforming the society. In this context, education should focus on the development of a positive attitude to labor and inculcate in all children, the ability to do work.

LEARNING DISABILITIES

“The way my brain process information is quite odd,

I can't even spell; I don’t have even a high school diploma,

I’m smart, but you can’t prove it on a paper”

These are the words said by a person who have attention deficit disorder. There are some other types of learning associated disabilities that can hinder learning program.

You all may be aware about the learning disability issues faced by a nine year old child depicted in the movie ‘Tare Zameen Par’. Only a small portion of learning disability is shown in the movie. There are a lot of children facing even more issues related with learning disorders.

Children with learning disability grow up to adults with learning disabilities. Some of them follow a life path that leads to success while others find failure. There are several major studies focused on identifying which factors contribute to success for individuals with learning disabilities. These projects points to the importance of a set of personal characteristics, behavior and attitudes that can help persons to lead successful life outcomes. 

A major change in behavior can be brought out through learning. Thus the teachers play a vital role in helping students with learning disabilities by identifying the issues and providing accommodation strategies. Accommodation strategies means providing necessary supports for students to access goals or learning potential.

LEARNING DISABILITY

A learning disability is a neurological disorder. It is the problem that affects the brain’s ability to receive process, analyze or store information which reduces intellectual ability. It shows difficulty in reading, writing, spelling, reasoning, recalling and organizing information.

Generally people with Learning disability are average or above average intelligence. Learning disability is referred often as hidden disabilities because, the person looks perfectly normal and seems to be a very bright and intelligent person, yet he may be unable to demonstrate the skill level expected from someone of similar age. 

A Learning disability can’t be cured or fixed, it is a lifelong issue. But, with the right support and intervention, however children with Learning disability can succeed in school and go on successful. 

Parents as well as teachers can help children with Learning disability by, encouraging their strength, knowing their weakness and learning about strategies for dealing with specific difficulties.

CAUSES

The major causes for learning disabilities include;

a)Genetic influences:

   The kids learn and model what their parents do. Thus living conditions and heredity influence Learning disability.

b)Brain development:

Problems such as low birth weight, lack of oxygen, ill nutrition in pregnancy stage of child and premature birth leads to Learning disability. Also Young children with head injuries may develop the risk of Learning disability.

c)Environmental impacts:

Infant and young kids are easily influenced to environmental toxins. Eg: lead used in paints than permitted level, air pollution, water and food pollution. Thus all these factors contribute to different types of Learning disability.

The different types of Learning disabilities include dyslexia, disgraphia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia, dysphasia and also attention deficit hyper activity disorder and autism.

TYPES

1.     DYSLEXIA:

It is also known as language based Learning disability. It is a common type of learning difficulty that can cause problems with reading, writing and spelling.

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS

• Reads slowly and painfully
• Poor handwriting
• Difficulty with written language and recalling words etc.

ACCOMODATION STRATEGIES

•      Use multi-sensory teaching methods
•      Teach students to use logic rather than rote memory
•     Provide a quite area for activities like reading, answering, comprehension question

2.     DYSGRAPHIA:

The second type of learning disorder is called dysgraphia. It is commonly termed as a disorder of written expression. It is a specific learning disability that affects a person’s handwriting ability and fine motor skills.

 SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS

v Unfinished words or letters

v omitted words

v Inconsistent spacing between words and letters

v Difficulty in copying notes, thinking and writing at the same time

ACCOMODATION STRATEGIES

·       Use of word processor

·       Use wide rule paper and graph paper

·       Suggest use of pencil grips and designed writing aids

3.     DYSPRAXIA:

The next type of learning disorder is dyspraxia. It’s a kind of disorder that causes difficulty in muscle control which causes problems with movement and co-ordination, language and speech and can affect learning. Dyspraxia often exists along with dyslexia, dyscalculia or ADHD.

 

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS

•      Poor hand-eye co-ordination
•      Distend by loud and constant noises(ticking sound of clock)
•     Difficulty with fine motor tasks (coloring between the lines, putting puzzles together, cutting accurately or pasting neatly) etc.

ACCOMODATION STRATEGIES

§  Provide a place without auditory or visual distractions

§  Refer student for sensory integration training

§  Be cognizant of light and light sources that may be irritating to child.

 

4.     DYSCALCULIA:

The fourth type of learning disorder is called dyscalculia. It is a learning issue that causes serious math difficulties.

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS

v Difficulty regarding converting change and handling matters

v Difficulty in understanding time and date concepts

v Difficulty in understanding concepts of  place, value, quantity, number lines, positive and negative value, word problems, sequencing information, fractions, step problems etc

ACCOMODATION STRATEGIES

§  Use diagrams and draw math concepts

§  Provide peer assistance

§  Use mnemonic devices to learn steps of a math concept

§  Use rhythm and music to teach math facts and to set steps to beat.

5.   DYSPHASIA

The next type of learning disorder is called dysphasia. It is also called as aphasia. It is a partial or complete impairment of the ability to communicate resulting from brain injury. The majority of symptoms will be language related.

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS

v Difficulty remembering words

v Difficulty in speaking complete or meaningful sentences

v Using words in the wrong order etc.

ACCOMODATION STRATEGIES

·       Speech therapy to improve communication

·       Use pictures and gestures to aid communication

·       Provide quite surroundings

·       Communicate slowly, clearly and repetitive.

 

6.     ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)

It’s a disorder that includes difficulty in staying focused, paying attention, difficulty in controlling behavior and hyperactivity. It is estimated that between 3 and 5% of children have ADHD. This means that in a classroom of 24 to 30 children, it is likely that at least one will have ADHD.

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS

v Inattention

v Hyperactivity

v Impulsivity etc

ACCOMODATION STRATEGIES

§  Give extra time for test-taking

§  Give a lighter homework load

§  Seat the student near the teacher and away from doors and windows.

7.     AUTISM

Another type of learning disorder is autism. It’s a neurodevelopment disorder. I.e., a group of complex disorders of brain development. It appears to have its roots in very early brain development. The symptoms tend to emerge between 2 and 3 years of age.

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS

v Difficulties in social interaction.

v Difficulties in verbal and non-verbal communication

v Repetitive behaviors

ACCOMODATION STRATEGIES

§  Provide instructions orally as well as written

§  Allow extra time to respond to direction

§  Model tasks

§  Minimize distractions etc.

 CONCLUSION

As a conclusion of this presentation, research has shown that a set of personal characteristics, behavior and attitudes that can help persons to lead successful life styles. Based on that perception our task is to create more windows of opportunity where they have chance to shine, to relax and redeem their self respect. So it is important to identify and remediate their needs, discover and nurture their talents, advocate on their behalf and preserve their dignity in the process.