Special Education Needs School
BACKGROUND
A survey was carried out in 1997 by an independent group of women covering the regions of P-Verte and the surrounding areas. The results of the survey revealed that there were many children with disabilities who have never been taken care of and were in a very distressed situation. It was impossible for these children to attend a special school due to the fact that all the schools specially designed for children with disabilities were found in the region of Plaine Wilhems. Furthermore it was found that the children came from very poor families and where the care of the child was left entirely to the poor mother, who thus could not contribute to the economy of the family by taking up employment. These children have the same rights as non-disabled children to free education and social security.
Faced with the above reality, this group of women approached the century welfare association to open a Day Care Centre for the children with disabilities, aged five to fifteen and living in the region of P-Verte,Roche-Bois,Cite La Cure,Vallee Des Pretres etc.
The association readily accepted the proposition and the Century Day Care Centre was officially opened on the 2nd March 1998 by the then President of the Republic, Mr Cassam Uteem. The centre started with 20 children and 3 teachers.
The coordinator and director of the centre is Miss Zohra Rajah ,a well known figure in the midst of handicapped people. Miss Rajah is very experienced in the field of education for children with disabilities, having followed various courses and attended seminars locally and abroad on the subject. She has been decorated by the President of the Republic for meritorious service in that field.
At present, the centre caters for the education of 43 children aged 4-16. Four teachers and two caretakers are employed full time.
CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES
The children come from diverse regions of P-Louis and are of different communities. The parents are of very low income group and contribute only a very nominal sum of RS 50/per month to the centre.
WORKING HOURS
The day care centre is open on weekdays from 8.30 to 14.30 hours. The children travel by a private minibus or taxis to come to the centre
OPERATION
The centre is managed by a special committee made up of members of the association and the centre’s coordinator and director. The centre also benefits from the voluntary services of University trainees.
The Century Day Care Centre (CDCC), which has been recognized by Government as a Special Educational Needs School in 2008, is a special school for handicapped children in distress and is open to the physically and mentally handicapped children of all communities . Children attending the center come from varied locations of the city, namely Cite La Cure, St Croix, Vallee Des Pretres, and Roche-Bois etc. Though the center is situated in a predominantly Muslim region, yet the policy is one of openness to all children whatever be the community, race or origin.
The CSNS has been launched following a strong demand from the parents of the handicapped children as they were finding it very difficult to cope with their children and earn a livelihood at the same time. These children are special and need constant special care which is not been catered for in the governmental schools. The parents cannot afford to give such a care to the children and in the absence of the CSNS these children would have been neglected or even worse inflicted with physical violence out of sheer exasperation from the parents and others. Some of the children attending the centre showed visible signs of violence on their bodies, when they first joined in. These children, because of their handicap are not cared for and are in a situation of distress. The CSNS’s primary aim is to extend care to these children by affording them a safe and sound environment for their development. At the same time the parents by sending their children to the centre find affordable time to look for employment. The CSNS is the initiative of a voluntary organization and it is a moral responsibility for society to extend a helping hand to ensure its continued existence.
Aims and objectives
- To educate children with disabilities.
Children with disabilities (CWD) do not naturally use their imagination and existing abilities, unless prompted by special care. The aim is to encourage these children to develop both mentally and physically through educative programs and games. - Development of CWD
What to most people is routine daily activity, is effectively a chore for children with disabilities, e.g. they may be unable to feed and dress themselves, comb their hair etc. Specially trained teachers using modern pedagogical tools are needed to develop the CWD. - Independent individuals in society
It is aimed to help the CWD to find a place in society. This will be achieved through special training activities, like embroidery, cooking, woodwork etc.
