It was not the kind of school we usually come across. It does not have walls painted with flowers and butterflies nor is it filled with chattering, laughing children. It looks like a Montessori, because the children are schooled in very basic lessons. Cutting and pasting pictures – a pastime that any little child could enjoy is for them a tough and challenging task.
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| One of the school’s teachers Easwary Sritharan wheels a student. |
These children are different. They have special needs – as they all have some form of learning disability and would have difficulty attending regular school. At the Millennium Institute for Children with Special Needs founded by its Director Rani Sivakumaran in 2000, attention is focused on helping them according to their particular needs.
Mrs. Sivakumaran says she started the school with the intention of helping children who are intellectually impaired, to give them hope and a future. “I am a parent who looks after my son who is special. So I felt the need of all parents who have to go through what I did because my son needs special attention,” she said.
The school accepts students of all ages, from children to young adults. Children who are hyperactive, who suffer from Autism, Downs Syndrome, epilepsy, cerebral palsy and other conditions associated with intellectual impairment study here. The children are categorized according to their ability. “We identify the child’s ability and we see that mostly they need vocational training and outward activities. Some draw, some do handwork and some paint,” Mrs Sivakumaran says.
There is an annual sports meet and cultural programme organized for the students. This requires very hard work, because training these children for the cultural show is not easy, says Mrs. Sivakumaran. Most of these children are from low income earning families, therefore the institute is forced to charge less fees for the education that is provided.
Millennium Institute has ten teachers who are given special education training for a year before their appointment.
The institute is located at no.19, Daya Road, Wellawatte. Though the building is not impressive, the administration manages to provide the best to its students. “The rent we pay for the building is Rs 35,000. There is an additional annexe that we would like to use which would also be better for the students, but that costs another Rs 20,000” said the school’s administrator S.S Rajanayagam. The school does not have a playground of its own either.
“Our children love playing cricket, so we are allowed to use the neighbouring school grounds on Fridays to play for two hours.”
“We have lots of moral support from the parents but we cannot get financial support from them due to their financial difficulties,” Mrs Sivakumaran said.
The school has many plans- to take the children swimming once a week (transport facilities and fees for the pool authority are needed for this); a day trip at least twice a year to give the children a different environment; and to a park at least twice a month. The school is also considering starting vocational training in sewing, toy/flower making including a computer room and speech therapy/physiotherapy etc.
However finances are a major constraint and their hope is that those who realize the service they are providing would be moved to help. “We expect some kind of help from those who really care for these special children” said Mr. Rajanayagam, who is also a parent of a special child. |
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