Education
‘Change School For Handicapped To Special Needs’
The Head of Depart
ment (HOD) of the Visually Impaired (Blind), ‘Special School for Handicapped Children,’ Mrs Catherine Atteng has called on the Rivers State Government to change the name of the school to “School for Children with Special Needs.”
Atteng, who made the call midweek, in an exclusive interview with The Tide in her office in Port Harcourt, stated that the change is necessary among other things, to erase the stigma of being handicapped.
“The name of the school should be changed because it is not right to tag the children by their disabilities, or handicaps, as some would call it,” she said.
She explained that in accordance with the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) which clearly states the rights of children globally, that the children are physically challenged does not make them handicapped in the context it is commonly used.
“They are only persons with special needs, not handicapped or physically challenged,” she said, noting that the current name has a way of making pupils/students seeing themselves as being segregated by society.
She also used the opportunity to urge parents not to hide their children/wards who require special needs but to bring them early to the school.
According to her, “many parents due to ignorance keep their children/wards who require special needs at home and by so doing end up not bringing out the potentials of such children.
On his part, the vice principal of the secondary school, Mr. Eli Onisokien told The Tide that the school needed a conducive environment.
We need a model special school because we lack space (here). The environment is not conducive because the school is situated in between two markets: the Creek Road and New-Layout market.
“There is no provision for sporting activities or recreational ground for the students and we also lack vocational amenities,” he said.
He, therefore, urged the Rivers State Government to move the school to a better location.
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Education
RIVCHPP Set To Take Health Insurance Scheme To Tertiary Institutions In Rivers State
Rivers State Contributory Health Protection Programme (RIVCHPP), the state health insurance agency, is set to take the health insurance scheme to schools, especially tertiary institutions, in the state.
This disclosure was made by the Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer of RIVCHPP, Dr. Vetty Rolegherighan Agala, when she led a team from RIVCHPP on an advocacy visit to the office of the Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Education on Friday, 16th January 2026.
Dr. Agala, who solicited authorisation from the Ministry for RIVCHPP to write to the institutions under Ministry’s mandate so as to begin enrolment of students in the various schools , said that for the health insurance agency to expand universal health coverage of the state, then students need to be enrolled into the programme.
RIVCHPP’s Executive Secretary announced that the agency has also started talks with the State branch of Nigeria Association of Proprietors of Private Secondary Schools (NAPPSS) to ensure that no one in the state is left out from having the opportunity of accessing quality healthcare services without passing through financial hardship.
Dr. Agala also commended the innovative policies that the Permanent Secretary have brought to bear towards improving the educational exploits in the state, saying that the changes align to the interest and mandate of Governor Siminialayi Fubara stance on education.
RIVCHPP’s Executive Secretary appreciated the Permanent Secretary for giving the team audience, pledging her team’s dedication and commitment to clients’ satisfaction, calling on schools to embrace the S-SHIP package dedicated for the well-being of students in Rivers State.
In her remarks and response, the Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Education, Dr.(Mrs. ) Azibaolanari Uzoma-Nwogu, who warmly welcomed the RIVCHPP team, promised to share with and disseminate all information about RIVCHPP to all public schools in the state so that the schools will be willing to give RIVCHPP opportunity to sensitise them on what RIVCHPP is all about and the benefits of signing up with RIVCHPP.
Dr. Uzoma-Nwogu advised RIVCHPP to be proactive and consistent in the mandate of providing affordable and quality health care to Rivers residents.
The visit witnessed a presentation of RIVCHPP’s sensitisation/campaign materials to the Permanent Secretary by RIVCHPP’s Executive Secretary
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