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.