Govt neglects children with special needs — Koiki

Lai Koiki

In this interview with MOTUNRAYO JOEL, Executive Director, Greensprings School, Mrs. Lai Koiki, talks about the challenges of training children with special needs

What challenges have you faced since Greensprings was established 30 years ago?

Challenges are always there, but we need to look at the bright side. God has been our strength, we have never lacked. We have had challenges with staffing and finance. Things weren’t rosy when I started this school but God has been my strength. As a school, we give a lot and we have taught our pupils to give. Some time ago, they went to an orphanage home, saw a child who had been out-of-school for a long period and offered to send her to school. That is the type of children we hope to raise in this school. For over 22 years, we have been running a programme we call open house. It is for teachers, heads of schools and anybody in the education sector. Participants get to interact with our teachers, they see how they decorate their classrooms, they learn how to build a strong teacher-pupil relationship, and a whole load of other things. As we can’t have every child on the street in this school, how else can we reach out to them? We hope whoever comes for the programme would replicate what he or she has learnt in his school.

What is the essence of the Sensory Unit- Learning Support Room recently inagurated at your Anthony branch?

It is a room within our learning support unit designed to strengthen psychomotor skills and some damaged parts of the brain which could have caused a special need for the child in particular. In education, if something is done for a particular time, it becomes almost natural. Hence, a particular type of exercise will be directed at a particular side of the brain of an autistic, dyslexic or whatever type of child that needs strengthening and reinforcement. This is the purpose of the room. The day it was commissioned, the children were so excited being inside it. It was incredible.

Do you think enough attention is given to children with special needs?

No, I don’t think so. I think as a society, we still see them as outcasts, we don’t embrace them. I saw a quote that said special children are not necessarily born to special parents, but looking after a special child makes you a special parent because it takes so much from you. The reality of life is that special children are a necessary part of society. We must learn to relate with them as a government and as a parent. But here, we bring them into our school system right from inception and thus put them through our inclusive programme which exposes them to regular children.

What can the government do for these children with special needs?

The government has not dealt well with children that don’t have special needs; not to talk of those with special needs. We must come to a point where we value every citizen in this nation. We should make special provisions for their needs. This is what I expect the government to do. They need to start paying attention to these things so that we don’t have these children roaming the streets.

Why is the Sensory Unit of importance to you?

Anything that will enhance the quality of education given to our children is a must-do for us. It is part of our core value. The room is not just any room; it is a room that positively affects our children.

Which type of children use the room?

It is used by children with Down syndrome, autism, speech defect, hearing defect and many more. This is the little we can do to help them.

What can similar schools do too?

They should also have an inclusive programme because that is the reality. One should not lock up children with special needs in a special school, where every one is the same. They should be brought into regular schools so that they can interact with other children. Both parties benefit at the end of the day. Special needs children learn social skills and these other ones also learn how to relate with children with such disabilities; they learn to be their friends. I also think the greatest obstacle is with adults. Most parents find it difficult to allow their children relate with other children who are different. Therefore, it’s the adults that are standing as a barrier.

How can a parent tell their child has a special need?

One of the ways to know is, if a child that is supposed to be walking or talking is not performing any, there is need for concern. However, most parents are often in denial, they don’t want to hear that their child is different; but the truth is that, parents with special children are special parents.

Are children with special needs well catered for abroad?          

Yes they are. They even have an inclusive system or specially built schools for them. They are well-catered for.

Are these children able to lead a normal life?

Quite a number of them can lead a normal life. They may not be your Nobel laureate prize winner, or finish with a first class, but they do well. For me, I want them to become independent. I’m usually amazed when I go abroad and see a blind person walking alone. God is good, when one sense is taken away, He makes the others stronger.

How can the stigma attached to this set of people be eradicated?

As it is being done in developed countries, the Nigerian government should support organisations that employ people with special needs. They must be integrated into the society. We need to recognise that we are all flowers in the garden and we are all as valuable as the other person. Most of these people don’t want to be pitied but treated right, and with love. This is the fundamental need of every human being.

How should parents with special children care for them?

Living with a special child is a 24-hour therapy; they need to give that extra support. Parents must be part of the experience, it is a sacrifice and it is a full-time work. A parent must be responsible for his or her child.

How did you set up the sensory room?

We have always had a strong relationship with our parents since the inception of this school. The Parent Teacher Association funded the sensory room. They actually wanted to do something that would transcend over time and it was also a gift for my 60th birthday. I really appreciate it because caring for children with special needs is my heartbeat.

Why are you passionate about them?

I love to see children excel, it gives me fulfilment. I won’t say I chose to own a school, it just happened. I was once an accountant, somewhere along the line, I left to start a school and since then I’ve had no regrets. It has been a life of sacrifice.

What are some of the challenges facing the education sector?

I don’t like talking about private schools because they are a drop in the ocean. Almost 90 per cent of children are in government schools, and there is nothing there. For me, the education system had become faulty right from the foundation and the greatest challenge the system is currently facing is getting the right teachers. I think the government should recruit young graduates, retrain them and put them in schools. The old teachers should be taken out and retrained. These teachers are still teaching children the way I was taught 50 years ago. Things have changed. Now, children reason differently. Teachers need to be retrained and retrained. Fancy classrooms are good but they are not all. We need to place our priorities right. I will rather spend money on a situation that demands that children need to sit under a tree to learn from an informed teacher than have them in fancy classrooms. I think our focus should go to teachers.