Better school environment for children with special needs |16 March 2018
Children at the School for the Exceptional Child at Roche Caiman can now study, play in and enjoy a more conducive and safer school environment and facilities after intensive refurbishment works have been completed.
Work to the tune of R1.5m initiated by the Seychelles Round Table and supported by its different partners namely MCB and Air Seychelles was carried out by a team of local contractors and other individuals.
It started in January and was completed at the end of last month.
The completed project was officially handed over yesterday to the Minister for Education and Human Resource Development Joel Morgan, and the head teacher Heidi Francourt by the president of the Round Table Neil Puresh.
The ceremony was attended by key officials from the said ministry, members of the Round Table, representatives of the different partners, pupils and staff of the school among other guests.
Prior to the handover, lead contractor of the project Daniel Lesperance had delivered a detailed PowerPoint presentation of the different components of the work undertaken before and after the refurbishment.
Work included reparation of drainage and waste water system behind the school, adding ramps for wheelchairs in the courtyard, repair and install new hand railings, a refit of new flooring and wall tiles in the pantry, kitchen, dining hall, art room, toilets, bathroom, outdoor laundry and a clean-up of the whole school compound.
In her vote of thanks, the principal secretary for Early Childhood, Primary and Secondary Education, Dr Odile De Commarmond, said Round Table has been instrumental in partnering with the Ministry of Education to realise different projects to benefit schools from proceeds raised through the Regatta it organises annually.
She reminded those present at the ceremony that it was in July last year that the Round Table pledged that the proceeds of last year’s Regatta would go towards refurbishing the school.
“The Ministry of Education through the School of the Exceptional Child is again very happy to be the recipient of yet another generous donation in the form of significant refurbishment of the different facilities and the school’s building thus providing a more conducive environment for both pupils and teachers,” Dr De Commarmond noted.
She pointed out that remarkably the refurbishment has taken into account the specificities and special needs of this group of pupils, something which had not been necessarily the case before.
Dr De Commarmond added that this project is a very good example of how public private partnership can help in improving the environment and quality of life of people in the community.
The refurbishment project has cost a total of R1.5 million with R500,000 coming from the Round Table, R500,000 from the Children’s Fund and R500,000 from the government through the Ministry of Education.
Dr De Commarmond has called on the school to ensure proper upkeep of the facilities, that the pupils make good use of them as well as make sure the new facelift remains the pride and joy of the school and its pupils.
She expressed heartfelt gratitude to the Round Table and all its partners for such an initiative and a project well done.
On his part the managing director of the MCB, Bernard Jackson, handed over a cheque for R133,000 to the school’s head teacher to purchase some much needed equipment for the school.
He said MCB is proud to be involved in such community and social projects which also fall in line with their CSR contributions to society.
“The children here have very challenging backgrounds and very special needs and they too deserve to study and play in a happy and conducive environment,” he remarked.
Josie Michaud Payet, the representative of Air Seychelles, commended the contractors for a project well done and expressed the pride of Air Seychelles to have partnered with the Round Table to support it.
Neil Puresh, the president of the Seychelles Round Table, said the project is the fruit of one full year of voluntary and hard work which the Round Table is proud to be associated with.
He said last year’s 44th Regatta saw a roaring success with a record breaking number of 140,000 lottery tickets sold out raising half a million rupees during the three day fun-filled packed weekend.
He congratulated and commended what he called the amazing public private collaboration and public participation.
He thanked the sponsors who continue to believe in their cause to invest in different project initiatives.
Head teacher Francourt said the teachers and pupils are very grateful to the Round Table for initiating the project which has greatly improved the school’s environment and more importantly make life easier for both the pupils especially those with certain disabilities and the work of support staff.
“Access to facilities like toilet, bathroom was quite difficult but now these have been redone in a more adaptable manner to meet the children’s different disabilities and needs. The concrete footpath will also make moving around easier for wheelchair bound pupils and staff supporting them,” she said.
She said a lot more refurbishment is needed at the school to continue improving the life of those pupils with special needs such as the upgrading of the playground.
Future plans for the school also include the provision of new toys adapted to the needs of the children and a good curriculum appropriate to the individual needs of the children.
