The power of caregiving
Mixing with mainstream pupils helps special needs students unlock their full potential.
Partnership between mainstream and special needs schools can be a mutually fruitful experience on multiple levels, says Karin Wetselaar, principal of Jockey Club Sarah Roe School (JCSRS).
JCSRS is an ESF school catering to children with various disabilities. These range from physical disabilities, such as deafness, to complex learning disabilities, to developmental disorders like autism.
The school has been in close partnership with the neighbouring King George V School, also an ESF school. Through this joint partnership, students and teachers share classes, resources and workshops on a regular basis.
“It is a powerful way for students and teachers to experience how everyone has something to give despite their differences,” says Wetselaar. “They all learn how to relate to people who are different from them, and how to work together.”
JCSRS students regularly attend maths, physical education and arts classes at KGV or Kowloon Junior School, depending on their strengths. Teachers adapt to their learning needs and styles accordingly.
For example, a student with high-functioning autism may be brilliant at arts or technology, but could find themselves on a steep learning curve when it comes to teamwork and social skills.
