SOLOMON Islands need to build more Special Development Learning Centres around the country to serve the hundreds of children with special needs.
School Principal of the Development Learning Centre (DLC) Jiope Ralulu Iputu echoed the sentiment during the Governor General’s visit to the school on Friday.
Mr. Iputu said that currently, DLC is the only school providing special development learning for those with special needs.
“Unfortunately, the school is only accessible to a few, especially those in and around Honiara,” he said.
“The need to extend such institution is very important because there are thousands of children with special needs who are out in the provinces but have no access to such services,” he said.
He said the SIRCS School only able to enrol those children in and around Honiara but could not support many others who also need such special learning services.
Mr. Iputu said in terms of governance, they will continue to try and connect with the Ministry of Education and Human Resource Development so that some of their issues are considered.
Meanwhile, Sir Vunagi shared the same sentiments saying that such institutions are needed across the country since we have many children out there with special needs.
Sir Vunagi said he will ensure the Ministry of Education is aware of the challenges so as to find a way forward to help many other Solomon Islanders with special needs to have access to education.
He said he also visited San Isidro which also provides life skills and livelihood learning for people with special needs and there’s also a need for such institutions in the country – especially, out there in the provinces.
“Teacher ratio as stated by the school Principal is also an issue the Ministry needs to address given other mainstream schools I have visited earlier this year also face the same problem where a teacher teaches more than what he or she should teach,” he said.
By IAN M.KAUKUI
Honiara Newsroom
