Marists of Sullana at the side of children and young people with disabilities
The School San JosĂ© Obrero, in Sullana, Peru, of the Province of Santa MarĂa de los Andes, celebrated, last year, 50 years of activities. In 2007, the school inaugurated the “Montagne classroom” and opened its doors to blind children. At the end of the celebrations for the 50th anniversary of the College, Brother Bernardino Pascual Juárez shares here below a road traveled with an attitude full of joy and satisfaction at the personal, community, and civic levels.
“We have welcomed your proposal to send two Brothers to direct a school for the deaf and dumb in your city. It fits in perfectly with the plan of our institution, which is entirely devoted to the education of children in whatever situation they may find themselves” (Marcellin Champagnat, letter 323: 22 January 1840).
Like the vision that Marcellin had in La Valla, we have dreamed, in Sullana, Peru, a project that promotes human rights in an atmosphere in which we provide channels of integration, education and development for children, young people and families in special situations of social exclusion.
Inclusive Education means that all children and young people, with or without disabilities, learn together in the various regular educational institutions and with appropriate supports; this, with the purpose “to reduce learning barriers so that everyone has opportunities” to receive a quality education, respecting the different abilities, generating spaces of openness that motivate the active participation of its members.
At the side of children and youth with disabilities
Under this principle, the school “San JosĂ© Obrero” of Sullana has been involved in an educational task, developing various activities and strategies that are very useful to achieve significant and quality learning, where the different abilities and educational needs of children and young people with disabilities are considered and respected.
More than fifteen years have passed since we had the satisfaction of sharing life with the first deaf and blind children in our Educational Institution. In that trajectory, we have accumulated experiences and knowledge regarding the education of children with special educational needs, specifically in hearing and visual disabilities.
With satisfaction we look at our history today and show the achievements and progress of some children who were once our students and today preach with attitude and example, perseverance and good spirit that “everything is possible if you set your mind to it”, as Milagros Cruz Arrese, our former student who is now studying law at the University, says.
Committed teachers and students
Committed to the search for innovative initiatives and proposals, this project develops a series of activities aimed at achieving among our students, without disabilities, the learning of sign language for the deaf community and Braille reading and writing for the blind, all with the aim of continuing to shorten the communication barriers both in the educational environment and outside it; thus we are reducing all forms of exclusion and marginalization with these “underprivileged children”.
Consequently, the Project “We improve communication to shorten barriers and open new routes” seeks to improve communication among all members of the educational community through the learning of Braille reading and writing and sign language, a way to transcend in time and space. Children and young people are already committed, voluntarily, to feel and live in their own flesh what children with disabilities can feel and live. This is a new and challenging situation that, in the spirit of Marcellin Champagnat, we joyfully attend to:
- We promote the participation of students, in number of 100, to assume various leading roles, which generate change in the field of inclusive education in order to achieve better communication-socialization between regular students and students with visual-hearing disabilities.
- We responsibly share the project with parents to guarantee its execution.
- We incorporate basic Braille literacy and sign language activities (greetings and names) in the learning sessions, where all students perform the same activity, in the same way, at the same time and with the same materials.
- We compile and share reliable information about students with disabilities who have passed through our school as a way of encouragement.
It is an opportune time to thank God through the great Master and Teacher of all children, Marcellin Champagnat; to thank Him for his presence and protection over Brothers, teachers, young people, children and families who today share these Marist Institutional joys.
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Br. Bernardino Pascual Juárez
Province Santa MarĂa de los Andes – Peru