Wednesday, September 16, 2015

Oliver Says No to Homeschool

Pick me!
"We are supposed to accept children with special needs, but as you can see, our school doesn't have a ramp for your child." -- Anonymous school from today
The school administrator's excuses are getting more ridiculous by the day. Other responses include, 
  • "You are just applying now [for January 2016]? Normally our parents register when they are pregnant with their child.
  • "There's just not enough space in Cape Town schools for the children who want to go to school."
  •  "Priority will be given to children who have been baptized in the Catholic Church."
These were quotes from the public schools we visited*.

The private schools are very friendly, and will even give me an application. However, each school has told me that they have already made their decisions for next year. Best of luck.

After hearing this from a dozen schools, I am discouraged. Not one person has asked specific questions about Oliver. They see a face with Down syndrome and assume that he needs a ramp to get into the school.

To be fair, he hasn't mastered riding up stairs on his bicycle yet. Perhaps his physical therapist can work on that this week.

This is just one of those rare occasions when Down syndrome kicks me in the gut. Most of life with Oliver is normal. Some days are phenomenal. Then there are those rare days when I pray for his disabilities to disappear, in the Name of Jesus! 

We are praying this week. Oliver's delays shouldn't be deal breakers. We will pay for a private facilitator to help him through the school day. We will continue his speech and occupational therapies. And at home we will work hard to help him close the gap.

We just need a great partner school to take a chance on us. Anyone?



* I can't imagine the situation in low-income parts of town. A psychologist told me Sunday that 38% of the Cape Town population is addicted to meth. But that is a blog post for a different time...

2 comments:

  1. It sounds like Africa hasn't caught up to the rest of the world in how to treat kids with Down's. We have our educational challenges here too, but at least they can't exclude kids for their differences and make up fake reasons why. I think all of us have considered homeschooling but that's tricky too in the world of special education. Education is one of the hardest areas for special needs kids don't you think?! I hope you find the perfect school for Ollie.

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  2. Ooh, Sarah. I am sorry. I wish you were here so he could come to school with us. I love Oliver and would LOVE the privilege of teaching him. Maybe I should come there, live near you guys, and homeschool him myself???

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