Lutheran Church Special School for the Mentally Handicapped

Lutheran Church Special School for Mentally Challenged

Motto:
Training develops the mind.

Vision:
The rehabilitate and integrate persons with special needs as useful members of the society.
 

Mission statement:
To encourage the mentally challenged students to be as less dependant as possible in the society.
 

The school background:
Lutheran Church Special School for Mentally Challenged is Public Mixed Day and Boarding school, founded by Evangelical Lutheran Church. The School was established in 1980. It has a capacity for 150 students. The School is situated within Kisumu town along Ondiek Highway, opposite, the Megacity shopping Centre. The basic aim of the school is to meet the individual needs of learners who are  Mentally Challenged.
 

The School Management:
The school is managed by Board of Governors with the help of Parents, Teachers, Association with the support from Ministry of Education.

The School Aims:

• To provide basic academic skills to enable students communicate effectively.

• To develop students ability to use their manipulative skills without much support.

• To provide vocational skills to enable students fit in the world of work. 

• To encourage students to respect and perverse the environment.

• Provide spiritual nourishment to the learners.

• To enhance social interaction and self esteem for the children

• Advocating for the rights of persons with disability.

 

 

Admission Criteria:

Admission is done through the Educational Assessment and Resource Centers (EARC)

countrywide and then referals are done to the school for placement purposes.

 

Curriculum:

The curriculum is divided into three main areas:

Academic curriculum, Social curriculum and vocational curriculum.

The main training areas are: Woodwork, Needlework, Agriculture, and Home management. Vocational programmes are meant to assist the students fit in the world of work.

 

Co-curricula

Co-curricular activities include:

Games and Athletics, Scouting and Guiding, Music and Drama, 4K club and Health club. These are meant to create exposure, enjoyment, physical, spiritual and moral development to the students.

 

Other activities within the school

 

• School Integration programme:

Integration is done in the primary 3 class where the teachers identify learners  who are good in academic work and then they are  taken to the regular schools so that they can continue with learning in those schools, however, follow ups are done by the special education teachers to continue offering support to the child in that inclusive classroom.

Previously, 5 pupils had  been integrated into the regular schools and 3 of them managed to sit for the National exams (KCPE).

 

• Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR):

The school has put several students on Home Based programmes and then follow ups are done by the teachers to assess their progress within their home environments. Parents and taechers work hand in hand to ensure that there is better management of the these children on home based programmes and also ensuring that the rights of these students are safe guarded in every way possible.

Most of the students who are on Home based porogrammes are those learners whose conditions cannot be catered for effectively in the school due to limited adapted faclities and resources for them. In many cases, the school has always sought for assistance from wellwishers and local NGOs  and still appeal for support  to make follow ups and also provide for their needs.

 

• Scouting and Guiding:

Our students  participate actively in both scouting and guiding  by attending to local, national and  international  camps organized by the Scouts and Guides Associations..

 

• Sporting Activities:

Our students have a participated effectively in local competitions i.e. National and Provincial Games (KIPIDSA) Some of the students have represented the country in International Competitions (special Olympic Games). They have also participated in creative activities up to national and provincial levels (drama and music).

 

Our Challenges:

With inception of free primary education (FPE), the demand for expansion and provision of facilities is enormous. These include among others:

 

1. Most of the students are orphans and  lack the basic needs

2. Lack of permanent home for students who are totally orphaned and their parents cannot be traced.

3. Inadequate land for expansion for  more classrooms and workshops since the number of students are ever increasing.

4. Lack of  a school bus

5. Inadequate Food stuff to cater for School Feeding Programme.

6. Inadequate Teaching and learning resources.

 

 

Study Centre

The school has  programmes that have attracted many  institutions  to  partner with school in  getting opportunities for their students  to  get work expereience in dealing with children with Intellectual Disabilities, attachments and voluntary work. For example,

• Maseno University – Department of Special Education for teaching practice.

• Medical training Centres in Western Kenya

• Inservice programmes for  teachers in the regular schools.

• Students from foreign countries come for Educational exchange programmes and Volunteering work s e.g. The Netherlands, Finland, Germany, Denmark and Sweden.

• Kenya Institute of Special Education (KISE) for teaching practice.

• Local middle level colleges offering social work courses

 

Friends Day

This is a day traditionally set in the school calendar to be observed every year  as an open day  for sharing with people so that they  can  understand better children with Intellectual Disabilities .  The day is also  used to talk a bout the rights of persons with disabilities and  the students are given opportunities to display their various talents. There are always entertaiments and other  activities  like are Charity walk, Open sales, films shows, songs, dances, drama and raffles. All are welcome to join us during this great day as friends to the school.

 

    

 

 

Remember that there is ability in disabilty