The Joint National Association of Persons With Disabilities (JONAPWD), has decried the deplorable state of the Special School For Handicapped Children, Creek Road, Port Harcourt.
JONAPWD called on Governor Siminalayi Fubara, to come to the aid of students and teachers of the school, as the classrooms and hostels get flooded anytime there is rainfall due to leaking roofs.
JONAPWD Chairman in the state, Kie Obomanu, who spoke with LEADERSHIP in Port Harcourt described the condition of the school as ‘squalic’.
Obomanu said: “It is true that the School for the handicapped, Creek Road is in absolute mess. But we are trying to collaborate with the Ministry (of Education) in order to bring this to their notice.
“Although, it has not been easy but I believe that the new government of Governor Siminalayi Fubara will try to do the needful. The place is absolutely in a dilapidated state.
“We are using this opportunity to call on the governor of Rivers State, to come to the aid of the students, especially and staff of the school. To be very candid, the place is in a squalic condition.
So, it makes it very difficult for learning to take place. For instance, whenever there is rainfall, water passes through the roofs of the classrooms and hostels because they are leaking.
“It will be very difficult for someone to be in this condition and be ready to absorb or assimilate. When you teach students under this condition, they can’t learn effectively and the equipments there are all bad. In fact, for now, there are no equipments. We can’t call it an inclusive school.
“An inclusive school is where there are accessibility materials, mobility aids and the equipments needed to conduct an inclusive school. They are there. How can persons with visual impairment? How are they going to write their exams?”