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EZULWINI – Parents of children with the Down Syndrome condition are claiming that some private schools are taking advantage of their situation.
“We pay handsomely in private schools, only for our children to be neglected,” said a parent during the World Down Syndrome Day commemoration, at Sibane Sami Hotel yesterday.
Down syndrome is a genetic chromosome 21 disorder causing developmental and intellectual delays.
According to the parents, the private schools posted attractive adverts drawing their attention, but none of the things they mentioned were availed.
Instead, they said when following up at the schools, they would find one exhausted teacher, who would even tell them that they could not deal with the situation as they were not trained for it.
Help
The parents stated that they could do anything, just for their children to get help, such that they paid the private schools more than the other parents.
Furthermore, the parents stated that other people regarded children with Down syndrome to be cursed, while others were always sympathetic.
Through the above actions, the
Make parents mentioned that they suffered much more as some people even reminded them that their children were different.
Meanwhile, the parents said children with the Down syndrome condition were written off and considered useless by the community.
“Some even say it in your face that you have given birth to a useless child that would be a burden,” the parents mentioned. They said such comments
She said during the meeting with the police, the owing member promised to pay back the owed loan between December 4 and 5 and urged her colleagues were very disheartening. The parents are pushing for the formation of a Down syndrome organisation.
Solutions
They said their hopes were now with the Ministry of Education and Training to look into the matter of children with Down syndrome and come up with solutions to assist them.
Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Education and Training, Bhekithemba Gama implored teachers to to exercise patience while she was still raising the money.
“After the meeting, the police addressed us and told us that the owing member has promised to pay the money between December 4 and 5. They pleaded with the members to exercise patience while our colleague raises the money.
“We were told that a statement reaffirming her obligation to honour the promise was recorded at the police station. We wanted assurance that we would get our money,” said Make Dlamini.
Another member, who commented on this matter anonymously, claimed that another member who also borrowed money committed suicide in December last year.
“A woman killed herself after she failed to repay the loan she had been advanced by the stokvel. The money was in her custody when she used our savings to buy her child a laptop and promised to repay it,” said the work together with the Special Needs Department to find innovative ways to accommodate every learner with or without disabilities during teaching, learning and assessment. Gama said this called for everyone to think outside the box or even dismantle the boxes to ensure meaningful participation for every child.
He said as the theme stated; ‘With us Not for Us’, they would find ways to strengthen participation of the children member.
Meanwhile, in April 2021, a businesswoman’s home was broken into by two thugs, who stole stokvel money amounting to E218 000. They also stole cellphones.
The incident happened at Timbutini, a community situated on the outskirts of Manzini.
It was suspected that the money was stolen by people who knew the woman and that she was custodian of the money.
The woman is also a street vendor.
Shared
It was gathered that the money, which belonged to members of the stokvel that the businesswoman was part of, was shared among members on a monthly basis.
Each month, the members held a meeting around the Manzini Police Headquarters to borrow and share dividends.
According to a relative, the businesswoman was in her house, together with a helper, who was in another room, when two men carrying a knife and a pickaxe stormed into her bedroom.
and young people with Down syndrome and disabilities in general for policy development, programming and implementation.
Furthermore, he stated that it was their wish to have a diagnostic wing that could be responsible for diagnosis and intervention for the children. This wing, he said, could bring together all key service providers, including the multi-disciplinary team. Gama said the team could include health professionals, social workers, educational psychologists and educationalists among others.
Pray
He said the above activity had been captured in their Strategic Plan and Multi-Year Plan of Action for 2022 to 2025. “We pray and believe that by 2025 this wing will have been established, well-resourced and up and running.”
Director of Social Welfare under the Deputy Prime Minister’s Office, Mcusi Shongwe, said they were aware of the challenges faced by all parents with children living with disabilities and opened their hands to provide support where necessary.
Shongwe said they also pledged their support to the ministry of education, special needs unit, in creating awareness and advocacy for issues pertaining to Down syndrome in the country. He said all persons with Down syndrome were human beings like any other and their accomplishments in their respective endeavours should be celebrated.