One World is a school of compassion
Having known what it is to be discriminated against in America, Ericson J. Perez founded in 2012 the One World School along E. de los Santos Avenue, where mentally and physically-challenged individuals— young or old—can be educated without fear of being teased or bullied.
Ever since he was 6 years old, his parents took the entire family to the United States, earned a US citizenship and gave the siblings public education. Being a brown Asian, his fellow white students and teachers looked down on him as someone who can’t learn their language or anything for that matter.
He took this challenge to a higher level, got a master’s degree in education and human development, Transition Special Education at the George Washington University until he taught there and later moved on to the Peace Corps, when he was assigned to teach in Kenya for two years.
Then he yearned for something more, so he applied for various positions in the different continents to expand his experience. Luckily, he was given a job by Brent International School Manila, based in Laguna, where he worked for 2006 to 2013— until he started the special education program in that school.
He grabbed the Brent offer as he had always been homesick for the Philippines, where he was born. He worked hard and saved up so he can someday put up his own school.
In 2012, his last year at Brent, he informed his employer that he was leaving after one year to put up his own special education school to afford children otherwise ostracized by society a place to learn and live their lives fully.
From just 15 students in 2013 (2012 was spent for fund raising and developing the school program), the school now has 65 students with special needs like Down syndrome, autism and other mental/behavioral challenges. It uses the international school calendar of September to May. Of the 65 students, eight are siblings or family members of faculty, he said.
The classes range from 4 kids (on one to one ratio of teacher and learner) and 9 depending on the subject spread in 15 classrooms. Most students prefer to go on summer workshops and special lessons.
The school has been getting students through word of mouth and referrals (from pediatricians and speech and occupational therapists) with some students coming from the same family (where typical and nontypical kids are mixed together under one environment), explained Perez.
Though the school charges tuition from students (with fees amounting to R100, 000 to R500,000 yearly to pay for specially-trained teachers ) it basically operates on hand-to-mouth because the tuition fees are paid for teaching and non-teaching staff, driver, guards and building maintenance (the school is renting). It has had two fund-raising to improve the facilities and training equipment.
It has three programs: the junior pre- school and elementary school program; special education program (less than 2 years old to 18) and internship program (over 18 years to 35 years old). Some of the adults are trained for work, such as teaching the succeeding batches of special children. In fact three of its former interns are now employed by the school.
Perez admits that there were times when he just wanted to close down the school because of the difficult operational challenges. But each time this moment comes, he is reminded by his cousin, the administrator, “what about the kids. Where will they go?”
As to why he chose One World for the school’s name, Perez said this is because he wants the children to be in a learning environment where they would feel one with each other and with the world.
“In other schools they are marginalized, isolated and laughed at. They don’t get the right program so they are made to feel like they are not part of the school,” explained Perez.
Perez said he is aware that there are several schools offering programs for children with special needs but the difference is in the level of admission or their capability to absorb and train these special children.