Lesufi launches activities to commemorate autism day
AS PART of the Gauteng Department of Education (GDE)’s commitment to expand access and improve the quality of programmes for learners with special educational needs, the department on Saturday launched the province’s activities to commemorate World Autism Awareness Day at the Randburg Clinic School in Kensington B.
The purpose of these activities is to raise awareness about autism and emphasise the need to accept individuals with autism as an integral part of society and improve their quality of life, as April is Autism Awareness Month.
“We have to make sure that we make people aware of autism and how to manage children (with) autism.
“We will be launching our activities and for the entire month of April we will be interacting with the sector to make sure that we create more awareness and people understand what autism is,” GDE spokesperson Steve Mabona said.
During the visit to the Randburg Clinic School, Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi unveiled a block of classrooms that embraces autism.
The chairperson of the school governing body Sameer Modan spoke about how the school had become a home for his daughter, who is living with autism.
“When you start researching you will find groups where they talk about autism,” he said.
The chairperson further urged fathers to get involved with their children as a way to give their children the best opportunities.
Lesufi emphasised that children with autism are not second or third class but first-class citizens of the education system.
“We might not have anything, we might not have everything, we might not have every cent but we have one important thing … that whatever we have, it must start with children with autism and others shall follow because these children deserve respect and the necessary support,” he said.
The MEC said he was proud of the SGB because the department gave the school, like many other schools in the province, money to expand.
“Within the shortest period of time and within the budget, they added eight new beautiful classrooms in this school. To us that is leadership because they didn’t go and fight for tenders or fight for small things, they produced classrooms,” Lesufi said.
The MEC added that the department was with the parents of learners with autism to support them.
“If you are afraid to be at the forefront, count on me. I will be at the forefront because your rights are not divorced from the rights of any other children within the education system,” he said.