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ST. JOHN OF GOD SPECIAL SCHOOL
This special School was founded by Bro Augustine Polaprayil and started in a small way has grown to be one of the best Special School in India.
Bro Augustine has been trained in Germany by The Hospitallier Order of St. John of God and it is the saintly approach & prayer,grit and determination that has made the school what it is now.Bro Augustine is trained and educated as a Nurse in physcatritic medicine and thereafter bagged a post graduation in special education from MG University.Bro Augustine champions tha cause of the most underprivelaged members of our society who are actually mentally challenged.His dream and Mission is to Empower the learning diabled and ensure equal oppurtunity rights for the mentally challenged and disabled in society and even in their own families and also to ensure members have an independent life within their own community and attain the rightfull status within their own families and soceity.Bro has true humanitrian spirit and he is a hero among the members of the school community and selflessly has made the school to what is it today with able support from the International Order specially the Brothers of the Order from Australia,Germany and Ireland,Co- workers and benefactors.The care and humanitrian aspect of Brother Augustine is reflected as this school is one of the few schools which take care of the mentally challenged members of our soceity who are not cared for even by their own parents and their relatives.
New structures were inaugurated in 2003. The new facilities comprise a spacious modern and well-equipped school, comfortable yet homely hostels for different age groups and sexes, Canteens, Chapel, Vocational Training Centre, Indoor & Outdoor hydrotherapy facilities, Excellent sports facilities and residences for the communities of Brothers blitation faclityand Sisters.There is also a life long rehablitation faclity attached to the School.
The Special School and Vocational Training Centre together have 165 students. Of these about 105 are residents or boarders. Others are day scholars.
Criteria for Admission
1. Clients to the Centre will be accepted subject to the following criteria:
a) Membership is offerd to learning disabled irrespective of Sex,Age ,Social status and religion.A truly Secular institution. .
b) Members having mild, moderate, severe or profound learning disability and even with Psychiatric illness not being the Primary problem.
A Model Centre
With the assistance of the Bavarian Province of the Order, a model centre with the
best practices for the differently abled was officially inaugurated on 1st November 2003. The new facilities comprise a modern and well-equipped school, comfortable yet homely hostels for different age groups and sexes, staff canteen, chapel and residences for the communities of Brothers and Sisters.
The residential facility has a preferential option to support and train the neediest which include the orphaned, those with profound learning disabilities, those from impoverished families, those not able to have access to local facilities, and those whose needs cannot be met within their families. The centre also offers educational opportunities for day students, and provides transport support that enables the attendance of children from a wide geographical region. At present there are 105 residential students and 60 day-care students.
These facilities proclaim that the differently abled should be valued and respected in the best possible manner. The Centre seeks to be client-centred, to be an institute of excellence and aims to provide consultancy, support and in-service training for other institutions.
In order to pursue the best practice management and service delivery, the centre is organised and managed by a management team headed by director along the following departmental lines:
1. Education and Training Services
The term ‘mental retardation’ is not well understood and misrepresents the abilities, hopes and aspirations of those whose intellectual abilities do not fall within the normal range. Whereas the term ‘differently abled’ highlights the right to individuality, integrity and dignity that is the right of each person. Children who are differently abled can, and do learn, striving for their own personal goals and interests that lead them into an adulthood that can be independent and contributing to the social good of the nation.
Education and training at the St. John of God Special School are organised according to the schemes and guidelines of the apex professional body for India, the National Institute for the Mentally Handicapped (NIMH). Students are admitted after thorough assessment of their intellectual capacity and their relevant personal and family background. All educational programmes aim at maximising the holistic potential of the individual person.
Students are also initiated into a variety of recreational activities. They have opportunities to develop their talents in many areas, including music, dance, handicrafts and cottage based industries. Sporting activities, participation in district, state and national competitions are encouraged. Organised after-school programmes are an important aspect of each student’s daily life and timetable.
2. Residential Services
The St. John of God Centre offers a residential option to those students who live far away from special school facilities, whose family circumstances require placement, or whose behaviour necessitates specialized external training. There are five hostels(Homes) located in the facility. Maria Home offers residential placement for girls and young women. Angel Home cares for young boys who attend the school. Richard Home is for boys above eighteen, Donatus Home for boys between 12 and 18 and Menni Home for boys who can live independently.
The aim of these homes is to create an atmosphere that one would experience in one’s own home. The hostels also serve the purpose of creating a domestic environment where social skills and independence training undertaken in the school can be reinforced and practised. Some of the residents of the hostels are orphans and no distinction is made between them and the others.
3. Allied Health Support Services
The Allied Health Support Team consists of professionals from the fields of social work, physiotherapy and occupational therapy. The Social Worker is responsible for providing the bridge between the centre and the client’s family and caregivers. The Physiotherapist is available to those clients of the centre who experience gross or fine motor difficulties, and is considered an integral component of their individualised programme. Occupational therapy is also offered to clients and is a valuable adjunct to enhancing the life of all those who are in the centre.
4. Hospitality Services
The Hospitality Services at the centre are dedicated to supporting the education and training opportunities of each client through the provision of a well balanced diet, hygienic and aesthetically pleasing working and living environments, and the maintenance of plants and equipment that ensure health and safety for all.
Hospitality Services also provide transport for day-care students and support the centre’s engagement with the wider community. They also provide supportive employment opportunities for some older clients of the centre.
5. Pastoral Care Services
Pastoral Care services contribute to the integrated care of persons who are differently abled, their families and the religious and Co-workers of the centre. It has the task of being a pastoral presence by living and manifesting the gifts inherited from St. John of God, through words, deeds and apostolic methods that respond to the needs and expectations of all concerned.
6. Administration Services
Administrative services seek to develop and implement updated recording and accountability systems, secretarial services, and a warm and hospitable welcome to St. John of God Centre.
Conclusion
The Brothers and the Sisters, together with the Co-workers, dedicate themselves to the promotion and development of the differently abled through positive engagement with them. This relationship enables us all to treat them as valued members of society.
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