In Gerehu Stage 6 Port Moresby, Sister Shiny Mary, a Catholic nun from the Daughters of Wisdom Congregation, leads the Callan Services Inclusive Education Resource Center, catering to children with special needs.
The center, while providing helpful services, faces significant challenges due to limited funding and inadequate resources.
Situated in Gerehu Stage 6, the Callan Services Inclusive Education Resource Center stands as a beacon of hope for children with special needs.
Run by Sister Mary, who is a specialist teacher herself, the center serves as a haven for those requiring tailored support.
Despite its vital role in the community, the center grapples with financial constraints, relying heavily on donations from organizations like the Catholic Diocese and the Special Education Division.
Sister Shiny Mary reveals that while these contributions are essential, they often fall short of meeting the center’s extensive needs, which include building renovations and the acquisition of specialized equipment such as hearing aids, crutches, wheelchairs and so forth.
In addition to financial challenges, the center faces space limitations, hindering its ability to accommodate the growing number of students in need.
Sister Mary explains that while they strive to maximize available space and even consider building additional classrooms, constraints persist, impacting the quality of education and support they can provide.
The center operates with a dedicated team comprising teaching staff, nurses, and support personnel, totaling ten members.
However, Sister Mary emphasizes the need for more staff to assist children with daily tasks and provide essential support, particularly in areas such as speech therapy and life skills development.
“Teacher collages around Papua New Guinea should be able to train upcoming teachers to properly educate these special children,” Sister Mary said.
Teachers in various schools have difficulties teaching or coping with special children, that is why it is hard for special children to enter other schools to further their education.
Sister Mary confirmed that last year they had up to 10 students who have passed on from Callan Services to further their studies in other schools but Callan Services keep track of the students and asses their progress as they venture onto further their studies.
Despite these hurdles, Sister Mary remains committed to her mission of providing inclusive education to all children, regardless of their abilities.
She advocates for increased awareness and acceptance of autism and other developmental disabilities, emphasizing that every child deserves access to education and support tailored to their needs.
As Sister Mary reflects on her work at the center, she shares a poignant message: “Children are children. All have rights to have education.
The schools should be prepared to welcome them. We need to support them to bring them up, find their potentiality, and help them move forward with their journey.”
In the face of adversity, the Callan Services Inclusive Education Resource Center stands as a testament to the unwavering dedication of Sister Mary and her team, tirelessly advocating for a more inclusive and supportive educational landscape for children with special needs.