From all perspective, the
students of Igbehin Adun School for the deaf /hard of hearing
and mentally retarded are courageous soldiers in the battle for
survival, having refused to be crushed by the enormity of their
physical challenge.
Their basic general
problem is the inability to communicate smoothly. Watching the
students as they try to express themselves is a pitiable sight.
It is a strenuous effort that seems to tax all the muscles of
their body.
Whereas those of them that
are deaf and hard of hearing could only be communicated with
through sign language and can hardly talk in clear
comprehensible terms, most of the dumb ones are partially deaf
and so could neither hear well nor be able to respond verbally.
There is also the mentally retarded students who can only stare
at one blankly and either keep their face expressionless or
flash a half - hearted smile that is usually out of place.
Mrs. Victoria Hotonu, the
proprietress of the school told Champion Scholar that one way of
educating the students is to infuse in them the conviction that
they are not the dregs of the society; to give them some kind of
self esteem; to impart in their consciousness the awareness and
conviction that the God that created them is an almighty all
knowing God of love who appreciates their existence and is
capable of changing every situation.
"All the students are
physically challenged in one way or the other," she said. "But
this does not mean they are useless in the community. They are
all gifted in various ways. The main problem is the inability to
communicate which eventually leads to frustration."
According to Mrs. Hotonu,
this institution located in Okokomaiko along Badagry expressway
is classified into two main category of students - the
educatable and non-educatable. The educatable ones are easily
teachable and can comprehend things in addition to being able to
express themselves.
"We have every cause to
thank God for the good health and wisdom he has been showering
on the student since inception of the school. All the primary
six pupils we’ve been presenting for external exams have been
emerging in flying colours. The school have been scoring 100 per
cent over the past ten years. All the pupils were placed in
secondary schools of their choice.."She enthused.
The students were having
yam portage as lunch when Champion Scholar arrived the school
premises. A young man and teenage girl both of whom were deaf
and dumb served as prefects and were helping to convey the meal
to the other students, especially those on wheelchair.
There were about 100
students in all and almost all of them lives in the school
hostel alongside the proprietress Mrs. Hotonu who lives in a
room and parlour at one end of the hostel.
The school has been taking
part in various schools invitation relay and performing
creditably well..
Said Mrs. Hotonu, "I am
proud to inform you that we emerged first in one of the table
tennis tournaments organized for primary schools in Lagos State.
The pupils are taught vocational works like hairdressing,
barbing, carpentry, knitting and tee and dye, painting, and
poultry farming. The goal is to expose them to various
occupation, widen their scope of knowledge and make them self
reliant through enhanced job opportunities."
Champion Scholar was shown
a computer centre established in the school and also a vast
barbing and hairdressing saloon. The saloon, poultry and
workshops were mainly for the vocational students largely
comprised of the non-educatable students.
One thing that can easily
be perceived among most of the students is their aggressiveness
and hot temper. This results mainly from the frustration of not
being able to have smooth verbal, communication.At the same
time,they can be very friendly and jovil and are always
courteous to visitors.
Established in 1991, the
school according to its proprietress is an admission that
disabled people in our society needs attention. It draws
attention to their plight and exists to find solution to their
problems.
What are the experiences
that prepared Mrs. Hotonu for the task of taking special care of
the physically challenged.
She words: "I trained as a
specialist educationist at the University of Lagos, University
of Ibadan and Moray House college of Education in Edinburgh,
Scotland as well as Gallaudet College USA (now university). This
wide experiences in education of the deaf were enhanced by my
appointment as headmistress of a notable school for the deaf
here in Nigeria and where I retired meritoriously after a long
and fruitful years of service."
Besides, She said, she is
a member of the National Society for the Deaf in Nigeria and has
attended numerous workshops, seminars and conferences for the
deaf worldwide.
"One thing I acquired
through those rich experiences is the awareness that disabled
people particularly the type we have here in our school need
every one’s love and understanding, not sympathy. It is this
awareness that inspired me to establish the school to help in
improving the quality of life of the disabled in general,"
Hotonu disclosed.
At the moment, the school
have several specialist teachers including NCE teachers. There
are also several non academic staff.
The proprietress argued
that Nigeria will be a better nation for all if the society and
the government gives the disabled in our mist some consideration
by putting them into reckoning in the scheme of affairs in the
country.
